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{{Spoiler|HM|PAS|MA|HL}}
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{{Real world subject}}
 
{{Plant infobox
  
{{Plant infobox
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|image = Mandrake.png
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|name=Mandrake / Mandragora
  
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|image=[[File:Mandrake.png]]
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|name = Mandrake
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|alias = Mandragora<ref name="CS6"/>
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|bgcolor1=
  
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|native =
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|bgcolor2=
  
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|environment = Soil<ref name="CS6"/>
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|sentience=
  
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|related =
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|characteristics=
  
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|sentience = Sentient<ref name="CS6"/>
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|root=Brown, humanoid
  
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|root = *[[Human]]oid in shape and behaviour<ref name="CS6"/>
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|leaves=Green/brownish
  
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*Brown in colour<ref name="CS6"/>
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|usage=When matured, can be cut up to serve as a prime ingredient for the Mandrake Restorative Draught, which is to cure those who have been petrified.
  
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|stem = Green in colour<ref name="CS6"/>
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|related=
  
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|leaves = Green in colour<ref name="CS6"/>
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|native=
  
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|flowers =
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|alias=
  
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|fruits =
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|environment=
  
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|food=
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|food =
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|distinction = Cries are [[Death|fatal]] to anyone who hears it (seedlings' cries only cause unconsciousness)<ref name="CS6"/>
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|distinction=*Screams can be fatal if heard with the naked ear, although if not fully grown the scream merely renders a person unconscious
  
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|usage = *[[Herbology]]<ref name="CS6"/><ref name="HM36h"/>
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*Though a plant, it appears almost as if a human baby with a leafing head
  
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*Prime ingredient for [[Mandrake Restorative Draught]] when [[Stewed Mandrake|stewed]]<ref name="COS9"/><ref name="HM752p">{{HM|7|52|p}}</ref>
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|affiliation=
  
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*Weapon<ref name="DH31"/>
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|affiliation =
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|status = Extant
 
}}
  
}}
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{{Dialogue a-b-a-b|Pomona Sprout|We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?|Hermione Granger|Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative. It is used to return people who have been [[Transfiguration|transfigured]] or [[curse]]d to their original state.|Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor. The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?|The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it.|A discussion regarding Mandrakes in a second year Herbology class|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets}}
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{{Quote|The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it.|[[Hermione Granger]]|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets}}
  
  ⚫
A '''Mandrake''', also known as '''Mandragora''', was a [[magic]]al and sentient plant which had a root that looked like a [[human]] (like a baby when the plant is young, but maturing as the plant grows). When matured, its cry could be [[Death|fatal]] to any person who heard it.<ref name="CS6">{{COS|B|6}}</ref>
   
  +
==Description and traits==
⚫
A '''Mandrake''', also known as '''Mandragora''', is a plant which has a root that looks like a human (like a baby when the plant is young, but maturing as the plant grows). When mature, its cry can be fatal to any person who hears it.
  
  +
{{Quote|A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in colour, were growing there in rows. They looked quite unremarkable to Harry, who didn't have the slightest idea what Hermione meant by the 'cry' of the Mandrake.|[[Harry Potter]]'s perception of Mandrakes in a Herbology lesson|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets}}
  +
[[File:MandrakeHM.png|200px|thumb|left|A baby Mandrake]]
  ⚫
Whenever unearthed, the root screamed. The scream of a mature Mandrake when it was unearthed was powerful enough to break glass and would kill any person who hears it, but a young Mandrake's screams would usually only knock a person out for several hours. They stopped screaming once they were replanted in the soil. When [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] students studied Mandrakes in [[Herbology]] class, [[Professor]] [[Pomona Sprout]] had her students wear [[earmuffs]] to protect their ears from the Mandrake's cries.<ref name="CS6">{{COS|B|6}}</ref> Professor [[Mirabel Garlick]] had her students put [[cotton]] in their ears in the late [[19th century]].<ref name="HL">{{HL}}</ref>
   
  +
Mandrakes had to be yanked out of their pots by the leaves and replanted in larger pots as they matured. According to Professor Garlick, when tucking them into the new pot, the soil should have enveloped the root like a warm, dirty blanket, putting the Mandrake right at ease.<ref name="HL"/>
−
==Information==
  
⚫
Whenever unearthed, the root screams. The scream of a mature Mandrake when it is unearthed will kill any person who hears it, but a young Mandrake's screams will usually only knock a person out for several hours. When [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] students study Mandrakes in [[Herbology]] class, [[Pomona Sprout]] had the students wear [[earmuffs]] to protect their ears from the Mandrake's cries.
  
