In Central Europe there are around 400 medicinal and poisonous plants, of which the around 200 most important are planted in Hohenheim Gardens. Around 50 are mentioned in the German Pharmacopoeia.
The medicinal plants in this medicinal plant garden are not sorted according to their natural relationship in families, but rather according to the greater groups of their ingredients.
But often whole plant families are characterized by special ingredients. For example, all members of the nightshade family contain alkaloids and all labiates and umbellifers contain essential oils.
Also according to their effectiveness drugs can be summarized into groups. But often a single drug has several effects at the same time, so that with such a classification according to the effects too many plants would have to be planted repeatedly.
Group of elements, that are displayed in Hohenheim Gardens with representative plants: Vitamins – Essential Oils and Resins – Phenylpropane compounds – Anthraquinone compounds – Filix acids – Flavonoids – Tanning agents – Glycosides – Bitterns – Cardenolides – Mustard oil – Alkaloids – Oils and Fats – Carbohydrates - Silica