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Muggle Plants A-I | Muggle Plants J-Z
Wizarding Plants A-I | Wizarding Plants J-Z


Lovage

This is a plant similar to celery, whose fruit and seeds are used in cookery. According to one of Harry's school books, lovage is "most efficacious in the inflaming of the braine", and is used as an ingredient in Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts [OOTP18].


Mahogany

Mahogany is not the name of a plant in itself. It is actually the name given to the wood of a number of related trees: Swietenia Mahagoni, Swietenia Macrophylla, and Khaya. Mahogany is used in wandmaking, and James Potter had a Mahogany wand.


Maple

This is a deciduous tree whose wood is used in wandmaking. Harry tried out a maple and phoenix feather wand at Mr Ollivander's shop without success [PS/SS5].


Mistletoe

Mistletoe is a parasitic shrub with white berries. In many cultures it has connections with Christmas, where it is used as a decoration. By tradition, people who meet under the mistletoe are meant to kiss each other. This appears to be the case in the Wizarding world as well, as Cho and Harry used it as a convenient excuse to have their first kiss. The only difference between Muggle Mistletoe and Wizarding Mistletoe is that the Wizarding kind might be infested with Nargles. That's what Luna Lovegood thinks, anyway.


Monkshood

See Aconite.


Nettle

The most common type of Nettle is the Stinging Nettle, although there are a number of other types, some of which sting and some of which don't. Aside from their ability to sting, Nettles actually have a number of useful medical properties. Gertie Keddle's diary revealed that she went Nettle-picking on Queerditch Marsh and served Nettle tea to her friend Gwenog [QA]. Dried Nettles are also an ingredient in Boil-Cure Potion [PS/SS8].


Oak

There are a wide variety of different species of Oak tree, all of which are indigenous to the northern hemisphere, and all of which produce acorns. Oak is a wood used in wandmaking, and Hagrid's wand was made of oak. It was broken in half when he was expelled from Hogwarts, although he secretly retained the pieces and hid them inside a pink umbrella [PS/SS5].


Pineapple

A large tropical fruit. Horace Slughorn is particularly fond of crystallised pineapple, a fact not lost on the young Tom Riddle when he wanted to get into Slughorn's good books [HBP17].


Pumpkin

Pumpkin seems to be a favourite food of the wizarding world: you can pick up a Pumpkin pasty on the Hogwarts Express [PS/SS6], have a nice drink of Pumpkin juice on the train or at Hogwarts itself [PS/SS6], or if you fancy nipping into Hogsmeade you can try out a glass of Pumpkin Fizz [POA13]. This all suggests that wizarding Pumpkins are rather nicer than Muggle Pumpkins, which are pretty horrible, all things considered. Hagrid has a sizeable Pumpkin patch outside his hut, where he grows Pumpkins that are large enough to walk into, for use as decorations in the Great Hall for the Halloween feast [COS8].


Rosewood

Nothing to do with roses, Rosewood is actually the wood of the species Dalbergia Nigra. It is called Rosewood because of its sweet aroma. Rosewood is used in wandmaking, and Fleur Delacour has a wand made out of this material, with a Veela hair core [GOF18].


Rue

This is a very highly-scented shrub with yellow flowers, indigenous to Asia. Madam Pomfrey made Ron take Essence of Rue to aid his recovery after he had been poisoned by Malfoy's mead [HBP19].


Sage

Sage is a herb commonly used in cooking to impart a peppery flavour to the food. Sage oil is also used in aromatherapy for soothing stress and treating sore throats. Centaurs burn sage in order to use shapes and symbols made by the smoke to predict the future [OOTP27].


Scurvy-Grass

This is a white-flowered shrub typically found in coastal regions. Its name comes from the fact that its leaves are very rich in vitamin C, and were often eaten by sailors to alleviate the effects of scurvy after long periods at sea. Like Lovage, Scurvy-Grass is considered to be "most efficacious in the inflaming of the braine", and is used as an ingredient in Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts [OOTP18].


Sneezewort

This plant is reputed to cause sneezing in those who smell it, which is where the name comes from. It is a daisy-like plant with white flowers. Like Lovage and Scurvy-Grass, it is used as an ingredient in Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts [OOTP18].


Vine

A Vine is any climbing plant, but the word is particularly used for those that grow grapes as their fruit. Such plants often have a hard, woody stem, and this wood is used in wandmaking. Hermione has a wand made of Vine wood and dragon heartstring [JKR Website].


Willow

The Willow is a deciduous tree mostly found in the northern hemisphere. There are many types of Willow, of which the Weeping Willow is the most famous. The wood of the Willow tree is used in wandmaking. Lily Potter had a (rather swishy, according to Mr Ollivander) wand made out of Willow [PS/SS5], whilst Ron's new wand (which replaced his hand-me-down that was broken, ironically enough by the Whomping Willow in the Hogwarts grounds) was also made from this wood [POA3].


Wolfsbane

See Aconite.


Wormwood

This is a common herb with a famously bitter smell and taste. It has some medicinal properties, and can be used as a tonic, or pick-me-up. It is also used to flavour a number of alcoholic drinks, the most notorious of which is Absinthe (a liquor that was banned in many countries due to alleged dangerous hallucinogenic side-effects: it is, in fact, no more dangerous than any other alcoholic drink of a similar strength, and its supposed side-effects are nothing more than a myth). Wormwood is one of the ingredients in the Draught of Living Death.


Yew

The Yew is a poisonous evergreen tree that can grow in most regions of the world. Yew trees are associated with both life and death, in that they are capable of living to a vast age, but can produce poison powerful enough to kill both animals and humans. Yew trees often grow in graveyards and churchyards, although it is likely that in many cases the trees pre-date the churches. Yews can live for several thousand years, and so many trees will pre-date Christianity by a considerable period. Christian churches were often built on existing Pagan sacred sites (as Christianity took over from Paganism as the popular religion), showing that the Yew was also associated with ancient religions as well as modern ones. The wood of the Yew tree is used in wandmaking, and Lord Voldemort has a wand made from Yew and Phoenix tail feather. Voldemort's association with the poisonous and incredibly long-lived wood of his wand is clear.



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