   
  +
[[File:Mandrakes - Jim Kay COS Illustrated Edition.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The life stages of the Mandrake]]
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Mandrakes not only resemble humans, but also have similar behaviours to them. In the [[1992–1993 school year]], the Mandrakes, at one point of time, became moody and secretive, which indicated that they were reaching adolescence. Later on, they threw a loud party, which is comparable to humans when they are teenagers. Hagrid also mentioned the Mandrakes having acne. Mandrakes are fully matured when they start moving into each others pots. When matured, Mandrakes can be cut up to serve as a prime ingredient for the [[Mandrake Restorative Draught]], which is used to cure those who have been [[Petrification|Petrified]]. During the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], Mandrakes were used against [[Death Eaters]].
 +
Mandrakes not only resembled [[human]]s, but also had similar behaviours to them. In the [[1992–1993 school year]] at Hogwarts, the school's Mandrakes, at one point of time, became moody and secretive, which indicated that they were reaching adolescence.<ref name="COS13">{{COS|B|13}}</ref> Later on, they threw a loud and raucous party, which was comparable to humans when they are teenagers, which made Professor Sprout very happy indeed.<ref name="COS14">{{COS|B|14}}</ref> [[Poppy Pomfrey|Madam Pomfrey]] also mentioned the Mandrakes having [[acne]].<ref name="COS13"/> Mandrakes were fully matured when they started moving into each others' pots.
   
  +
When matured, Mandrakes could be cut up to serve as a prime ingredient for the [[Mandrake Restorative Draught]], which was used to return those who have been [[Transfiguration|transfigured]], [[Curse|cursed]] or [[Petrification|Petrified]] back to their rightful state.<ref name="COS9">{{COS|B|9}}</ref><ref name="HM752p"/><ref name="COS13"/><ref name="COS17">{{COS|B|17}}</ref> [[Stewed Mandrake]] was used in [[potion|potion-making]], forming an essential part of most [[antidote]]s.<ref name="CS6">{{COS|B|6}}</ref> Their [[Mandrake leaf|leaves]] were also used in potions as well, including the potion used in the process of becoming an [[Animagus]].<ref name="GOF26">{{GOF|B|26}}</ref>
⚫
A Mandrake's scream is very similar to (if not the same as) a [[banshee]]'s scream, which is also fatal.
  
   
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The [[Dugbog]]'s favourite food is Mandrakes, which leads to Mandrake-growers finding nothing but a bloody mess when pulling their plants out. [[Flesh-Eating Slug]]s are known to favour Mandrakes. In the 1992-1993 school year, [[Rubeus Hagrid]] bought [[Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent]] for use on Hogwarts' Mandrakes, which would later be used to cure the petrification of [[Colin Creevey]], [[Hermione Granger]], and others.
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The [[Dugbog]]'s favourite food was Mandrake, which led to Mandrake-growers finding nothing but a bloody mess when pulling their plants out of the ground.<ref name="FBR">{{FB|R}}</ref> [[Flesh-Eating Slug]]s were known to favour eating Mandrakes as well.<ref name="COSG">{{COS|G}}</ref>
   
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==History==
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Their [[Mandrake leaf|leaves]] can be used in [[Potion]]s.<ref name="GOF26">''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'', Chapter 26 - (''The Second Task'')</ref>
  
  +
{{Quote|We will be able to cure her, Argus. Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive [[Mrs Norris]].|[[Albus Dumbledore]] reassuring [[Argus Filch]] after his [[Mrs Norris|cat]] was [[Petrification|petrified]]|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets}}
   
