HERB-201 Lessons

Year Two, Lesson Six
Hands-on Herbology

Introduction
Good afternoon, class! Today we will be heading into Greenhouse Two, where I keep all our nocturnal plants and plants that otherwise don’t tolerate sunlight. We will be discussing tips for the care and cultivation of these plants as well as a number of examples of plants from this category and their uses, growing specifications, and more. Buckle up and, Merlin help us, don’t use the Wand-Lighting Charm!

Gloomy Growths
I know it’s tempting to barrel right in holding your arms in front of you, but please resist the urge, class! There are a fair few plants in here that you wouldn’t want to stick your hand in. Allow your eyes time to adjust. For the time being, there is no need to move as I explain a little bit more about the plants in this greenhouse. In truth, there is a bit of a mix. Some of these plants could safely and successfully be grown in a normal greenhouse, or even in the wild. However, there are some plants here, such as Shadowmoss, Devil’s Snare, or Vampire Vines, that simply cannot survive in the light.

Most of the plants housed here can survive in moonlight, though (however, in cases of extreme delicacy, we have them in a room all their own). As you would see if you came upon this greenhouse during the evening hours, we have an artificial moon which mimics the light these plants would get at night. This kind of spell is far too advanced for the average student at Hogwarts and requires Deep Object Charming to fully incorporate into the building, but it is most definitely worth the effort to keep these plants healthy and happy.

Due to the fact that this greenhouse is constantly submerged in darkness and only briefly illuminated by moonlight, many of these nocturnal plants bloom all year round. Normally, nocturnal plants bloom only at night, hence the name, but the constant darkness confuses their natural cycles. This is a boon for us, as we are able to gather samples or ingredients as well as conduct research year-round and at any time of day. With that in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to go over the various stages of the growing cycle for nocturnal plants.

Livin’ After Midnight
If you are going to attempt to grow your own nocturnal plants, you do not necessarily need your own, entire, darkened greenhouse. Many of these plants are just as happy in the light, but don’t flower until the sun goes down. If you are attempting to convince your plants to open during the day as ours do, you will need to be quite adept at the Darkening Charm. Essentially, the goal will be to block out 100% (or near enough) of the sunlight that the plant would normally be subjected to, allowing it to function as though it were the dead of night. You will need a fair bit of willpower to accomplish this, and therefore it may only be possible once you enter your Third or Fourth Year. However, repeated practice with the spell may speed up the process. Of course, if the willpower needed to block out the sunlight is too much and you want the plants to bloom at more convenient times -- for one reason or another -- these plants can also be grown in dark corners such as dungeons, basements, or closets, so long as the area is only rarely subjected to light such as sunlight or the Wand-Lighting Charm. Gas lamps, and even Muggle electricity-fueled lights also count as light and therefore should be avoided. 

In addition, there are a few other things you must take into consideration when growing nocturnal plants. First, unless your chosen plant is magical (and therefore able to supplement its need for light with other nutrients) your plant will need some kind of light. This means perhaps storing your plant in a room with securely closed windows that you can open only at night to let rays of moonlight in, or it could mean sprinkling your plants with a few drops of patented Luminescent Liquid on a daily basis. Additionally, if you are growing your plant in a normal greenhouse under the cover of a Darkening Charm, you should not need to take any extra precautions to give your plants extra light. The spell should allow enough moonlight to filter through to sustain your plant. The second consideration is that when growing nocturnal plants in manufactured constant darkness, the plant will use up more of its energy and resources to bloom more frequently. Therefore you will need to water, deadhead, and potentially fertilize or repot it roughly twice as often.

Other than that, nocturnal plants function nearly the same as normal plants. If they need to be repotted, they ought to be given extra care. They will still need to be pruned for dead foliage regularly, and their needs for soil acidity and water will not change. The only issue is that when harvested, the parts will likely need to be placed in tinted vials unless powdered or distilled. However, since you likely already have a supply of these for potions class, this is not overly inconvenient!

Creatures of the Night
For the rest of the lesson, we will be covering a few magical and non-magical nocturnal plants and their properties. It may interest you to know that there is a fair amount of academic controversy surrounding whether nocturnal plants grown in complete darkness or nocturnal plants grown in normal conditions create the most magically potent ingredients. There are also those who insist it makes no difference, or that it is specific to each kind of plant. But nothing has been found that can wholly confirm any one side, so let’s leave the theory for now. Without further ado, let me introduce you to some of the most basic nocturnal plants we can find in this greenhouse!

Evening Primrose
Our first plant of the lesson, Cenothera biennis, is a nocturnal variant of a more widely-known biennial, the primrose. Like many of the non-magical plants covered today, the evening primrose is ideally grown in full darkness, though it can tolerate full sun. However, this means that the plant will be in a sort of dormant state throughout most of its life. The primrose can grow anywhere from five inches to about three feet tall, and its flowers are yellow, pink, or white. The soil required for these plants is quite moist, so watering frequently is a must. Though, it must be noted that drainage is also necessary as it can be overwatered. While on the topic of earth, this plant prefers acidic soil anywhere between 5.5 to 7.0 on the pH scale, which is fairly easy to accommodate. The plant blooms in spring or early summer and should be pruned after it fully stops flowering before its dormant season in the winter.

