Duchess of Northumberland to liaise with Colombian Embassy in bid to obtain Coca seedlings for Poison Garden in Alnwick

Having received special approval from the British Government to grow some of nature's deadliest plants within the secure garden including opium poppies, cannabis and coca plants, sourcing the coca seeds, known worldwide for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine, has proven to be more challenging than anticipated.

Despite reached out to British Embassies in Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Columbia, the attempts at sourcing the seeds to date have proved futile.

“Although we have a Government licence to grow coca, we have been unable thus far to be able to source the plant,” she explained.

“For many years, we have run a drugs education programme which provides a unique opportunity to think about the plants that drugs come from and the dangers those drugs present.

“Unfortunately, we are missing the part of the story which explains the pain and suffering in the countries where coca is grown and cocaine is processed.

“The Poison Garden has always pushed the boundaries of drug education and we are proud to be different and showcase some of the world’s deadliest plants.”

The Poison Garden is home to 100 varieties of toxic, intoxicating and narcotic plants that range from the exotic brugmansia, which can kill those who ingest it with high levels of scopolamine and atropine, to the laurel hedge, a common plant that emits toxic fumes. It also welcomed the world’s most venomous plant gympie gympie last year.

The boundaries of the Poison Garden are kept behind black iron gates, only open for guided tours.

Visitors can learn about the poisonous plants but are strictly prohibited from touching them.

Despite the struggle to obtain coca seedlings for the Poison Garden, the Duchess remains optimistic.

“I truly believe anything is possible and I will continue to tackle this problem head on and liaise with the Colombian Embassy,” she said.

“Our priority is to do so safely and legally for our own education purposes and we believe we will be announcing the safe delivery of the seedlings in the not too distant future.”