  +
Several deaths have occurred through exposure to Mandrakes. Before [[1890]], [[Individual who died in Dogweed and Deathcap|someone]] died in [[Dogweed and Deathcap]] after knocking over a Mandrake.<ref>{{HL}} (see [https://youtu.be/2LIDAxwaAEI?t=3294 this video])</ref> Just over a century later, [[Minister for Magic]] [[Venusia Crickerly]] died in [[1912]], following a freak Mandrake-related gardening accident.<ref name="PMministers">{{WW|ministers-for-magic}}</ref> Furthermore, the [[The New York Ghost articles#28 November 1926 edition|Sunday edition]] of ''[[The New York Ghost]]'' published on [[28 November]] [[1926]] reported a Mandrake attack on a [[Herbologist]].<ref>{{FB|F}} {{See image|File:The New York Ghost Nov 28.jpg}}</ref>
⚫
==Etymology==
  
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[[File:Sprout.JPG|thumb|250px|left|[[Pomona Sprout|Professor Sprout]] teaches her [[Second year]] [[Herbology]] students how to pot young Mandrakes.]]
  
⚫
The (European) Mandrake plant has been used since ancient times as a medicinal plant and has a tradition associated with magical activities. It is a member of the nightshade family. It contains hyoscyamine, scopolamine, and mandragorin. Medically, it has been used as a pain killer and a sedative. It was used in ancient times for surgery. An overdose, though, can be fatal.
  
   
  +
[[File:Professor Sprout holding a Mandrake in Greenhouse Three COSF.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Professor Sprout teaching students how to repot young Mandrakes in Herbology class]]
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[[File:DracoBittenMandrake.gif|frame|[[Draco Malfoy]] bitten by a Mandrake during his second year.]]
  
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Mandrakes were part of the [[Second year|second]]<ref name="CS6"/> and [[Third year|third-year]]<ref name="HM36h"/> [[Herbology]] curriculum at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], taught by [[Professor]] [[Pomona Sprout]].<ref name="CS6"/> Mandrakes were revised again in the [[fifth year]] for students' [[Ordinary Wizarding Level]]s.<ref name="OOTPG">{{OOTP|G}}</ref> During the [[1986–1987 school year]] at Hogwarts, Professor Sprout taught third year students in Herbology how to handle Mandrakes.<ref name="HM36h">{{HM|3|6|h}}</ref>
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Because of its roots' shapes resembling humans, it has been used in magical operations, and as a supposed aphrodisiac.{{Fact}} There are variations on the plant, ''Mandragora Offininarum'' being the most usual form, with the smaller ''Mandragora autumnalis'' having the same properties. Some folk traditions call the latter (''M. autumnalis'') variety as "Womandrake" in distinction to ''M. Officinarum'' as "Mandrake." A third variant, ''Mandragora turcomanica,'' is a nearly extinct and very rare variety, found mostly in Turkey and a few areas of Iran. ''M. turcomanica'' is distinguished from ''M. autumnalis'' by having larger fruit.{{Fact}}
  
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[[File:CS C6.jpg|thumb|A Mandrake being pulled from its roots]]
  
   
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Also during the 1986–1987 school year, [[Jacob's sibling]] and [[Penny Haywood]] found a hidden [[Chocolate Frog Card]] buried in the soil of a potted baby Mandrake in the [[Herbology Classroom]], which Penny uprooted after borrowing some [[earmuffs]] from Professor Sprout, with Jacob's sibling collecting the card.<ref name="HM3FC">{{HM|3|Flume's Clues}}</ref>
⚫
In the Western Hemisphere, another plant, ''Podophyllum petaltum'', is called the American Mandrake. The American Mandrake is unrelated to the European variety, and has fewer medical applications. It, too, is poisonous.
  
