HERB-401 Lessons

Year Four, Lesson One 
Professions and Plants

Introduction
Hello everyone! Welcome to Herbology for Fourth Years. I am very pleased with the majority of the final marks and test submissions I received and look forward to seeing your continued efforts this year! This year’s lessons will revolve mostly around what you can do with the herbological knowledge you’ve accumulated (and will continue to accumulate), other than healing, which we touched on last year. With your O.W.L.s coming up next year, and the decision of what courses you need to take to choose your future path looming, it seems logical to cover some potential possibilities. However, that’s not all that’s different this year. If you’ll allow me a brief interlude before we jump into it all!

Academic Rigor
This year, you will find that marking expectations are a little different. Now that you are in Year Four, a higher level of competence is expected. Here are some guidelines for you on assignments and their marks. First, simple true or false and multiple choice questions will be a bit trickier. A few tips I have for you to ensure you are as successful as possible are to a) answer the question in your mind before reading the options provided, b) use the process of elimination, and c) choose the best answer if more than one answer seems right. However, with that said, if you are confused on an assignment -- even if it’s just one question -- please don’t hesitate to contact myself or any of the Herbology PAs via owl.

On the Horizon
With that out of the way, time for the plants! Next year, you will be taking your O.W.L. examinations as well as choosing your future path based on your strengths and interests. While we covered one notable and historical profession that involves herbology last year -- healing -- there is much more to the world of herbology than just medicine. We certainly cannot cover all of the possibilities, but I hope this year will give you a brief glimpse into the breadth of all the different things you can do with an O.W.L. or a N.E.W.T. in Herbology.

Year Four Syllabus

When I Grow Up...
Now, it’s obvious that herbology has feelers in many other areas of study, as we have seen significant overlap over the last few years. In this lesson, we will finally take a look at an assortment of areas of expertise that directly fall under the job title of herbologist, as well as a short list of professions that require in-depth knowledge of herbology to excel. More often than not, a given herbologist might focus on one area while dabbling in others, rather than strictly sticking to one of these areas for their entire professional life.

Fieldwork
This is a very wide category of work for herbologists, and one that is taken very literally! Herbologists often go out into the field to explore different habitats and environments to see what's growing, how certain plants are (or are not) surviving, what uses there are for a specific type of plant, and what they can do to preserve the stability of ecosystems. This sort of work requires a lot of travel. In fieldwork, one may also find themselves on an adventure to obtain seedings for a rare plant, or perhaps a specimen for study or healing use. 

Growing/Supplying

Here is where greenhouses come into play. Herbologists are often called upon to grow plants for use in various areas of the wizarding world. Healers frequently employ herbologists to take care of or grow various plants for their use in medicine. Potioneers occasionally do this as well; however, more often a third party is brought in (an apothecary) that herbologists sell to before their plants are distributed to various potions masters and novices alike. Occasionally, some herbologists will put out a catalogue and allow colleagues, friends, or even complete strangers to make orders directly from them for their herbological needs.

Research
Research in herbology can yield the most exciting results in my opinion, though everyone has their own tastes. This particular profession doesn’t require much explanation, but essentially a researcher experiments with plants to uncover the unknown. They might cross-breed new plants, find new uses for old plants, discover better ways to care for their plants, or explore new ways in which a plant can be harvested or used more efficiently. The possibilities are endless! Some herbologists conduct thousands of separate experiments and observations, jumping around from one thing to the next, whereas others devote their entire lives to the study of a single plant. As an example of the latter, the late Ocamier Flintson had thirty-two greenhouses full of asphodel by the time he died. His discoveries of new medicinal uses for the plant furthered herbology in a way that changed many people’s lives, with particular emphasis on those suffering from Spattergroit, as he discovered that asphodel could be used in various creams to alleviate symptoms. 

On the other hand, there are researchers who study many plants at a time, or even entire ecosystems. One example of this is the group of herbologists working in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. You will get a chance to hear about this literal oasis in the Middle East in more detail later on in Lesson Eight, but if you’re impatient and didn’t take Ancient Studies last year, you may want to ask one of your classmates or the professor’s assistants for that class. I can assure you that if you are interested in herbology, it will be an absolute treat to learn about that living wonder of the world!

