This document provides an overview of the first three lessons in an Herbology 101 course. Lesson One introduces the basic concepts and equipment of Herbology, including protective gear like dragon hide gloves and fertilizers like dragon dung and mooncalf dung. Lesson Two discusses using plants in potions, with examples like moonstone and starpuffs in dreamless sleep potions. It also covers repotting, habitats, lifespans and the individuality of plants. Lesson Three introduces some basic herbs and fungi, providing details on the properties and growing conditions of plants like gillyweed.

1. Herbology 101
First Year Review

2. Lesson One:
The Introduction to
Herbology
and
Basic Equipment

3. • Herbology is the study, along with the use, of both mundane and
magical plants.
– These may be for medicinal purposes, protective purposes, or purely
educational purposes.
• Herbologist is any witch or wizard who understands the properties
and nature of a plant.
– Often times society belittles herbologists and call them "herbies" or "simple
gardeners"
• All herbs, fungi, trees, and flowers, (whether magical or mundane
have a unique personality and gift)
– Mundane plant is a non-magical plant.
– REMEMBER to respect the plants, and they'll respect you.
• Equipment of Herbology can be sorted into two categories:
1. Protective Equipment: the things that will protect us against harm.
• Dragon-hide gloves

4. • Earmuffs
• Wand
2. Things used to care for the plants.
• Dragon Dung - retrieved from the stool of any fire-breathing dragon,
can be used as a fertilizer for soil, as well as for compost in order to
make a more organic fertilizer.
– Dragon dung works so well in breaking materials down,due to the acids found in
dragon stomachs (necessary for dragons that digest and consume a very wide
variety of organic and inorganic substances). These acids break down all
materials down to their most natural state.
– It is scentless, and won't bother neither you or the plant. The lack of scent found
in dragon dung is due to the fact that the dragons use all odorous gases in the
production of their fire (not yet a proven fact by dragon keepers).
• Mooncalf Dung - considered a more gental option used for fertilizer.
– Preferred for the planting and care of more sensitive plants.
– Does not have the strength and power of Dragon Dung.
» If the soil is worn down, or does not have enough vitamin content to begin
with, Mooncalf dung may not be powerful enough to contribute to what the
plant requires to grow healthily.

5. • Centaur Tears - a favorite drink for most plants, so you will find healthy
plants in excess near any Centaur's dwelling place.
– They are more vitamin rich than regular water, Centaur tears are capable of
reviving a plant moments from death.
– Some plants find them toxic.
» Never water a plant which grows in salt water with Centaur tears.
– There is much controversy over Centaur tears due to the fact that the creatures
that Centaurs are known to be above human intelligence.
» They take great care over the forests and lands in which they dwell, using
their tears to care for the nature surrounding them.
» It is rare, but some very special people have been noted to form bonds with
some Centaurs, notably Albus Dumbledore and Rubeus Hagrid. Such
persons have been able to collect tears with the consent of the Centaurs,
with the agreement that all the tears will be used for the betterment of
plants.
» Due to the rarity of this, some witches and wizards will go out and try to
obtain Centaur tears by means of stealth. Ministry laws protect Centaurs,
but it is common knowledge among Herbologists that some sources are not
as reputable as others to obtain Centaur tears from.
» These ethical issues are still being debated in the wizarding world, and how
to handle the problem.

6. • Things to REMEMBER:
– Wear closed toed shoes.
– Bring your apron.
– Acquire a mask, in case of fumes or scents produced.
– Herbology Today posted an article stating some statistics on safety and they
noted the following:
• Over thirty thousand witches and wizards have had preventable accidents in the past
year.
• 81% of those mishaps involved forgetting/neglecting to put on Dragon-Hide Gloves.
• 21% of those incidents resulted in irrevocable damage.
– Professor Tudor
• liftupyourvoice@ymail.com
– Grading Policy
• Outstanding – 90-100%
• Exceeds Expectations – 80-89%
• Acceptable – 60-79%
• Poor – 50-59%
• Dreadful – 40-49%
• Troll – 0-39%

7. Lesson Two:
Care and
Use in Potions

8. • Our roots affect who we become.
– Although some would claim birth makes no difference at all,
in actuality our identities are formed from the roots and up, so
origins cannot be discounted.
• A muggleborn will grow up without the Tales of Beedle the Bard,
half-bloods will know a balance of each world, whereas many
purebloods will be at odds in the world of muggles.
• Perhaps none of these roots are wrong, but there is still a time, a
place, and a reason for each one.
• It does not do well to confuse them, just as it does not do well to mix
methods with plants which require different sunlight and water
levels.
– Some things to consider when planting is what type of soil the plant requires
(All of these factors are a part of the identity of the plant.):
• Depth the seed should be planted
• How much water they require
• Sunlight the plant needs access to

9. • Repotting is a stage considered a right of
passage, just like our first day at Hogwarts.
– The plant itself will enjoy the freshness of a new pot,
and the larger size tends to boost a plant's
confidence.
– At the time of repotting a plants diet may change.
– Flesh-Eating Plants usually double their intake, while
Gaviat Roots will eat a third of the servings of grass
which it used to.
– While most plants will require the same amount of
sunlight, the amount of water needed either increases
or decreases.
– All of these factors are very important, and are not
to be taken lightly.