  +
  +
During the [[1988–1989 school year]] at Hogwarts, [[Jacob's sibling]] and [[Liz Tuttle]] helped Professor Sprout spraying [[Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent]] on Mandrakes to prevent [[Flesh-Eating Slug|slugs]] from eating them.<ref name="MBOAF">{{HM|5|Magical Birds of a Feather}}</ref> Later in the school year, [[First year|first-year]] students learnt about Mandrakes presumably in Herbology class, but some of them neglected to use their earmuffs, making it necessary for them to be treated by [[Poppy Pomfrey|Madam Pomfrey]] in the [[Hospital Wing]]. Jacob's sibling helped her take care of them.<ref name="HM5PS">{{HM|5|Poor Sport}}</ref>
  +
  +
[[File:Harry and Ron handling Mandrakes in Herbology COSF.png|250px|thumb|right|[[Harry Potter|Harry]] and [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]] replanting Mandrakes in Herbology]]
  +
At the start of the [[1992–1993 school year]], Professor Sprout taught second-year [[Gryffindor]] and [[Hufflepuff]] students in class how to properly repot baby Mandrakes. [[Hermione Granger]] impressed Professor Sprout with her knowledge of the Mandrake's properties, earning her [[house points]] for her house Gryffindor.<ref name="CS6"/> During this school year, the school's growth of Mandrakes served the additional purpose of making the [[Mandrake Restorative Draught]], in order to revive all those who had been [[Petrification|petrified]] during the [[Chamber of Secrets]] openings.<ref name="COS9">{{COS|B|9}}</ref>
  +
  +
During the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], [[Pomona Sprout|Professor Sprout]], [[Neville Longbottom]] and other students lobbed Mandrakes over the Castle's battlements to attack the [[Death Eaters]].<ref name="DH31">{{DH|B|31}}</ref>
  +
  +
During the [[Calamity]] which affected the [[wizarding world]] in the [[2010s]], Mandrakes were amongst the various [[magic]]al items caught up as [[Foundable]]s which had to be dealt with by members of the [[Statute of Secrecy Task Force]].<ref name="WU">{{WU}}</ref>
  +
  ⚫
==Etymology==
  +
''Mandrake'' is from late Old English ''mandragora'', that had the [[dragon]]-related description replaced with native ''drake''.<ref>{{Wtlink|mandrake}}</ref>
  +
  +
''Mandragora'', other than referring to the plant, could also mean "a kind of tiny dragon immune to [[fire]]". It is from the [[Latin]] ''mandragorās'',<ref>{{Wtlink|mandragora}}</ref> which is from Ancient Greek μανδραγόρας (translit. ''mandragóras''),<ref>{{Wtlink|mandragoras#Latin}}</ref> associating with the Old [[Persia]]n word ''merdum gija'' meaning "plant of [[human]]s".<ref>{{Wtlink|μανδραγόρας#Ancient Greek}}</ref>
   
 
==Behind the scenes==
  
==Behind the scenes==
  +
[[File:Mandrake 2.jpg|150px|thumb|right|The LEGO portrayal of a Mandrake]]
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*In ''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4]]'', mandrakes can be found throughout the castle and grounds and can be used to break glass objects. Also the player can make it sing as an extra (cheat code).
  