Apothecary Work

Now, onto professions that are related to herbology -- but aren’t just about plants -- starting with apothecaries, which is both the name of the business and the name of the professional. To sell potion ingredients, you really can’t get by without a fairly thorough knowledge of plants. 

Apart from knowing which properties the plants have, they must understand shelf life, know when plants will be the freshest and the best time to harvest them, and even care for specimens that need to be kept alive. There is definitely a place for someone who knows their herbology in an apothecary. Additionally, when apothecaries receive plants wholesale (that is, in large bundles rather than in the small portions people normally purchase for themselves), they also need to be able to label the plants accordingly and know what they are working with!

Breeding
While this profession may seem a bit tangential, many creature breeders, tamers, and other animal-related professionals do need at least a middling knowledge of plants, their dangers, and their uses. After all, if you keep Nifflers, you must be aware of the dangers of the deceptively beautiful oleander. If you breed Crups, you’ll likely want to know about the beneficial properties of Largrass. Because no creature -- beast, being, or otherwise -- is able to survive without plants, herbology is inherently important to their study. They use vegetation for food, protection, navigation, attracting mates, and shelter. Plants can also be used in medicines to cure them! All-in-all, plants and creatures are quite neatly entangled.

Healing
Speaking of which, we come to healers. To give you some background, St. Mungo's in London is renowned among wizarding hospitals for having the most qualified healers. This is because all healers must have high marks on their Herbology and Potions N.E.W.T.s, at least an E (Exceeds Expectations), as well as top grades in healer training courses and an overall knowledge of medical conditions. As you saw last year, plants are integral to the world of healing. Even before our spotlight on medicinal plants, you undoubtedly noticed how nearly all plants we’ve covered have some healing properties. If healing is your passion, make sure to stick with herbology to expand your knowledge of the subject.

Ministry Work
Finally, we have the mixed bag that is the Ministry. The thriving, busy halls of the Ministry of Magic are home to more closet herbologists than you would guess. Among its herbology-related positions, the Ministry employs a small section of fieldwork herbologists to see to the stability of the environment, including avoiding the extinction of various plants, animals, insects, and more, as well as making sure those plants do not interfere with the International Statute of Secrecy. There are also at least a handful of herbological experts who sit on the International Magical Trading Standards Body, which regulates and enforces the classification of Non-Tradable Goods. Naturally, there are also quite a few herbologists in the Department of Health and Safety, which is in charge of both the Ministry of Herbology and the Herbology High Commission. The former is responsible for researching safety requirements surrounding herbology as well as putting out public service announcements, while the latter is -- as you know -- in charge of developing standardized ways to refer to and classify plants. Additionally, the Ministry often prefers well-rounded applicants who know their way around a greenhouse, particularly in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magic Creatures, as well as any research-based positions.

Potioneering
As you probably know by now, understanding the realm of plants is vital to potions. Knowing how Starpuffs affect the Dreamless Sleep Potion is necessary when deciding on the dosage as well as determining what other ingredients to put in. In short, you simply cannot be a potions master (or mistress) without fully understanding the use of plants in potions, their inherent properties, and how they react with each other, magic, and non-plant ingredients. Find me a potioneer who knows nothing about herbs, and I'll find you a healer who knows nothing about the human body!

Hard-Hitting Herbology

An interesting tale that shows the roles of many of the aforementioned herbological professions is that of the Boxingwood tree, also simply called the Boxingwood. Its origins hail from the common box (Buxus sempervirens) or European boxwood, which, though not originally native to England, was transplanted here over time and adapted without becoming problematic. Ingaret Purslane, a herbological researcher and crossbreeder, was interested in the boxwood because of its ability to purge bile and other negative flotsam and jetsam from the system, and she wondered if a magically-bred species might be able to be attuned to certain types of venom that lacked an antidote at the time. Within ministerial safety regulations, she began experimenting with that particular strain of tree and numerous magical methods, including crossbreeding with other magical and non-magical plants, subjecting it to multiple spells and potions throughout key stages of the plant’s life, and more. Finally, decades later in 1663, she was rewarded with progress: the Boxingwood was born. Of course, there were some unintended side effects, such as the tree’s propensity to pop you in the nose if you came too close, but that was to be expected due to some Whomping Willow pollen having been introduced into the tree’s genetic material. 