10. • Habitats bring about a lot of controversy on the field of
Herbology.
– Many plants have left their native lands and adapted to new habitats
(sometimes creating strains of a particular plant).
– The movement of plants can cause many disruptions to their life
cycles.
– Habitats acceptable for growth tend to revolve around what amount
of sunlight and water plants in the region have access to, although
the temperature of the climate is also a factor.
• Lifespan is a delicate topic.
– Besides cutting a plant's life short for medicinal or
experimental usages
• the normal lifespans range between three years and five thousand
(although the records kept on these much older plants do not have
enough information on planting dates to confirm).
• Trees tend to have the longest lifespans.
• Cacti and guapo herbs also have lengthy lives.

11. • It's important to recognize that plants are individuals.
– Understanding the individuality and characteristics of individual plants can
be seen as a greater part of a transcendent whole.
– It's because of this that Herbology is just as much about the plants as it is
about you discovering your own self through the plants.
• In the mostly widely accepted version of the dreamless sleep potion,
both moonstone and starpuffs are present. (Of course, moonstone
is a broken piece of hatched dragon's egg, but starpuffs are a plant.
Pictures are included in lesson photographs).
– Both these ingredients are named for their relation to sleep, and thus the
night.
– While moonstone causes drowsiness, without the starpuffs a dreamless
sleep potion would not carry the name of dreamless.
– Starpuffs, while alive in plant form, possess a hypnotic quality. If you don't
watch yourself, you will find yourself easily mesmerized by their sparkling
petals and shimmering leaves.
– Without the starpuffs, a dreamless sleep potion would not give the user an
inability to think, which is vital to the process of dreamless sleep.
– Distractions are indeed a large part of the dreaming cycles of both day and
night.

12. • It must be noted that other than the moonstone, the realm of
sleep is most widely affected by plants.
• Mix an infusion of wormwood and some powdered root of
asphodel, and you will produce a sleeping potion so powerful it is
known as the Drought of Living Death.
• Other Major Plant Ingredients
· Mistletoe berries
· Wolfsbane/monkshood/aconite
· Valerian Sprigs (also in sleeping potions)
· Leaping Toadstool
· Knotgrass
· Peppermint
· Root of Aconite
· Poppy Heads
· Shrivelfigs (shrinking potions especially)
· Rose Thorns
· Rose Oil

13. • There are several different purposes for plants in
potions.
– Sometimes plants are used to add scent to perfumes, and other
times plants are added to a potion in order to add freshness or
qualities of naturality to a beauty potion.
– In medicinal potions, plant ingredients are usually chosen based on
their temperament, toxicity, and other properties of their identity.
• One other potion, relevant to this term’s work, is
the Forgetfulness Potion.
– Two of the three main ingredients of the Forgetfulness Potion are
plants:
• Mistletoe berries- cause hallucinations, which helps to distract the
one who takes the potion, which helps allow the potion to take its
effect of memory loss.
• Valerian sprigs- have a sedative quality, which allow for the mind to
be put to sleep, which also causes forgetfulness.

14. • For extra information which will prepare you for further study in this class,
check out the following items. It is especially recommended to read about
peppermint, as a non-magical plant having a clear strong and positive affect
in potions.
– Asphodel
– Fluxweed
– Lovage
– Motherwort
– Nettle
– Nux Myristica
– Peppermint
– Silverweed
– Snakeweed
– Potion
• Pictures for today’s class may be found by following the web address
provided:
– https://www.facebook.com/hogwartsishereherbology/photos/a.618741711526993.107
3741828.618733468194484/618741724860325/?type=3&theater
– https://www.facebook.com/hogwartsishereherbology/photos/a.618775201523644.107
3741829.618733468194484/618775221523642/?type=3&theater

15. Lesson Three:
Basic Herbs
and
Fungi

16. • GILLYWEED
– A rare herb native to the Mediterranean Sea
– Grows to a height of 5cm - 7cm in soil with a pH range of 7.9–8.4
(Moderately alkaline)
– Consumes a large amount of water
– Requires little sunlight in order to thrive
– Many weeds in the family of giliac weeds are this way; they need
little sunlight, but have no limit to how much they'll take in as long as
they have the water which they need
– A slimy plant, grows as in bushel, and is grey-green in colour
– Consumption of Gillyweed a human being results in temporary
growth of gills and webs between toes and fingers
– The effect lasts for about an hour in fresh water, and up to three
hours in salt water (there's controversy among herbologists related
to this, some suggested that the salt water number is not accurate,
and many contest the difference of the effects of Gillyweed between
salt and fresh water)