The evening primrose seems to have a bit of a focus on the bacchanalian aspects of the evening, associated with feasting, wine, and lowered inhibitions. Its flowers have great effect on improving liver function and can decrease fertility in many contraceptive potions. Though unrelatedly, its leaves seem to have substantial effect on those suffering from eczema when used in creams. On a more general note, parts of the plant are mixed into salads and used for tea, and some sweet shops will use primrose for flavour in their candies, especially gums.

Moonflower
While this plant is non-magical, that does not make it any less mesmerizing or interesting. The moonflower is a spectacular nocturnal plant. Its flower is white like the moon, or occasionally very pale shades of other colors. This annual  has a very short life span; it blooms and dies with each cycle of the moon, though there exist vine variants that are perennials. During its growing phase, watering daily is fine, but after that you will need to wait until the soil feels dry to the touch to water the plant. Finally, moonflower thrives in mildly acidic soil, or that with a pH balance of 6.1 to 6.5. Pruning, other than general deadheading, is not overly necessary due to its short life.

Datura innoxia is a highly toxic plant, and is thus used in many poisons, with the seeds possessing particularly strong poisonous capacities. The leaves of the plant, when used in small doses, may also be employed as a sedative. However, most people eschew the use of this plant entirely due to its rather high toxicity on the W.H.I.P.S. rating system, which is a solid three.

Night-flowering Catchfly
The night-flowering catchfly is a rather aggressive and invasive perennial (at least when compared to its other nocturnal brethren) and is occasionally seen as a weed for its ability to propagate and take over grain fields. The pH of the soil does not matter much when growing this plant, and watering is not an issue. Therefore, it will spread wildly if kept in the constantly ideal nighttime conditions. Its flowers bloom from July to September, and the plant overall grows to about 30 inches tall. As an added interest, the night-flowering catchfly’s scent attracts moths in the night, a few of which occasionally find their way into the greenhouse no matter how tightly we keep it locked up. While it is native to many parts of Europe and Asia, it has been introduced to the United States and has spread rapidly.

Because of said scent, the flower of Silene noctiflora is often used in perfume-based potions. In addition, this plant’s flowers can be used in many herbicides as well as insecticides. Among academic circles, some part of the plant is rumored to have been used in Nicholas Malfoy’s original potion to cure the black plague, though due to a lack of documentation, this is reduced to pure speculation. Popularly, however, its leaves, stems, and roots are not known to have any use.

Shadowmoss
Finally, our first magical plant of the day, and one you should be able to grow right away provided you are a dab hand at the Darkening Charm: Shadowmoss. As referenced earlier, this plant cannot grow in sunny areas; the poor thing will immediately disappear in a puff of smoke if it is exposed. Shadowmoss naturally grows -- and was first discovered -- in some densely-packed evergreen forests, known as taiga, in Canada, Europe, and Asia, where sunlight never reaches the ground. Fortunately, the plant does not require the same chilly weather as this zone. Shadowmoss, being a moss, does not grow very tall, though it may creep up rock and tree faces -- and your greenhouse walls. To the naked eye, this plant appears as normal moss until it stirs, shifting on the ground as though moving like a shadow. If it is exposed to light, even in the slightest, it will move itself away to preserve itself. If light cannot be avoided after too much exposure it will go up in smoke.

 Caring for Bryophyta umbranea -- and mosses in general -- is quite different from planting and caring for a regular plant. To begin, its “soil” needs are not very specific. It can grow in rocky soil, smooth, fine soil, soil with good drainage, or no drainage at all. A need -- or lack thereof -- for soil with a specific pH is a similar story. While some incorrectly believe that mosses ideally grow in pHs from 5.0 to 5.5, this is not entirely accurate. These pHs are just typically devoid of competition from other plants, and therefore mosses thrive in those areas. The biggest consideration for moss is making sure that nothing else is in their way (though, as you are purposefully planting it in a greenhouse bed, this is not likely much of a problem). Once your moss has “taken root,” you need not worry about it much. Allow it to do its thing, and simply check on it daily to ensure that no diseases or problems have occurred!

As far as Shadowmoss’s uses in modern potions, general medicine, and miscellany, there are quite a few that seem to bear little relation to each other. Neither herbologists nor those interested in overarching theories and laws of magic know why for sure. First, and perhaps the easiest to understand, is Shadowmoss’s use in various potions that obscure or completely hide things from sight. Second, if used in conjunction with the right ingredients, it can be used in creams and serve as sunscreen to protect your skin. Lastly, if used when dried, it has great effectiveness as a diuretic (or something which makes you urinate) and has been utilized in a number of potions, both for medical uses and for pranks.

Closing
There are many other dark-loving plants to be found all around the world and even in the confines of this greenhouse, such as the night gladiolus, the magical midnight poppy, and even many fine specimens of Devil’s Snare. However, those will have to wait for another day. Should you want access to this greenhouse, you merely need signed permission from myself, and the gated doors will automatically unlock themselves for you. But just as with permission to visit the Restricted Section, this privilege is not given away willy-nilly! You will need both a good reason and a good head on your shoulders for me to condone you wandering around a greenhouse with Devil’s Snare lurking. For today, you will have a break from your practical assignments and instead only have homework to complete between now and the next lesson.

Original lesson written by Professor Venita Wessex
Additional portions written by Professor Lily Tudor
Image credits here, here, here, here, and here