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[[File:MandrakePOP.png|150px|thumb|right|A Mandrake as a [[POP! Vinyl]]]]
  +
[[File:PAS Mandrake.png|150px|thumb|right|A Mandrake as seen in {{PAS}}]]
  ⚫
*A Mandrake's scream was very similar to (if not the same as) a [[banshee]]'s scream, which was also fatal.
  +
*[[Mandrake Mufflers]], a shop located in [[Diagon Alley North Side]], is presumably one of the places for individuals to purchase earmuffs for the occasion.
  ⚫
*In {{LEGO|Y1}}, Mandrakes can be found throughout the castle and grounds and their cries can be used to break glass objects, but can be only be handled when wearing [[earmuffs]]. Also the player can make it sing as an extra (cheat code or unlocked extra).<ref name="LEGOY1">{{LEGO|Y1}}</ref>
  +
*In the [[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (GBC)|Game Boy Color version]] of ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'', the "Mandrake Root" item does not resemble the babies seen in other versions, and in fact looks more like a leaf than a root, suggesting the item is merely misnamed.
  +
*In {{COS|FA}}, Mandrakes were also capable of biting people if they put fingers close to their mouths, as [[Draco Malfoy]] learned the hard way (it is also worth noting that [[Slytherin]]s did not have Herbology lessons with Gryffindors in the [[1992–1993 school year]]).
  +
*When working on {{COS|IE}}, Illustrator [[Jim Kay]] wondered, "what if [[Leonardo Da Vinci]] did a study of the Mandrake, and what would it look like?", and used that as an inspiration when he approached the illustration.<ref name="JimKayComment">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDPcGdt40RU Jim Kay Illustrator - Create Expo 2016] {{c|from 23:55 to 24:31}}</ref> The Mandrake study may have been inspired by ''{{W|Studies of the Foetus in the Womb}}'' in particular.<ref>{{COS|IE}} {{see image|File:Mandrakes - Jim Kay COS Illustrated Edition.jpg}}</ref>
  +
*In the real world:
  ⚫
**The ([[Europe]]an) Mandrake plant has been used since [[Middle Ages|ancient times]] as a medicinal plant and has a tradition associated with [[magic]]al activities and witchcraft. It is a member of the nightshade family. It contains hyoscyamine, scopolamine, and mandragorin. Medically, it has been used as a pain killer and a sedative. It was used in ancient times for surgery. An overdose, though, can be fatal.<ref>{{Wikilink}}</ref> Because of its roots' shapes resembling [[human]]s, it has been used in magical operations, and as a supposed aphrodisiac.
  +
**There are variations on the plant, ''Mandragora Offininarum'' being the most usual form, with the smaller ''Mandragora autumnalis'' having the same properties.
  +
***Some folk traditions call the ''M. autumnalis'' variety as "Womandrake" in distinction to ''M. Officinarum'' as "Mandrake".
  +
**A third variant, ''Mandragora turcomanica,'' is a nearly extinct and very rare variety, found mostly in [[Turkey]] and a few areas of [[Iran]]. ''M. turcomanica'' is distinguished from ''M. autumnalis'' by having larger fruit.
  ⚫
**In the Western Hemisphere, another plant, ''Podophyllum petaltum'', is called the American Mandrake. The American Mandrake is unrelated to the European variety, and has fewer medical applications. It, too, is poisonous.
   
 
==Appearances==
  
==Appearances==
 
{{Imagecat|Images of Mandrakes}}
  
{{Imagecat|Images of Mandrakes}}
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*{{PS|G}} {{Voice}} {{Mention}}
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)]]'' {{C|Heard}}
  
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*{{COS}} {{1st}}
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'' {{1st}}
  
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*{{COS|F}}
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)]]''
  
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*{{COS|G}}
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)]]''
  
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*{{POA|G}}
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)]]''
  
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*{{GOF}} {{Mention}}
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' {{C|Mentioned as mandrake leaves}}
  
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*{{OOTP|G}}
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)]]''
  
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*{{HBP|G}}
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)]]''
  
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*{{DH}}
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''
  
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*{{FB|F}} {{Mention|newspaper}}
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*''[[Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book]]''
  
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*{{FB|R}} {{Mention}}
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*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World]]''
  
  +
*{{PM}}
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*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World]]''
  
  +
*{{WW}}
−
*''[[The Wizarding World of Harry Potter]]''
  
  +
*{{TCG}}
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*''[[LEGO Harry Potter|Harry Potter LEGO Sets]]''
  
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*{{WWHP}}
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*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4]]''
  
  +
*{{HPPU}}
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*''[[Harry Potter Trading Card Game]]''
  
  +
*{{HPV|CH}}
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*''[[Pottermore]]''
  
  +
*{{HPV|CR}}
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*''[[Wonderbook: Book of Spells]]''
  
  ⚫
*''[[The Art of Harry Potter Mini Book of Graphic Design]]''
  +
*{{LEGO}}
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*{{LEGO|B}}
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*{{LEGO|C}}
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*{{LEGO|Y1}}
  +
*{{WBS}}
  +
*{{HPK}}
  +
*{{FB|G}}
  +
*{{FBC}}
  +
*{{HM}}
  +
*{{WU}}
  +
*{{PAS}}
  +
*{{MA}} {{HoM mention}}
  +
*{{HL}}
  +
*{{HPWA}}
   
 
==Notes and references==
  
==Notes and references==
 
{{Reflist}}
  
{{Reflist}}
−  
 
{{Herbology}}
  
{{Herbology}}
−  
 
[[de:Alraune]]
  
