Herbologist

"Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages, and with another twinge of guilt, Harry spotted the Whomping Willow in the distance, several of its branches now in slings. Professor Sprout was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair; there was usually a large amount of earth on her clothes and her fingernails would have made Aunt Petunia faint."

— Pomona Sprout tending to a damaged Whomping Willow

Herbologist Pomona Sprout tending to her plants in Greenhouse Three

A Herbologist was a wizard or witch who specialised in the field of Herbology, the study of plants and fungi, both magical and mundane. Pomona Sprout, Herbert Beery and Neville Longbottom were Professors of Herbology at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, while Tilden Toots was a celebrity herbologist in the wizarding world.

History

Phyllida Spore was a 15th century witch who was a celebrated Herbologist. She was the author of the textbook One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and Healing at Home with Herbs. One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi was one of the required texts for first-year students. The textbook was also used in Potions and Herbology classes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Mirabel Garlick teaching students Herbology at Hogwarts

At some point in the late 1800s, Mirabel Garlick became the Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her sunny demeanour and flowery language charmed colleagues and students alike, prompting some students to worry she might one day leave them for another greenhouse.

The Sunday edition of The New York Ghost published on 28 November 1926 reported a Mandrake attack on a Herbologist.

Herbert Beery was the Herbology Professor sometime during Armando Dippet’s tenure as Headmaster.

Miranda Goshawk was very knowledgeable of Herbology and herself a Herbologist. She wrote an expansive encyclopedia on the subject, titled Goshawk's Guide to Herbology.

Herbologists supplied various healing herbs to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries so the Healers there could use them to brew various healing potions. In the 1990–1991 school year, Herbologists mixed up the hospital's order, resulting in Healer Miriam Strout assigning Jacob's sibling with the collection of various herbs to the hospital to fix the problem. Eventually, the Herbologists corrected the hospital's order.

Professor Sprout teaching Hogwarts students about Mandrakes

Pomona Sprout was a Herbologist who taught Herbology at Hogwarts. In the greenhouses, Sprout had to deal with a wide variety of magical plants, some of which were very strange and even dangerous. She handled them all with aplomb, even the Venomous Tentacula.

Sprout was kind and nurturing to the students, and surely encouraged Neville's penchant for Herbology because he was anxious to show her his Mimbulus mimbletonia. Her favourite brand of fertiliser was Dragon dung. Sprout used bandages to fashion slings for a number of the Hogwarts Whomping Willow's branches after Harry and Ron crashed the Flying Ford Anglia into it.

Neville Longbottom teaching Herbology at Hogwarts

Tilden Toots was Herbologist with “three green thumbs” who hosted a Wizarding Wireless radio show on Herbology. This show was called Toots, Shoots ‘n’ Roots. He also produced his own line of plant-related potions, such as Rejuicer and Regerminator.

After the Second Wizarding War, Neville Longbottom became a Herbologist, specifically the Herbology professor at Hogwarts.

Known Herbologists

Phyllida Spore

Beaumont Marjoribanks

Mirabel Garlick

Pomona Sprout

Selina Sapworthy

Miranda Goshawk

Tilden Toots

Ismelda Murk

Neville Longbottom

Yubert Thorne

Astrid Cole

Gethsemane Prickle

• Herbert Beery
• Alfred Lawley
• Nepali wizard
• Olgae Marinus
• Sir Winogrand
• ROCC Herbology expert
• Blossom Degrasse
• Sanjay Shanker

Behind the scenes

• Elladora Ketteridge, the witch who accidentally discovered the use of Gillyweed, may have been a Herbologist.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First mentioned)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First appearance)
• 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 Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play) (Mentioned only)
• Quidditch Through the Ages (Mentioned only)
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) (Mentioned in a newspaper)
• Pottermore
• Wizarding World
• J. K. Rowling's official site
• Harry Potter: The Character Vault
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault
• Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book
• The Making of Harry Potter
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game
• LEGO Harry Potter
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
• Wonderbook: Book of Spells
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
• Harry Potter for Kinect
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• Hogwarts Legacy