SUNY Purchase hosts controversial garden featuring plants linked to abortion
A publicly funded SUNY Purchase garden displays species historically used to induce abortions, sparking criticism from anti-abortion groups.
On the SUNY Purchase campus, a garden titled “Reproductive Justice Garden” showcases herbs historically employed to cause abortions, including black cohosh, angelica and wormwood. The space, part of a broader art initiative by the collective “How to Perform an Abortion,” opened originally in 2019 and was refreshed in 2024 after being overtaken by weeds. The garden is divided into themed sections—mental health, menstruation, and pregnancy/gestation—according to a draft layout.
The collective provides instructions for harvesting the plants but does not explicitly promote self-performed abortions. Anti-abortion organization Students for Life of America, represented by Kristan Hawkins, condemned the project as dangerous and wasteful of taxpayer money. SUNY Purchase’s Betsy Aldredge defended the installation as a piece meant to provoke contemplation about reproductive rights in New York State.
Why it matters
It highlights the debate over public funding for controversial art that addresses abortion on university campuses.
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