[[de:Alraune]]
  +
[[de2:Alraune]]
  +
[[es:Mandrágora]]
 
[[fr:Mandragore]]
  
[[fr:Mandragore]]
 
[[it:Mandragola]]
  
[[it:Mandragola]]
  +
[[nl:Mandragora]]
  +
[[pl:Mandragora]]
  +
[[pt-br:Mandrágora]]
 
[[ru:Мандрагора]]
  
[[ru:Мандрагора]]
  +
[[uk:Мандрагора]]
⚫
[[Category:Plants]]
  
−
[[Category:Noise-making Plants]]
 +
[[Category:Battle of Hogwarts participants]]
  +
[[Category:Folio Bruti entries]]
  +
[[Category:Foundables]]
  +
[[Category:Healing magic]]
  +
[[Category:Mandrakes]]
  +
[[Category:Potion ingredients]]
  ⚫
[[Category:Weapons]]

Latest revision as of 12:44, 30 March 2024

Hand pointing right transparent Warning!

At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery & Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells & Harry Potter: Magic Awakened & Hogwarts Legacy.
As such, spoilers will be present within the article.

Mirror of Erised "Is this all real? Or has this been happening inside my head?"

The topic of this article is of a real-life subject that has been mentioned "in-universe" in a canon source. The Harry Potter Wiki is written from the perspective that all information presented in canon is true (e.g., Hogwarts really existed), and, as such, details contained in this article may differ from real world facts.

Pomona Sprout: "We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?"
Hermione Granger: "Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative. It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."
Pomona Sprout: "Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor. The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?"
Hermione Granger: "The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it."
— A discussion regarding Mandrakes in a second year Herbology class[src]

A Mandrake, also known as Mandragora, was a magical and sentient plant which had a root that looked like a human (like a baby when the plant is young, but maturing as the plant grows). When matured, its cry could be fatal to any person who heard it.[1]

Description and traits

"A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in colour, were growing there in rows. They looked quite unremarkable to Harry, who didn't have the slightest idea what Hermione meant by the 'cry' of the Mandrake."
— Harry Potter's perception of Mandrakes in a Herbology lesson[src]
MandrakeHM

A baby Mandrake

Whenever unearthed, the root screamed. The scream of a mature Mandrake when it was unearthed was powerful enough to break glass and would kill any person who hears it, but a young Mandrake's screams would usually only knock a person out for several hours. They stopped screaming once they were replanted in the soil. When Hogwarts students studied Mandrakes in Herbology class, Professor Pomona Sprout had her students wear earmuffs to protect their ears from the Mandrake's cries.[1] Professor Mirabel Garlick had her students put cotton in their ears in the late 19th century.[6]

Mandrakes had to be yanked out of their pots by the leaves and replanted in larger pots as they matured. According to Professor Garlick, when tucking them into the new pot, the soil should have enveloped the root like a warm, dirty blanket, putting the Mandrake right at ease.[6]

Mandrakes - Jim Kay COS Illustrated Edition

The life stages of the Mandrake

Mandrakes not only resembled humans, but also had similar behaviours to them. In the 1992–1993 school year at Hogwarts, the school's Mandrakes, at one point of time, became moody and secretive, which indicated that they were reaching adolescence.[7] Later on, they threw a loud and raucous party, which was comparable to humans when they are teenagers, which made Professor Sprout very happy indeed.[8] Madam Pomfrey also mentioned the Mandrakes having acne.[7] Mandrakes were fully matured when they started moving into each others' pots.

