Our Plant Collection

The RCP garden contains almost 1000 plants, all with links to medicine. Some are the basis of important pharmaceutical drugs, others are of interest for their historical use in ancient times. We grow plants from different medical traditions and different geographical locations. We also grow plants named after figures in medical history. We have a series of gardens showcasing plants of particular relevance to the college's own story because they were listed in the college's first Pharmacopoea Londinensis (1618).

Visitors are welcome to drop in as individuals or to learn more on our free guided tours.

To add interest to your visit all our plants are labelled with their botanical name and distribution. We also have a series of coloured information labels on various themes: blue for plants with commemorative names, green for pharmaceuticals, gold for plants in Shakespeare, grey for plants associated with treatments for the lungs and red for the heart.

The garden is looked after by Head Gardener Jane Knowles assisted by Angela Tunstall and a small team of dedicated volunteers. They are supported by 11 physicians (all members and fellows of the college) led by Professor John Newton.

Please note that the purpose of the RCP garden is to illustrate the use of plants in the story of medicine through time and across continents. The presence of plants in this garden does not indicate that they are efficacious or safe to use.