Notes

Each plant has its own requirements and special qualities.

Planting : soil, depth of the seed, amount of water and sunlight. (= family, "blood type")

Repotting : freshness of new pot, larger size = boost of confidence, diet change (sometimes more, sometimes less), usually same amount of sunlight but different amount of water (= rite of passage, like arrival at Hogwarts)

Habitats : plants have left their native lands and adapted to new environments

Lifespan : usually between 3 and 5000 thousands (possibly more). Trees have longest lifespans, cacti and guapo have lenght lives too.

Dreamless sleep potion : moonstone (drowziness) and starpuffs (alive : hypnotic quality)

Lot of plants can affect sleep : infusion of wormwood + powdered root of asphodel = powerful sleeping potion (Draught of Living Death)

Other uses of plants in potions : add scent, freshness, qualities of naturality.
In medicinal potions : chosen based on their temperament, toxicity, ...

Forgetfulness Potion : Mistletoe berries (= hallucinations to distract and help memory loss) + Valerian sprigs (= sedative to put the mind to sleep).

Essay

Prompt
?

Response

This week, we've discussed several plants that can be used as ingredients in potions. I've chosen to describe aconite.

Aconite is a non-magical plant that has very poisonous leaves. Muggles and Wizards use them to brew potions to kill animals, especially wolves, hence its name of "wolfsbane". Despite its toxicity, its roots and flowers can be used in medicinal potions, as a sedative or a pain-reliever, to lower the heart rate, to treat pricking skin pain or induce sweating. It's also believed that aconite is used in witches' flying ointments.

I think aconite is a great example of how a plant can be used wrongly if you don't have enough knowledge of it, but can be proved very useful if you know its medecinal properties.