When matured, Mandrakes could be cut up to serve as a prime ingredient for the Mandrake Restorative Draught, which was used to return those who have been transfigured, cursed or Petrified back to their rightful state.[3][4][7][9] Stewed Mandrake was used in potion-making, forming an essential part of most antidotes.[1] Their leaves were also used in potions as well, including the potion used in the process of becoming an Animagus.[10]

The Dugbog's favourite food was Mandrake, which led to Mandrake-growers finding nothing but a bloody mess when pulling their plants out of the ground.[11] Flesh-Eating Slugs were known to favour eating Mandrakes as well.[12]

History

"We will be able to cure her, Argus. Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs Norris."
— Albus Dumbledore reassuring Argus Filch after his cat was petrified[src]

Several deaths have occurred through exposure to Mandrakes. Before 1890, someone died in Dogweed and Deathcap after knocking over a Mandrake.[13] Just over a century later, Minister for Magic Venusia Crickerly died in 1912, following a freak Mandrake-related gardening accident.[14] Furthermore, the Sunday edition of The New York Ghost published on 28 November 1926 reported a Mandrake attack on a Herbologist.[15]

Professor Sprout holding a Mandrake in Greenhouse Three COSF

Professor Sprout teaching students how to repot young Mandrakes in Herbology class

Mandrakes were part of the second[1] and third-year[2] Herbology curriculum at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, taught by Professor Pomona Sprout.[1] Mandrakes were revised again in the fifth year for students' Ordinary Wizarding Levels.[16] During the 1986–1987 school year at Hogwarts, Professor Sprout taught third year students in Herbology how to handle Mandrakes.[2]

Also during the 1986–1987 school year, Jacob's sibling and Penny Haywood found a hidden Chocolate Frog Card buried in the soil of a potted baby Mandrake in the Herbology Classroom, which Penny uprooted after borrowing some earmuffs from Professor Sprout, with Jacob's sibling collecting the card.[17]

During the 1988–1989 school year at Hogwarts, Jacob's sibling and Liz Tuttle helped Professor Sprout spraying Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent on Mandrakes to prevent slugs from eating them.[18] Later in the school year, first-year students learnt about Mandrakes presumably in Herbology class, but some of them neglected to use their earmuffs, making it necessary for them to be treated by Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing. Jacob's sibling helped her take care of them.[19]

Harry and Ron handling Mandrakes in Herbology COSF

Harry and Ron replanting Mandrakes in Herbology

At the start of the 1992–1993 school year, Professor Sprout taught second-year Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students in class how to properly repot baby Mandrakes. Hermione Granger impressed Professor Sprout with her knowledge of the Mandrake's properties, earning her house points for her house Gryffindor.[1] During this school year, the school's growth of Mandrakes served the additional purpose of making the Mandrake Restorative Draught, in order to revive all those who had been petrified during the Chamber of Secrets openings.[3]

During the Battle of Hogwarts, Professor Sprout, Neville Longbottom and other students lobbed Mandrakes over the Castle's battlements to attack the Death Eaters.[5]

During the Calamity which affected the wizarding world in the 2010s, Mandrakes were amongst the various magical items caught up as Foundables which had to be dealt with by members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force.[20]

Etymology

Mandrake is from late Old English mandragora, that had the dragon-related description replaced with native drake.[21]

Mandragora, other than referring to the plant, could also mean "a kind of tiny dragon immune to fire". It is from the Latin mandragorās,[22] which is from Ancient Greek μανδραγόρας (translit. mandragóras),[23] associating with the Old Persian word merdum gija meaning "plant of humans".[24]

