Our Garden

The garden is organized by human body systems (e.g., cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal) and by condition (e.g., infectious disease, diabetes, cancer). The garden contains plants from which current medicines and treatments are derived as well as those used historically or in different cultures. There is also a section devoted to wellness (Gretchen Jones Miller Wellness Collection), featuring plants recommended for their health benefits such as blueberries, cherries, green vegetables, and others.

For each group of plants, at least one related to a well-known medicine is on display in the garden. These include such medications as Taxol, derived from the Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia), or aspirin, originally derived from the bark of the white willow (Salix alba). Only plants or the medicines derived from them with strong clinical evidence for effectiveness are included. We collaborated with Dr. Leslie Shimp of the U-M College of Pharmacy and Dr. Sara Warber of the U-M Health System to develop a collection of plants that would meet this clinical standard.

Plants