At this point, it was introduced into sanctioned areas in the wild and then strictly monitored by field workers. It took some time before an ideal location was found that was not only away from Muggles, but wasn’t disturbing to other plant and animal life in the area. Finally, moderately-sized populations were cultivated deep in numerous darker, more dangerous forests -- including our own Forbidden Forest -- where the wildlife was quite capable of taking care of itself against a few errant swings from rows upon rows of trees. 

Before the population was established in these forests -- roughly 1697 -- the price of Boxingwood bark, seeds, and leaves were astronomical due to their scarcity in the wild. Apothecaries had great call for the new plant, as it was being used to unparalleled effect in antidotes for Night’s Fire, Inkbane, and Runespoor Mead, which previously had been unquestionably fatal. There were a small group of herbologists that had specimens in their private greenhouses and plots who were selling to the apothecaries, potioneers, healers, and other private buyers, but because of the slow growth of trees in general, which was not helped by the specifically slow progress of Boxingwoods, the demand far outstripped the supply. 

As you can see, nearly all of the professions we touched on in this class were involved in the story of this singular plant, and this is not an isolated incident, though it is a perfect example. However, you may be wondering how the various ministerial positions play into all of this. Well, if you were paying attention, you might have noticed a few signs of where the Department of Health and Safety might have come into play. First, in order for Purslane to start growing and breeding her specimens, she had to adhere to previously-established ministry regulations, set by the Ministry of Herbology. Herbologists from this same group were again called upon when it was time to introduce this plant into the wild. 

Meanwhile, the Herbology High Commission had to move quickly in order to decide -- for classification and educational purposes -- whether or not this new tree was indeed a new species all on its own or simply a hybrid variant. In addition, the herbological professionals on the International Magical Trading Standards Body needed to decide whether these items were safe to trade, regulate the quality of the specimens so that subpar trees were not being sold, as well as track down anyone attempting to capitalize on the Boxingwood craze and sell counterfeit examples of the plants, potentially compromising the health of any who counted on the ingredients to save them from poison! 

Phew! Now do you see what I mean about how herbology can take you many places? There’s quite a lot of herbology happening in the background of nearly any story you hear; plants are powerful! With that comprehensive list of the most prominent plant-centered professions finished, let’s take a little time to go over caring for your own Boxingwood, if you ever get the inclination to try to plant one. 

First, it requires soil with a neutral pH of 6.5 to 7.0 and has been bred to prefer full or partial shade, unlike its progenitor. It needs regular watering, as the soil must stay moist and the plant is quite thirsty. Groups of Boxingwoods, or Boxus semperledens, are usually planted far away from civilization so as not to disturb people or unwary animals. However, single specimens may be planted on their own as the focal point of a garden or in specialized greenhouses. If planted sufficiently far away from the commotion of everyday life, they can be planted quite near each other, though it is unwise to do so in a greenhouse, no matter how sprawling it is, as they will become prone to competition, not only for nutrients, but also for space due to their wildly waving limbs.

The leaves of the Boxingwood are dark, glossy evergreen ovals. The tree grows to roughly 30 feet tall and sports greenish flowers that are rather difficult to spot in the foliage. However, the flowers have no known use at this time, other than for their strong fragrance. The bark and seeds, on the other hand, are key ingredients in Purslane’s famous antidotes to multiple kinds of poison. There are some other, lesser, uses, such as helping with fevers and effectively and immediately removing hangnails, but these are not as well-known as the plant remains rather irritating to cultivate and its constituent parts remain on the pricier side. The leaves have their own uses in the Frostbite Philter and the Assertive Blend. Finally, the tree does have some unwanted side effects that certain users have, on occasion, harnessed purposefully -- namely its propensity to make the consumer spout expletives at odd intervals -- but, again, because of the ingredients’ cost, this is not a common use. 

Closing
There you have it, a spread of fields for you to mull over as we progress through the year. I hope at least one of these areas sparked something inside you today, as I always love nurturing future herbologists or those in related professions. If not, at the very least, I take solace in the fact that I have at least one more year to share my love of plants with you and hopefully cause your attachment to and interest in them to grow.

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