Behind the scenes

Mandrake 2

The LEGO portrayal of a Mandrake

MandrakePOP

A Mandrake as a POP! Vinyl

PAS Mandrake

A Mandrake as seen in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells

  • A Mandrake's scream was very similar to (if not the same as) a banshee's scream, which was also fatal.
  • Mandrake Mufflers, a shop located in Diagon Alley North Side, is presumably one of the places for individuals to purchase earmuffs for the occasion.
  • In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Mandrakes can be found throughout the castle and grounds and their cries can be used to break glass objects, but can be only be handled when wearing earmuffs. Also the player can make it sing as an extra (cheat code or unlocked extra).[25]
  • In the Game Boy Color version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the "Mandrake Root" item does not resemble the babies seen in other versions, and in fact looks more like a leaf than a root, suggesting the item is merely misnamed.
  • In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Mandrakes were also capable of biting people if they put fingers close to their mouths, as Draco Malfoy learned the hard way (it is also worth noting that Slytherins did not have Herbology lessons with Gryffindors in the 1992–1993 school year).
  • When working on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Illustrated Edition, Illustrator Jim Kay wondered, "what if Leonardo Da Vinci did a study of the Mandrake, and what would it look like?", and used that as an inspiration when he approached the illustration.[26] The Mandrake study may have been inspired by Studies of the Foetus in the Womb in particular.[27]
  • In the real world:
    • The (European) Mandrake plant has been used since ancient times as a medicinal plant and has a tradition associated with magical activities and witchcraft. It is a member of the nightshade family. It contains hyoscyamine, scopolamine, and mandragorin. Medically, it has been used as a pain killer and a sedative. It was used in ancient times for surgery. An overdose, though, can be fatal.[28] Because of its roots' shapes resembling humans, it has been used in magical operations, and as a supposed aphrodisiac.
    • There are variations on the plant, Mandragora Offininarum being the most usual form, with the smaller Mandragora autumnalis having the same properties.
      • Some folk traditions call the M. autumnalis variety as "Womandrake" in distinction to M. Officinarum as "Mandrake".
    • A third variant, Mandragora turcomanica, is a nearly extinct and very rare variety, found mostly in Turkey and a few areas of Iran. M. turcomanica is distinguished from M. autumnalis by having larger fruit.
    • In the Western Hemisphere, another plant, Podophyllum petaltum, is called the American Mandrake. The American Mandrake is unrelated to the European variety, and has fewer medical applications. It, too, is poisonous.

Appearances

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 106 images related to Mandrake.

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 6 (Gilderoy Lockhart)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 3, Chapter 6 (The Letter from No One) - Herbology Lesson "Mandrakes"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 9 (The Writing on the Wall)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 52 (All Good Things Come in Threes) Potions Lesson "Mandrake Restorative Draught"
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 31 (The Battle of Hogwarts)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hogwarts Legacy
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 13 (The Very Secret Diary)
  8. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 14 (Cornelius Fudge)
  9. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 17 (The Heir of Slytherin)
  10. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 26 (The Second Task)
  11. ↑ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  12. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
  13. ↑ Hogwarts Legacy (see this video)
  14. ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Ministers for Magic" at Wizarding World
  15. ↑ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) (see this image)
  16. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
  17. ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 3, Side Quest "Flume's Clues"
  18. ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Side Quest "Magical Birds of a Feather"
  19. ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Side Quest "Poor Sport"
  20. ↑ Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
  21. ↑ Wiktionary favicon mandrake on Wiktionary
  22. ↑ Wiktionary favicon mandragora on Wiktionary
  23. ↑ Wiktionary favicon mandragoras#Latin on Wiktionary
  24. ↑ Wiktionary favicon μανδραγόρας#Ancient Greek on Wiktionary
  25. ↑ LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
  26. ↑ Jim Kay Illustrator - Create Expo 2016 (from 23:55 to 24:31)
  27. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Illustrated Edition (see this image)
  28. ↑ WP favicon Mandrake on Wikipedia
Herbology
Pottedmandrake
Herbologists
Astrid Cole · Clifford Cromwell · Marmaduke Dale · Blossom Degrasse · Miranda Goshawk · Alfred Lawley · Olgae Marinus · Beaumont Marjoribanks · Nepali wizard · Gethsemane Prickle · Sanjay Shanker · Selina Sapworthy · Phyllida Spore · Yubert Thorne · Tilden Toots · Hadrian Whittle · Winogrand
Herbology at Hogwarts
Herbology Award · Herbology Lesson Cup · Herbology Race Cup · Herbology Store · Hidden Herbology Corridor
Greenhouses One · Two · Three · Four · Five · Six · Seven · Professor's office
Professors Mirabel Garlick's predecessor · Mirabel Garlick · Herbert Beery · Pomona Sprout · Neville Longbottom
Textbooks Flesh-Eating Trees of the World · Ingredient Encyclopedia · One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi · Winogrand's Wondrous Water Plants
Plants studied and grown at Hogwarts
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Spells taught in Herbology at Hogwarts
Fire-Making Spell (Incendio) · Herbivicus Charm (Herbivicus) · Incendio Duo Spell (Incendio Duo) · Lumos Solem Spell (Lumos Solem) · Severing Charm (Diffindo)
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