Plants in Harry Potter
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[edit] Bubotuber
A bubotuber is a thick, black, slug-like plant that extends perpendicularly to the soil. It is normal for bubotubers to squirm, and they are covered in pus-filled swellings.
The bubotuber pus is described as corrosive and able to create severe irritation such as boils when in contact with skin. To prevent this, dragon-hide gloves are worn when handling it. The pus looks yellowish-green and smells of petrol. In a dilute form it may be used as a cure for acne.
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Hermione Granger receieves an envelope of bubotuber pus from an undisclosed person (possibly Pansy Parkinson) after Rita Skeeter publishes a story falsely stating that she is in a romantic relationship with Harry Potter. Receiving this envelope causes Hermione to walk around with bandages on her hands for a long time.
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, fifth chapter, Molly Weasley mentions bubotuber pus as an ingredient in gravy. At the time, it is being sold by some as a protective potion, falsely supposed to guard against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
[edit] Devil's Snare
Devil's Snare is a vine-like plant that kills its victims by constriction and reacts poorly to fire, so a well-placed flame spell such as "bluebell flames" will drive it away from its victims.
Devil's Snare is composed of a mass of soft, springy tendrils and vines that seem to possess some sense of touch. The plant uses its creepers and tendrils to wrap around those who touch it, binding their arms, legs, stomach, chest and neck. Then it tightens its grip on them, squeezing them and eventually strangling them. The harder victims struggle against Devil's Snare, the faster and tighter it coils around them; if they relax, it will not kill them as quickly. Devil's Snare prefers a dark, damp environment.
First-year students at Hogwarts learn about Devil's Snare in Herbology classes.
It has appeared twice in the series. First, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, it is Professor Sprout's protection against the theft of the Philosopher's Stone and proves an obstacle to Harry, Ron and Hermione. Hermione defeats it by setting it on fire.
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, potted Devil's Snare is sent to Unspeakable Broderick Bode while he is incapacitated in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries -- possibly by Lucius Malfoy and almost certainly by somebody working for Lord Voldemort. Healer Strout, who is in charge of Bode, mistakes the deadly plant for a Flitterbloom, and it later strangles the comatose Bode.
In the film version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Hermione recites a poem about Devil's Snare: Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare / It's deadly fun / But will sulk in the sun. She and Harry relax and it lets them pass through, but she has to send sunlight at it for it to release Ron, who cannot calm himself.
[edit] Flitterbloom
Flitterblooms are only mentioned once, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Before being revealed as Devil's Snare, Healers in St Mungo's believe that the plant sent to Broderick Bode is a Flitterbloom. Therefore, it is presumably harmless and vine-like in form, small enough to be grown in a pot and sometimes kept as a houseplant.
[edit] Gillyweed
Gillyweed resembles slimy, greyish-green rat tails, and it has an unpleasant taste and rubbery texture, like octopus tentacles. After eating gillyweed, one will grow functional gills and develop webbed feet and fingers that make swimming easier. The effect lasts about one hour.
The spelling of the plant's name may have been influenced by the real gillyflower. It may or may not be related to gillywater, which Professor McGonagall orders at the Three Broomsticks in Chapter Ten of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and which Romilda Vane offers to Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Harry Potter eats Gillyweed in Goblet of Fire to complete the second task, which takes place underwater. In the book, Dobby gives Harry the Gillyweed, which he most likely stole from Professor Snape's storeroom. (Snape later accuses Harry of stealing the Gillyweed.) The fake Moody's original plan involved giving Neville a book called "Magical Water-Plants of the Mediterranean," but Harry never asked Neville for help.
In the film, it is Neville who gives Harry the Gillyweed. He learned about it from Magical Water-Plants of the Highland Lochs, given to him by Barty Crouch Jr while he was disguised as Mad-Eye Moody. As in the book, Professor Snape suspects that Harry stole it from his personal stores.
[edit] Mandrake
A mandrake, or mandragora, is a plant with roots in the form of a humanoid which pass through several developmental stages before reaching full maturity. Their properties make them useful during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in which Professor Sprout uses them to concoct a potion to revive those who are petrified by the basilisk. She has her classes repot them as they grow. Since the cry of the mature mandrake is fatal (immature mandrakes will only knock a person out), the classes are obliged to wear earmuffs.
[edit] Mimbulus mimbletonia
Mimbulus mimbletonia is described as "appear[ing] to be a small grey cactus in a pot, except that it was covered with what looked like boils rather than spines" (OotP 186). The genus name mimbulus may be related to the real genus mimulus, especially since those plants are used as folk remedies for "shyness, anxiety, and forgetfulness" and those are traits of Neville Longbottom [1]. It is extremely rare and possibly of Assyrian origin, because that is where Uncle Algie acquired it. It is notable for its unique defensive mechanism: spraying Stinksap from its boils when poked.
Stinksap is a non-poisonous but foul-smelling liquid produced by Mimbulus mimbletonia. It is described as dark green and smelling like "rancid manure" (OotP 187). Neville Longbottom demonstrates its defensive mechanism for Harry Potter on the Hogwarts Express, covering the compartment in Stinksap and embarrassing Harry when the girl he fancies, Cho Chang, walks in.
However, arriving at Hogwarts in the fifth year, Neville found yet another (but more pleasant) surprise concerning the cactus: the password for the Gryffindor's Common Room in that year was also Mimbulus mimbletonia.
Later in the plant's development, it makes "odd crooning noises when touched".
There is a joke involving one of these plants, a Healer, and a hag, although it is not told in any of the books, rather mentioned.
[edit] Whomping Willow
The Whomping Willow is a large, magical, and violent tree. One such tree is known to reside on Hogwarts grounds; it is not known whether this is a unique specimen or a member of a species.
The Hogwarts tree is rooted to the spot, but it will lash out at anyone who comes too close. Planted very young and now likely in its twenties, it has grown to a good height and become quite dangerous. In its early days, students often deliberately came under attack and tried to duck the blows, but this was eventually discontinued as it became too risky.
The tree has served as more than an example in aggressive botanics, however: it was planted to enable werewolf Remus Lupin to attend the school. The Willow covers one of the few remaining secret passages into and out of Hogwarts, this one leading into the abandoned and boarded Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade. Lycanthropy not being a popular trait, Lupin would use this tunnel to spend every full moon in the Shack. As a side-effect, the Shack gained a reputation as the most haunted place in Britain — (a transforming werewolf is in pain, and a werewolf in pain is loud).
The tree can be temporarily disabled by pressing a knot in its trunk, enabling safe passage. (In the movie, the tree is shown being disabled with the "Immobulous" charm.) Only a few people know of its purpose and use; unfortunately, this includes the right-hand-man of Lord Voldemort. Harry Potter and his friends first encounter the Whomping Willow as they start their second year, when Harry and Ron crash a flying car into it. The damaged tree promptly attempts to return the favor. The Willow's secret nature is revealed at the end of their third year. It also destroys Harry's beloved Nimbus 2000 Quidditch broom.
