WEEK 1
To start the year we'll be studying a pair of aromatic mundane plants: mint and lavender.
Mint
Mint is a rather large family of related plants whose individual species are not clearly distinct from one another. These species are cultivated and grow wild across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and North America. Most mint are classified as perennials and they spread underground. Because of this, it can be quite difficult to grow mint in ones garden unless it's kept in a container.
Mint, as you should already know, has many culinary uses: it's added to salads, sauces, jellies, and tea and other beverages. For centuries, mint has been used medicinally to treat stomach problems in either tea or oil form. It's also used as a mild relaxant that can help a person sleep (mint is either drunk or inhaled as part of an aromatherapy), and the leaves can be powdered to help whiten teeth (or, at the very least, give a person wonderful smelling breath!).
Sprigs of mint are used in the Elixir to Induce Euphoria in order to counter some of its side-effects.
Lavender
A hardy perennial, lavender shrubs grow up to 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide. They have dense mounds of thin grey to green leaves with deep violet, lavender or white flowers that bloom in early to mid-summer. It likes well-drained soil and full sun, and can be planted in the spring.
Dried lavender flowers or lavender oil, which is pressed from the flowers, is used for all sorts of things by both muggles and magic-folk: as a culinary herb, a perfume or medicine. Lavender is known to have a calming effect, hence it's use in the Sleeping Draught.
HOMEWORK
1. Where can you find mint?
2. Research and tell me what side-effects mint counteracts when added to the Elixir to Induce Euphoria.
3. Tell me three possible ways lavender can be used in healing.
4. What does it mean when a plant is said to be annual? What does it mean when a plant is said to be perennial?
WEEK 2
We'll continue our study this year on the Sopophorous, a rare plant that has a very lanky stem on which large, reddish-veined leaves grow. The Sopophorous plant grows in swamps and bogs, particularly if it's fertilized by Mooncalf dung which makes the plant grow faster and stronger. As its name suggests, Mooncalf dung comes from the Mooncalf, a magical creature that only emerges from its burrow during the full moon. An interesting tidbit: the night of the full moon is actually the only time at which Mooncalf dung can be harvested and it must be done before the sun rises.
Next to its leaves, the Sopophorous plant produces pearly-white beans that look a bit like large mistletoe berries. This bean is used in the brewing of potions, in particular the Draught of Living Death and the Elixir to Induce Euphoria. Notoriously difficult to cut, the Sopophorous bean must be crushed with the flat side of a silver dagger in order to release its juice. When consumed as is, Sopophorous bean juice will erase the drinker's memory.
HOMEWORK
1. Mooncalf dung can be used on any plant to help it grow fast and strong. Speculate why it is needed on the Sopophorous plant in particular.
2. Sopophorous bean juice does not retain its ability to erase the drinker's memory when used in potions. Why do you think that is?
3. Research and tell me what happens when you try to cut the Sophophorous bean with a knife rather than crush it?
4. What is the likely etymology of the word ''Sopophorous''?
WEEK 3
We'll have a look at two plants this week that are used to treat topical ailments such as burns and minor wounds: Aloe vera and star grass.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a plant that has triangular shaped leaves with jagged edges, no stem and yellow flowers that grow on spikes up to 35 in. high. The leaves can grow up to 2 ft long and each have 3 layers: the inner layer contains a clear gel that is used on the skin to treat topical wounds, the middle layer contains a bitter yellow sap that can be used as a laxative, and the outer layer simply protects the plant. Aloe vera is a succulent and is native to eastern and southern Africa. It is a member of the lily family.
Aloe vera is an ingredient in Lowdour, a brand of fragrance free deodorant made by magical folk.
Star Grass
Like aloe vera, star grass is native to southern Africa. A low plant, star grass grows from a bulb and reaches a height of less than 2 ft. tall. It has long, straight, leaves that can grow over a foot long and whose undersides are covered with hairs. They also produce bright yellow flowers, each with 6 petals. Seeds of the star grass require fire in order to break open and grow, but the plant itself is fire-tolerant.
Star grass is the main ingredient in Star Grass Salve, a wonderful green balm that is used to soothe minor skin injuries.
HOMEWORK
1. Aloe vera has numerous medicinal uses, too many to cover in this lesson. Research and tell me 5 other uses this wonderful plant has.
2. Aside from actual star grass, what other ingredients do you think are used in Star Grass Salve?
3. What are the differences and similarities between aloe vera and star grass?
WEEK 4
WEEK 5
We're studying scurvy grass this week. While it might not sound like it, scurvy grass is actually a pretty neat plant that has somewhat conflicting uses in the magical and non-magical world.
You'll find scurvy grass in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in arctic and temperate regions. Owing to its high salt tolerance, scurvy grass can grow in places where less salt tolerant plants can not, such as salt marshes, coastal regions and on cliff-tops. This means it has very little competition from other kinds of vegetation. There are about 30 different species of scurvy grass and they all grow rather low to the ground (between 2-7 in. tall) and can be either round or creeping plants. They produces white flowers, each with four petals and have smooth, spoon-shaped leaves.
Scurvy grass gets its name from its high vitamin C content which makes it a great cure for scurvy. Owing to this, scurvy grass was most commonly eaten by sailors when their supply of fresh vegetables ran out. The leaves, which taste similar to horseradish, are sometimes added to green salads.
In potions, scurvy grass is used to brew the Befuddlement Draught.
HOMEWORK
1. At the beginning of the lesson I stated that scurvy grass has somewhat conflicting uses in the magical and non-magical worlds. Do some research and tell me what you think I meant by that statement.
