A unique ecosystem in central London
The Medicinal Garden has been beautifully designed and is a wonderfully calm space in the centre of London. The real joy of the garden is in its unique and bespoke collection of over 1,100 plants that offer living examples of the history of medicine from the era of the pyramids of Egypt to today’s life-saving prescription drugs.
These spaces, initially created with the guidance of a designer and under Head Gardener Jane Knowles' stewardship since 2007, meticulously follow the categories outlined in the Pharmacopoeia.
Each garden represents a different plant part: flower, root, leaf, or seed. Despite space and climate constraints, our dedication to preserving this historical legacy ensures that the garden remains a living representation of 17th-century medicine, as documented by Culpeper's Herbal and other early herbals housed in the RCP's collection.

Garden tours
Open tours of the Medicinal Garden are given by senior physicians from the RCP on the first Wednesday of each month at 2pm from April to October. Please call +44 (0)20 3075 1200 to book.
Group tours can also be arranged on Tuesdays or Wednesdays between 11am and 3.30pm. To enquire about bookings, please email garden@rcp.ac.uk with the subject 'Garden tour'.