This UK Garden Houses One Of The Most Venomous Plants In The World

One of the most poisonous plants in the world, known as gympie-gympie or Dendrocnide moroides, was brought to the Poison Garden of Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, England. This plant, which causes excruciating pain similar to being electrocuted and set on fire simultaneously, will be kept safely in a glass case. She was assigned her guardian because even a light touch can result in intense agony. Typically found in the forests of Australia and Indonesia, this stinging plant has now found a home in the garden.

John Knox, the head tour guide of the Poison Garden, said: “The plant is covered with tiny hairs, so even a slight brush against it can lead to these hairs penetrating the skin, breaking off and injecting venom . The sensation was pleasant to experience electric shocks and be engulfed in flames simultaneously.” He added that a single touch of the plant can cause agonizing pain that can persist for weeks or even months.

At the North East attraction, the plant has been entrusted to its guardian, who is responsible for its care, including watching over it, feeding it, and making sure it is watered properly. Knox stated the importance of keeping the plant closed behind glass, as even the slightest scattering of its hairs could trigger severe allergic reactions.

In 2020, Australian scientists discovered that the toxins produced by these plants are very similar to those found in spiders and scorpions. They discovered that the molecular structure of the venom forms knots, which allow it to trap and repeatedly target pain receptors in the victim’s body.

The Poison Garden, established in 2005 as part of a tourist attraction developed by the Duchess of Northumberland, boasts a collection of over 100 poisonous, intoxicating and narcotic plants. Visitors are required to undergo a safety briefing before entering, as inhalation of toxic fumes in the garden has led some individuals to faint.

Indeed, despite their toxicity, some plants in the garden possess medicinal properties that are invaluable in the treatment of otherwise untreatable diseases. Take the yew tree, for example, known for its deadly poison called taxine, capable of causing death in 20 minutes. However, what is rarely known is that the yew tree also produces taxol, a powerful medicine that has proven to be extremely effective in the treatment of breast cancer. This duality highlights the complex relationship between toxicity and medicinal benefits that many plants possess.