History Main / ThatPoorPlant

[[caption-width-right:269:It would be horrible if that was poured on some living creature..]]

* In one episode of ''{{Slayers}}'', Xellos made a vegetable stew so noxious, the ingredients were reeling in pain...

Incidentally, none of these tests would work so well in real life. If you're paying attention at all, you may have noticed that [[YouFailBiologyForever humans and plants are very different living things]]. It should be noted that most of the plants you see out your window today are the ones that are the ''most'' resistant to disease and dangerous substances. Houseplants are often specifically marketed as air purifiers, meaning that they are also very resilient to the kinds of things that would easily make an animal sick.

* Done for laughs in TeenTitans by Beast Boy when the bathroom was occupied.

Are you a [[MadScientist scientist]] who wants to test your new [[SuperSerum mystery formula]]? Just take an eyedropper and drop a few drops in the soil of your Philodendron. If it's a miracle cure, the plant will go from wilting to flourishing -- and possibly to [[GoneHorriblyRight horribly mutated]]. If it's deadly poison, as it so often is, it will go from healthy and green to a sad pile of ashen leaves and shriveled vines. (Do note: for added drama, the plant will often wait to transform until you're sure that nothing is going to happen and leave the lab disappointed. ''Then'' it will probably turn into a monster and start wreaking havoc.)

* In ''SwatKats'' a doctor tested a new growth formula on a wilting rose. It began thriving, and he called the mayor. But several moments later, the rose became mutated and violent.

* [[WolfsRain Cheza]] may be a weird sort of plant/human hybrid, but this trope is in full force near the end of the series where [[spoiler: she gets carted around in the jaws of a giant wolf. ''BY THE SPINE.'']] ''Definitely'' not played for comedy. And it [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown only]] [[AnyoneCanDie gets]] [[TearJerker worse.]]

* Used in the TinTin ''Flight 117'', Captain Haddock pours a chlorophyl-enriched cola drink into an airport's potted palm. It instantly withers, dropping a leaf on his face.

* [[http://www.jasonlove.com/funny-cartoons/cartoon-viewer.aspx You're putting coffee grounds in the plants again?]]

Vegetation is also apparently an excellent barometer for magical evilness. Has your character gained incredible nature-based powers and is FriendToAllLivingThings? [[FertileFeet flowers and plants will sprout wherever she walks]]. Meanwhile, the EnemyToAllLivingThings is likely to be [[WalkingWasteland surrounded by dead trees and blackened grass]].

Are you a [[MadScientist scientist]] who wants to test your new [[SuperSerum mystery formula]]? Just take an eyedropper and drop a few drops in the soil of your Philodendron. If it's a miracle cure, the plant will go from wilting to flourishing -- and possibly to [[GoneHorrbilyRight horribly mutated]]. If it's deadly poison, as it so often is, it will go from healthy and green to a sad pile of ashen leaves and shriveled vines. (Do note: for added drama, the plant will often wait to transform until you're sure that nothing is going to happen and leave the lab disappointed. ''Then'' it will probably turn into a monster and start wreaking havoc.)

** Which is odd, as cold non-decaf coffee is one of the best free fertilizers around. I'd worry about that decaf...

A subtrope of WhatMeasureIsANonHuman, though in this case it's more like What Measure Is A Non Animal.

Since [[MostWritersAreHuman Most Writers Are Animals]], it's often a big no-no to show an animal being hurt (unless you want to make sure everyone knows [[PlayingWithSyringes your scientist villains]] [[MoralEventHorizon are]] [[KickTheDog complete bastards]]). But what if you still need to show how the [[AppliedPhlebotinum Phlebotinum Du Jour]] affects living things? Well, you may not be able to show it being tested on anyone with a face, but plants are fair game. Therefore, plants tend to get mistreated a lot in fiction.

Are you a [[MadScientist scientist]] who wants to test your new [[SuperSerum mystery formula]]? Just take an eyedropper and drop a few drops in the soil of your Philodendron. If it's a miracle cure, the plant will go from wilting to flourishing -- and possibly to horribly mutated. If it's deadly poison, as it so often is, it will go from healthy and green to a sad pile of ashen leaves and shriveled vines. (Do note: for added drama, the plant will often wait to transform until you're sure that nothing is going to happen and leave the lab disappointed. ''Then'' it will probably turn into a monster and start wrecking havoc.)

Rare examples have some [[AWizardDidIt Magical person]] or SnapBack restore the poor plant to full flourish -- but that doesn't happen very often. Also rare is the inversion of this trope. What if you wanted to show that your character has gained incredible nature-based powers and is FriendToAllLivingThings? Have [[FertileFeet flowers and plants sprout wherever she walks]]. (And, inverting the inversion, the EnemyToAllLivingThings is more likely to be [[WalkingWasteland surrounded by dead trees and blackened grass]] than by animal corpses.)

* Used hilariously in the film ''TheEmperorsNewGroove'' - a cactus ends up ''turning into a topiary llama'' after Yzma pours some potion-induced drink into it. Earlier, she got the idea to poison Kuzco when she, in full EvilPlan gloat-mode, accidentally knocks a vial of poison onto a plant, causing it to explode and then shrivel into blackness.

->"Hey, check out the palm tree! It only gets sick when I cook brunch! How's that for a coincidence, Professor? With all your precious science!"