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Sacha[_1_] · 04-12-2006, 11:04 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 4/12/06 18:36, in article lid, "Stewart Robert
Hinsley" wrote:

In message , Sacha
writes
On 3/12/06 20:20, in article
, "luke"
wrote:

i have been doing research into poisonous plants and i have hit a stone

what is the MOST toxic plant in the world. some websites say it is the
castor bean some say it is the roseary pea but some people say it
deadly nightshade(atropa belladona) i just dont know

Almost certainly Ricinus, the castor bean, the castor oil plant. But when
we were in Kauai, Hawaii, we toured a garden and there was one area where
nobody was allowed off the bus because ALL the surrounding plants were
highly toxic and part of a research project, IIRC.

It need not have been all that toxic. Ness Botanic Gardens had Deadly
Nightshade and Hensbane growing accesible to all and sundry, but the
Giant Hogweed was immured behind a double fence.

WHAT might not have been all that toxic? I don't know which plants were in
that enclosure. All we were told was "don't even think about getting off
the bus", which was one of those open sided things. I can't remember the
name of the garden just now - McKinlay, perhaps? I'll look it up tomorrow.
But that particular area of that garden was used in experimentation with
toxic plans and quite understandably, they didn't want the public wandering
around in it. If I can find it online tomorrow I might be able to be more
specific and for now, I'm sorry to be so vague!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/