2. Where does scurvy grass typically grow? Why does it tend to thrive in such regions?
3. Aside from curing scurvy, how else has scurvy grass been medically used?
WEEK 6
A exciting lesson this week on the fire seed bush, which is also known as the fire seed plant.
The entirety of this leafless, tree-like magical plant is red in color and, in order to stay alive, it must remain on fire. Fire seed bushes grow in caves, are native to Great Britain and, in addition to the one we have here in the Greenhouse, there are others that can be found in the Forbidden Forest. A word of caution – don't attempt to locate these wild fire seed bushes as the caves they grow in are infested with Streelers, Doxies, Fire Crabs and a rather large, widespread Venomous Tentacula plant.
Fire seed bushes produce fire seeds which are used in potion-making. In order to collect these seeds you typically have to wait for them to cool off or cast a simple Freezing Charm on them if you're in a hurry. In the absence of a female, dragon eggs can be hatched using fire seeds to keep the egg hot. It should be noted that if you are using fire seeds to hatch dragon eggs you will need to find an alternative way of collecting them as they must be kept hot.
HOMEWORK
1. Describe the physical appearance of the fire seed bush.
2. Where do fire seed bushes grow?
3. Imagine that we're helping Professor Jess hatch a dragon's egg. How would you go about collecting the seeds of the fire seed bush?
4. Do you think it would be a good idea to water the fire seed bush? Why or why not?
5. Speculate what potions, aside from the Antidote to Uncommon Poisons, fire seeds might be used in.
WEEK 7
Unlike the last lesson, this one is quite lengthy. You'll be learning about trees this week and, while it might not sound like it straight away, it's actually a rather fascinating subject. Those who studied 2nd Year with me will remember that we already touched on one variety of magical tree – Alihotsy. This year you will learn about the rest.
Trees of Wand Quality
While there are a number of different woods wands are made of, only a select few trees actually produce wood of wand quality. Those trees whose wood can be made into wands are especially unique as they must have the ability to channel magic. Owners of Vine, Ivy and Reed wands should note that their wands aren't strictly made from a tree but rather of woody plants that are equally capable of channelling magic.
To identify a tree of wand quality you must look to see whether or not it is home to nesting bowtruckles – no easy task as bowtruckles, which look like twigs and bark, blend in quite well. Caution is taken whenever wood is removed from a tree containing bowtruckles as they tend to attack if they feel their tree is being threatened. Wandmakers often carry wood lice and fairy eggs to use as a distraction so they can safely collect the wood they need.
The wood, in combination with a core, helps to give a wand its character, thus enabling it choose a suitable owner. Your potential ability is said to be a reflection of the kind of wood your wand is made from.
There is much to learn about wands and, should you someday choose to advance your studies at WizU, Headmaster Liam offers a class on Wandlore that I highly recommend taking.
Whomping Willows
This intriguing species of willow has the ability to move and, when approached, can become very violent. These trees can be found in both Scotland and the Forest of Dean, though they're extremely rare. Despite this rarity, Hogwarts has its own Whomping Willow, which was planted in the early 1970s. Whomping Willows are highly valuable and their limbs are treated in much the same way as a humans when broken.
A deciduous plant, the Whomping Willow has a thick trunk and numerous branches covered in long, thin leaves that are shed in winter. Owing to their violent tendencies, Whomping Willows are often planted in an area that needs protection.
Wiggentree
A magical variety of the Rowan tree, Wiggentrees are noted for their ability to protect whomever is touching it from Dark creatures. Their bark is used in the brewing of the Wiggenweld Potion and their twigs are used in the Love Potion Antidote. Like trees of wand quality, they're guarded by bowtruckles. A close relative to the Wiggentree is the Wiggenbush whose bark is also used in potion-making.
So, as I said, quite a fascinating subject! There's even a wizard from Nepal whose grown some very attractive gravity-resistant trees!
HOMEWORK
Write a research essay on the tree (or plant in some cases) your wand is made of. In it you should include a full description of the tree/plant, where it grows, what edibles it produces (if any), what uses Muggles have for its wood, and any superstitions or beliefs held about the tree.
WEEK 8
As with the other years, I'm giving you a break from the usual lesson this week. I hope you've all enjoyed learning about the plants we covered. I know I certainly had fun teaching you!
If you're missing any homework now is the time to get caught up.
HOMEWORK
No homework, just post in the Owlery to tell me you read the lesson and are studying for the exam.
As you all know, Herbology is closely linked with Potions in that quite a few plants we study here are also used in some capacity to make potions. From petals, to roots, to leaves and seeds, any part of a plant can be used to make a variety of potions. It should come as no surprise, therefore, to learn that some potions are actually quite useful in Herbology itself. We'll be looking more closely at two such potions for this lesson, the green-colored Regerminating Potion and the red-colored Rejucing Potion.
Now, these two potions work in conjunction with one another to do a most spectacular thing: they revive dead plants. For example, if you wish to revive a dead flitterbloom you would need to first use six drops of Rejuicer, then three drops of Regerminator. Both potions were invented by famed Herbologist and Potioneer Tilden Toots.
HOMEWORK
For this week's homework I want you to think of two plants that could be potential ingredients for the Regerminating Potion and two plants that could be potential ingredients for the Rejucing Potion. Feel free to consider any magical or mundane plants, including those you have already studied. Explain your 4 choices.
Interactive Practical
Students electing to do the interactive practical instead of the above homework should check in at the Lakeside Lawn using the appropriate password.