- "Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for."
- — Harry Potter[src]
'Herbology is the study of magical and mundane plants and fungi, making it the wizarding equivalent to botany.
Herbology is a core class and subject taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in which students learn to care for and utilize plants, and learn about their magical properties, and what they are used for. Many plants provide ingredients for potions and medicine, while others have magical effects of their own right.
Class information
Professor Sprout teaching a class
Herbology is a mandatory class at Hogwarts for the first five years of a student's education.
Students spend class time learning about the different varieties of magical plants that exist. The further into a student's education the more difficult and dangerous the plants become.
In the fifth year students take Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations, much of the year is spent working with a variety of more dangerous plants like the Fanged Geranium, as well as revisiting the past four years of lessons. As part of their Herbology O.W.L, students must sit a written exam, and then complete a practical exam, during which the students work with a wide selection of plants.[5]
Second year Herbology class
Students who achieve either 'Outstanding' or 'Exceeds Expectations' on their Herbology O.W.L. move on to the advanced class, where the plants become more dangerous still. At the end of their seventh year, students prepare for their N.E.W.T.s.
Pomona Sprout was at Hogwarts as Herbology professor in the 1990's; by 2017, however, she had either been replaced by, or was working alongside Neville Longbottom, who was likewise a professor. Neville was one of her students in the past, and a gifted herbologist.
Location and time
These classes are held in the grounds of Hogwarts, in the greenhouses. The greenhouses are located below the two main Bell Towers of the castle. Classes are held in different greenhouses depending on the students' year, with more advanced and dangerous plants typically reserved for O.W.L. or N.E.W.T.-level study.
Lesson times
- First year
- Wednesday (second period)
- Second year
- Monday (second period)
- Tuesday (third period)
- Thursday (third period)
- Third year
- Wednesday (afternoon)
- Fourth year
- Monday (morning)
- Fifth year
- Tuesday (sixth period)
- Wednesday (forth/fifth period)
- Sixth year
- Tuesday (unknown)
Curriculum
First Year
- " […] one of the Bouncing Bulbs wriggled free from Harry's grip and smacked him hard in the face."
- — Description.[src]
- Fire-Making Spell
- Venomous Tentacula (Not practicaly)
- Spiky Bush
- Bouncing Bulb
- Severing Charm
- Puffapods
- Moly
- Asphodel
- Dried Nettles
- Dittany
- Wormwood
- Mandrake Root
- Aconite
- Lumos Solem
- Devil's Snare
Second Year
- "Those are Spiky Bushes. You may cast Incendio on them but step back to avoid their needles."
- — Pomona Sprout[src]
- Severing Charm (Revision)
- Bowtruckles and how defeat them using Severing Charm.
- Spiky Bush (Revision)
- Venomous Tentacula (Not practicaly, Revision)
- Incendio Duo
- Slugs and how to defeat them using Incendio Duo.
- Puffapods (Revision)
- Mandrakes
- Fluxweed
- Leaping Toadstools
- Abyssinian Shrivelfigs
Third Year
- Severing Charm (Revision)
- Puffapods (Revision)
- Incendio Tria
Fourth Year
- Herbivicus
- Orchideous Jinx
- Incendio (Revision)
- Learning the properties of Bubotuber pus and how to safely collect it.
- Gillyweed and it's uses.
Fifth Year
- Incendio (Revision to prepare to O.W.L.s)
- Self-Fertilizing Shrubs
- Chinese Chomping Cabbage
- Fanged Geranium
Sixth Year
- " [...] they were dealing with more dangerous plants than ever in Herbology but at least they were still allowed to swear loudly if the Venomous Tentacula seized them unexpectedly from behind."
- — Harry Potter[src]
Known equipment
- Dragon dung – used as fertiliser (Professor Sprout's fertiliser of preference).
- Dragon dung compost – used for planting.
- Dragon-hide gloves – worn when handling dangerous plants.
- Earmuffs – worn by students and the professor when repotting Mandrakes, so they could not harm students with their sound.
- Mooncalf dung – used as fertiliser, makes magical plants grow well.
- Wand - to cast Herbology-related spells, such as Diffindo or Incendio.
Known Professors
- Herbert Beery (?-pre 1955)
- Pomona Sprout (?-pre 2017)
- Neville Longbottom (pre 2017-?)
Required textbooks
- Encyclopedia of Toadstools
- Flesh-Eating Trees of the World – N.E.W.T.-level
- Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean
- One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Grades
Pass
- Outstanding [O]
- Exceeds Expectations [E]
- Acceptable [A]
Fail
Known O.W.L.s
Media
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Behind the scenes
- As revealed in Pottermore, J. K. Rowling had originally devised this class to be called "Herbalism".[6]
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game) (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- Pottermore (Mentioned only)
Notes and references
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Chapter 8 - The Potions Master) (pg. 99 UK edition)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Nineteen Years Later) (pg. 606 UK edition)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Chapter 14 - Felix Felicis) (pg.283 American edition)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Chapter 6 - Gilderoy Lockhart) (pg. 72 UK edition)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Chapter 31 (O.W.L.s)
- ↑ Pottermore - Hogwarts School Subjects (J.K. Rowling's thoughts)
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