17. – The properties of Gillyweed include a refreshed, nourishing feeling when it is
consumed, thus making Gillywater a popular drink.
– Gillywood is a tree which grows in water, and is believed to be a relation to
the Gillyweed due to the patterns in its leaves.
• How to make Gillywater:
– Begin with either a pure water, or a juice.
– You will need a cucumber, as well as several sheaves of Gillyweed.
– Peel the cucumber, then cut it into long, relatively thin strips. Use the
longest to tie the rest of the strips together.
– Pour whichever liquid you choose into the cup, and then add the cucumber.
The longer you let sit, the stronger the cucumber taste.
– Right before drinking, add Gillyweed to the cup, and perhaps a chilling
charm or icecubes.
• Gillyflower may also be added if you like a little spice in your drink.

18. • VALERIAN ROOT (and sprigs)
– Valeriana officinalis is a plant native to Europe and some of Asia, although it
has migrated to North America.
– Muggles are aware of its existence, but many are unaware of its powers.
• The Valerian Root possesses sedative powers, and its sprig is used in
several sleeping potions. The root is anxiolytic, thus it is also used in
calming droughts and potions. Perfumes make use of the strong smell
of the sprig (noted to be like a mix of cherry and vanilla), and the root
itself is often worn by grooms at weddings, to ward of the envy of the
elves. (This custom is still used today by wizards in Eastern Europe).
– Valerian may grow to be five feet, and forms bunches of attractive white
flowers. At least seven hours of sun is required to keep healthy. Root
division and seeding are effective ways of starting the growth of a new plant.
The seed should be planted in soil with a pH level of 4.5–5.0 (very strong
acid), about 1/8 of an inch down. Valerian Root ought to be harvested in the
fall, or in the spring. It is important to keep the plant out of the way of cats,
who are just as attracted to the root as catnip.
– For more information on potions using the Valerian root, check into articles
about the following:
• Draught of Living Death
• Forgetfulness Potion

19. • KNOTGRASS
– Another herb present at weddings, for it is symbolic of the tying together of
two people.
• Actually, it's more literal than that. Knotgrass is used in polyjuice potions to help
temporarily turn one person's’ body in that of another.
– Knotgrass is native European forests, and is present in Hogwart's Forbidden
Forest.
– Growing from 5cm to 4m tall
– Knotgrass has a very irregular growth pattern, perhaps due to its ability to
halt the growth of animals
– Besides its use in the polyjuice potion, it is also in Knotgrass mead
(common at weddings) and in some love potions
– Knotgrass is used by healers to treat urinary tract infections as well as
fertility issues
– Knotgrass grows wherever there is a neutral level of pH level in soil (Slight
acid) 6.1–6.5 to (Neutral) 6.6–7.3, and plenty of water
– The more sunlight, the faster it will grow
– Knotgrass flowers in the summer, with the colour varying between whites,
pinks, and greens
• When the flowers are done blooming, the stem must be cut bellow the flowering.
• Remember: lots and lots of water.

20. • DITTANY
– Essential to healers, potioneers, romancers and parents
– Dittany only grows naturally on the mountainside of Crete, Greece.
• Herbologists and Healers have greenhouses full of them, with
specialised conditions to mimic that of Crete's climate
• Muggles go through many difficulties to retrieve this herb from its
natural habitat; the process is dangerous for them and many
don't make it.
– Muggles are aware of the romantic quality this herb possesses, and
thus collect it for their significant others.
– Dittany aids in curing ailments of all manners, can prevent
permanent scarring, is used in several love potions, and sometimes
is used as a wand core.
– In liquidized form dittany is brown in colour.
– In order to properly use Dittany, it must be diluted.
• This usually occurs in the liquidizing process.

21. • Dittany grows 20cm - 30cm in height
• Requires warmth and sunlight to thrive
• Its Latin name is origanum dictamnus, and its closest relation is dictamnus
albus, which is also referred to as Burning Brush or White (False) Dittany
• Dittany (like Knotgrass) grows in soil with an average pH level of (Neutral) 6.6–
7.3.
• To grow dittany, one must use a greenhouse in order to control conditions.
– Keep the temperature in the greenhouse at an even temperature of 13
degrees Celsius.
– Seeds should be lightly covered by soil, and then sprinkle lightly with water.
Wait until the soil feels dry to water the Dittany.
– It is alright to accidentally give Ditty too much water, as long as you let it dry
out before adding more again, but do be careful should you choose to grow
Dittany.
• For some extra reading on potions using dittany research:
– Wiggenweld Potion
• Photographs for today’s lesson may be found at:
– https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=619583541442810&set=a.619583511442813.1073741830.618733468194484&type=3
&theater