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The Garden of World Medicine

Two views of the Garden of World Medicine

The Garden of World Medicine is an ethnobotanical display that demonstrates the uses of plants by a wide variety of peoples. Here you will find plants used medicinally by the North American Indians, the Maori from New Zealand, Australian Aboriginals, Chinese, in temperate parts of India (Ayurvedic medicine), by tribal peoples of Southern Africa as well as in our own folk traditions of Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. This is not a garden of proven medical remedies, rather one that looks at the uses of plants for medicinal purposes within each culture concerned and their own views about what constitutes healing. However, in each bed you will find a plant which has been taken up and proved effective by controlled medical trials.

Full list of plants in these beds

North American Indian Medicine Anemopsis californica, Aralia racemosa, Arnica angustifolia subsp. angustifolia, Baptisia tinctoria, Chenopodium ambrosioides var. anthelminticum, Cimicifuga (syn. Actaea) americana, Cimicifuga (syn. Actaea) racemosa, Echinacea purpurea, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Geranium maculatum, Gillenia trifoliata, Hamamelis virginiana, Hedeoma pulegioides, Lobelia siphilitica, Monarda fistulosa, Nicotiana tabacum, Panax quinquefolius, Podophyllum peltatum, Sanguinaria canadensis, Scutellaria lateriflora, Veratrum viride Maori medicine Arthropodium cirratum, Coprosma robusta, Cordyline australis, Fuchsia excorticata, Halaragis erecta, Hebe salicifolia, Hibiscus trionum, Leptospermum scoparium, Macropiper excelsum, Phormium tenax, Sophora microphylla, Tetragonia tetragonioides Aboriginal medicine of Australia Banksia integrifolia var compar, Crinum pedunculatum, Dodonaea viscosa, Eucalyptus species, Prostanthera cuneata, Solanum aviculare Ayurvedic medicine of the Hindu Abelmoschus esculentus, Acorus calamus, Anethum graveolens, Berberis vulgaris, Carica papaya, Carum carvi, Cinnamomum camphora, Coriandrum sativum, Cuminum cyminum, Curcuma longa, Cymbopogon citratus, Elettaria cardamomum, Ferula assa-foetida, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Inula racemosa, Nigella sativa, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Oryza sativa, Papaver somniferum, Pimpinella anisum, Piper betle, Piper nigrum, Podophyllum hexandrum, Punica granatum, Ricinus communis, Saccharum officinarum, Sesamum indicum, Sida rhombifolia, Withania somnifera (more information on Indian Medicinal plants can be found at http://www.medicinalplants.in/) Traditional Chinese medicine Acorus gramineus, Arctium lappa, Artemisia annua, Artemisia vulgaris, Aspidistra lurida, Bletilla striata, Buddleja officinalis, Clerodendrum bungei, Coix lacyrma-jobi, Cyperus rotundus, Gingko biloba, Indigofera sp. Loropetalum chinense, Ophiopogon japonicus, Platycodon grandiflorus, Pyracantha ornato-serrata, Rohdea japonica, Sedum spectabile South African tribal medicine Acokanthera oblongifolia, Agapanthus praecox, Artemisia afra, Clivia miniata, Dietes iridioides, Eucomis autumnalis, Eucomis comosa, Gladiolus papilio, Haemanthus albiflos, Lobelia erinus, Ochna serrulata, Olea europaea ssp.africana, Pelargonium alchemilloides, Physalis peruviana, Scadoxus puniceus, Schinus molle, Tulbaghia violacea, Zantedeschia aethiopica Medicinal Plants of the Mediterranean Allium sativum, Ammi majus, Cnicus benedictus, Ecballium elaterium, Hyssopus officinalis, Iris germanica ‘Florentina’, Laurus nobilis, Lavandula angustifolia, Mandragora officinarum, Pistachia lentiscus, Ruta graveolens, Salvia sclarea, Santolina chamaecyparissus, Silybum marianum Herbal Medicine of Northern Europe Angelica archangelica, Asplenium scolopendrium, Colchicum autumnale, Convallaria majalis, Digitalis purpurea, Galium odoratum, Gentiana lutea, Helleborus niger, Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’, Hyoscyamus niger, Linum usitatissimum, Lysimachia vulgaris, Lythrum salicaria, Prunella vulgaris, Sempervivum tectorum, Succisa pratensis, Viburnum opulus, Viola odorata