The Vile Pluma starts out as a dark blue bulb that weighs eleven pounds is 12 inches tall. Usually there are several green leaves from the centre of the bulb, indicating the direction you should plant the bulb. Often Herbologists will leave the bulb out in the moonlight until the leaves grow to at least seven inches before planting. This is said to naturally increase the speed the bulb will sprout at, due to the storing of energy. The leaves have a second use at this stage: if a predator of the plant attacks the bulb, the leaves can catch small objects, and also be used to uproot itself or propagate itself to a safe place while under threat. Vile Pluma is a nocturnal plant, and the bulbs are very sensitive to light. The seed can be burned quite easily.


Vile Pluma should be planted in the most nutritious soil available. There is no such thing as over fertilizing them, and if they notice another plant has more fertile soil than itself, the Vile Pluma will uproot itself and replant in the nutrient rich soil. (This makes repotting easy, as when the time comes putting out a fresh pot with excellent soil is all you have to do, the Vile Pluma will do the rest). As the bulb grows into a plant, a brown bud will appear in the centre of the leaves, and the leaves will turn a red-orange colour. When in bloom, the flower is red with white speckles and an orange centre. At full bloom Vile Pluma can be just under (never reaching) four feet tall, and weigh forty one pounds.


Some abilities of Vile Pluma you should be aware of fall under the classifications you learned in the first lesson of this year. First of all, under Class A – odorous, Vile Pluma can shake its petals to release a pollen which paralyzes animals and humans, as well as causes severe allergic reactions in humans. Under Class B – physical attacks, it may whack with its long leaves. It's also capable of using magic to create an energy ball using stored energy from the moonlight. This is a very powerful attack which causes any human or creature without magical defenses up (such as Protego) to faint upon impact.