Mimbulus mimbletonia

Mimbulus mimbletonia
Species information
Endemic to	Assyria
Sentience	Non-sentient
Distinction(s)	Covered in boils, which released Stinksap when the plant was prodded Appearance of small grey cactus
Usage	Herbology
Status	Extant, very rare

"A small grey cactus in a pot, except that it was covered with what looked like boils rather than spines."

— Description

The Mimbulus mimbletonia was a very rare magical plant, surmised to have originated in Assyria.

Description

The Mimbulus mimbletonia was most notable for its pulsating and squirming nature and its unique defence mechanism. When prodded, a substance called Stinksap was squirted out from the boils on the surface of the plant. Stinksap was a non-poisonous liquid and was described as dark green and smelling like "rancid manure".

As a seedling, it required ample light, excellent drainage, high temperatures, and low moisture for optimal growth. As a young sprout, it already showed signs of pulsation and squirming, accompanied by odd crooning noises when touched. During the flowering stage, its signature boils began to form and began to emit a strong stink. When the boils looked ready to burst, the plant had reached maturity, the fruiting stage. One had to exercise caution to avoid prodding them, or else get squirted with its unpleasant Stinksap.

History

The Mimbulus mimbletonia was believed to have originated in Assyria.

At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, students were taught about how to handle and care for this plant in Herbology in third-year Herbology lessons. During the 1986–1987 school year, Professor Pomona Sprout taught students about how to properly handle this plant, along with how to extract Stinksap from it.

Neville Longbottom holding a Mimbulus mimbletonia in 1995

After receiving one of them as a gift during the summer of 1995, Neville Longbottom demonstrated its defence mechanism to Harry Potter on the Hogwarts Express, accidentally covering the compartment and the people in it with Stinksap. Ginny Weasley had to clean up the Stinksap with the Scouring Charm.

Mimbulus mimbletonia was used as the password for the Gryffindor's common room at the start of the 1995–1996 school year, which Neville was overjoyed by, as he could finally remember the password.

By the end of the school year in 1996, he discovered that further on in the plant's development, it makes "odd crooning noises when touched."

The plant was also mentioned by Hermione Granger in 1997, when retorting to Ron Weasley that she doubts that he "would find a woman who sulked for half an hour because Madam Rosmerta didn't laugh at their joke about the hag, the healer and the Mimbulus mimbletonia" after his comment about women being easily upset.

The Mimbulus mimbletonia squirting Stinksap on Linderina Crane

Professor Neville Longbottom taught Mimbulus mimbletonia to third-year Herbology students in the 2010–2011 school year. He said if lucky, it would bloom this spring, which would be a very rare occurrence. The lesson was interrupted by Linderina Crane who came to investigate Neville's role in the Hogsmeade attack.

The Mimbulus mimbletonia presented by Neville

When the Mimbulus mimbletonia bloomed, Professor Longbottom held a Blooming Party, which was again disrupted when Victor Gridley's disguise was removed by students and he and his associate Mr Pronk kidnapped Longbottom.

During the Calamity which affected the wizarding world in the 2010s, Mimbulus mimbletonia plants appeared as Confoundables, guarding branches of Bowtruckles. They could be repelled by volunteer members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force by casting the Ebublio Jinx on them. A curse Confoundable also transfigured Pomona Sprout into a Mimbulus mimbletonia plant, requiring the volunteers to cast the General Counter-Spell to end the spell's effect on the professor.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Pottermore
• Wizarding World
• Harry Potter: The Character Vault
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• Hogwarts Legacy (Mentioned only)
• The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac