Shrivelfig

Shrivelfig
Species information
Endemic to	Abyssinia
Sentience	Non-sentient
Roots	"Aggressive", allowing the plant to survive in any environment
Leaves	Deciduous, shed in the Autumn Leaves have medicinal properties
Flowers	Purple in colour
Fruits	Purple in colour
Distinction(s)	Liquid in plant is purple
Usage	Herbology Potion ingredient
Status	Extant

"A magical plant with powerful properties in potions. The finest Shrivelfig specimens are found in Abyssinia."

— Zygmunt Budge, Book of Potions

The Shrivelfig was a magical plant, the best specimens of which were found in Abyssinia.

Description

The fruit of the Shrivelfig

The flowers of the Shrivelfig grew inside the fruit, both of which were purple in colour. It was a deciduous plant, meaning that its leaves start to shed in autumn, and the plant is leafless during winter. However, due to its aggressive roots, the plant can still survive even in snowy conditions. The leaves had medicinal properties. When the fruit was skinned, which was actually the plant's flower and contained blossoms inside, it produced a purple liquid with potion-making properties. The Shrinking Solution and the Elixir to Induce Euphoria were two potions for which Shrivelfigs were used in. The ingredient could be purchased at the Apothecary in Diagon Alley for three Galleons.

History

During the 1987–1988 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Shrivelfig was studied in fourth year Herbology class. The Shrivelfigs students learned to grow were brought to Hogwarts from Abyssinia. During the lesson, Pomona Sprout shared with the class that Severus Snape loved Shrivelfigs, and Nymphadora Tonks expressed that seeing the purple plant made her wanted purple hair.

Second-years pruning Abyssinian Shrivelfigs in Herbology

In early 1993 at Hogwarts, Pomona Sprout had the second year students prune Shrivelfigs with shears during a Herbology class. When Harry Potter went to dispose of some withered stalks that he had trimmed off his Shrivelfig, he ran into Ernie Macmillan, and afterwards Ernie brought Hannah Abbott to work at the same plant as Harry and Ron Weasley. It was in this lesson Harry and Ron realised there were some spiders heading to the Forbidden Forest.

In late 1993, Severus Snape taught his third year Potions students to brew the Shrinking Solution. Draco Malfoy claimed that his injured arm prevented him from tending to his own ingredients, so Snape ordered Harry Potter to peel the required Shrivelfigs for Draco, a task which Harry did as quickly as possible.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• The Road to Hogwarts Sweepstakes
• Pottermore
• Wonderbook: Book of Potions
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery