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** At the end of ''Series/EdgeOfDarkness'', [[spoiler:Craven turns into a black flower]] with no attempt at an explanation.
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* ''Film/{{Troll2}}'': Arnold gets turned into a plant thing by the goblins, complete with his own planter. Of course, he mostly just looks like a human with a couple of vines and pieces of bark stuck on, because the movie had NoBudget.
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* ''Film/{{Troll2}}'': The goblins of the town of Nilbog from ''Film/{{Troll 2}}'' do this to people so that they can eat them, by means of getting them to eat their evil food. Arnold gets turned into a plant thing by the goblins, complete with his own planter. Of course, he mostly just looks like a human with a couple of vines and pieces of bark stuck on, because the movie had NoBudget.
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* Whenever [[ManEatingPlant Audrey II]] in ''Film/LittleShopOfHorrors'' (1960) eats someone, it sprouts a flower with that person's face afterwards. [[spoiler:After it eats Seymour in the DarkerAndEdgier version of the ending, he becomes a flower that can exchange words with his love interest]].
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* Whenever [[ManEatingPlant Audrey II]] in ''Film/LittleShopOfHorrors'' (1960) eats someone, it sprouts a flower with that person's face afterwards. [[spoiler:After it eats Seymour in the DarkerAndEdgier version of the ending, Seymour, he becomes a flower that can exchange words with his love interest]].interest]]. This is preserved in the stage musical but left out of the film version of the musical.
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* John Collier's 1931 novella "Green Thoughts" has an exotic, carnivorous orchid whose blossoms resemble what it ate (flies at first, then a cat, then its owner); it is thought to have been the inspiration for ''Little Shop of Horrors'' above.
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* In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVIIThePrincelessBride'', this happens in the backstory of a minor female character called Ceres. She was attacked by the WickedWitch Malicia and turned into an oak tree, then stabbed and left to bleed to death with the stake still impaled in her trunk. Of course, the curse gets lifted in the end.
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* The ''Franchise/KingsQuest'' series has several examples.
** In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVAbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder'', the Weeping Willow is actually a princess cursed by a witch. It later gets lifted.
** In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVIIThePrincelessBride'', this happens in the backstory of a minor female character called Ceres. She was attacked by the WickedWitch Malicia and turned into an oak tree, then stabbed and left to bleed to death with the stake still impaled in her trunk. Of course, the curse gets lifted in the end.
** In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVAbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder'', the Weeping Willow is actually a princess cursed by a witch. It later gets lifted.
** In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVIIThePrincelessBride'', this happens in the backstory of a minor female character called Ceres. She was attacked by the WickedWitch Malicia and turned into an oak tree, then stabbed and left to bleed to death with the stake still impaled in her trunk. Of course, the curse gets lifted in the end.
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* In ''VideoGame/ConquestsOfTheLongbow'', if you pass the Green Main's [[RiddleMeThis riddle game]] he will grant you the ability to temporarily turn yourself into a tree. If you fail, [[NonstandardGameOver he'll make you one permanently.]]
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* In ''VideoGame/ConquestsOfTheLongbow'', if you pass the Green Main's Man's [[RiddleMeThis riddle game]] he will grant you the ability to temporarily turn yourself into a tree. If you fail, fail (or deliberately attack him otherwise), [[NonstandardGameOver he'll make you you]] [[BalefulPolymorph one permanently.]] ]]
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** It also happens to Grianne Ohmsford in a different and more limited way at the end of ''Tanequil'', a later book in the ''Shannara'' series. She becomes one of the people that feeds the eponymous magic tree's roots, which frees her spirit to live in the air around the tree's branches.
** In the ''Magic Kingdom of Landover'' series also by Terry Brooks, Queen Willow is a PlantPerson who periodically transforms into an actual tree, but only temporarily. No points for guessing what kind of tree.
** In the ''Magic Kingdom of Landover'' series also by Terry Brooks, Queen Willow is a PlantPerson who periodically transforms into an actual tree, but only temporarily. No points for guessing what kind of tree.
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* ''VideoGame/DungeonCrawl Stone Soup'' has Potions of Lignification, which temporarily transform you into an animate tree. In this form, you are incapable of movement, including teleportation, but have improved defensive capabilities, although attacking and spellcasting are still possible. This is usually beneficial, but drinking an unidentified potion and unexpectedly turning into a tree in the middle of a difficult battle can also be very bad.
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** In "The Seeds of Doom", anyone infected by the Kyrnoid will be transformed into a murderous plant mosnter.
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** In "The Seeds of Doom", anyone infected by the Kyrnoid will be transformed into a murderous plant mosnter.monster.
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* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In "The Mark of the Rani", the Rani has mines that transform anyone who steps on them into a tree.
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* ''Series/DoctorWho'': ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** In "The Seeds of Doom", anyone infected by the Kyrnoid will be transformed into a murderous plant mosnter.
** In "The Mark of the Rani", the Rani has mines that transform anyone who steps on them into a tree.
** In "The Seeds of Doom", anyone infected by the Kyrnoid will be transformed into a murderous plant mosnter.
** In "The Mark of the Rani", the Rani has mines that transform anyone who steps on them into a tree.
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[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'': In "If You Were a Tree" a bedtime story Grandma Ethyl tells Baby Sinclair, Earl, who works as a tree pusher for the [=WeSaySo=] Corporation, magically exchanges souls with a tree. At the end of the story Earl and the tree switch back, each having learned the importance of the other. But it's just an in-show story so there are no long term effects.
* In the ''Series/LostInSpace'' episode "The Great Vegetable Rebellion", Dr. Smith was turned into a plant by an anthropomorphic carrot. (He got better.)
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In "The Mark of the Rani", the Rani has mines that transform anyone who steps on them into a tree.
[[/folder]]
* ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'': In "If You Were a Tree" a bedtime story Grandma Ethyl tells Baby Sinclair, Earl, who works as a tree pusher for the [=WeSaySo=] Corporation, magically exchanges souls with a tree. At the end of the story Earl and the tree switch back, each having learned the importance of the other. But it's just an in-show story so there are no long term effects.
* In the ''Series/LostInSpace'' episode "The Great Vegetable Rebellion", Dr. Smith was turned into a plant by an anthropomorphic carrot. (He got better.)
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In "The Mark of the Rani", the Rani has mines that transform anyone who steps on them into a tree.
[[/folder]]
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[[folder:Television]]
* ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'': In "If You Were a Tree" a bedtime story Grandma Ethyl tells Baby Sinclair, Earl, who works as a tree pusher for the [=WeSaySo=] Corporation, magically exchanges souls with a tree. At the end of the story Earl and the tree switch back, each having learned the importance of the other. But it's just an in-show story so there are no long term effects.
* In the ''Series/LostInSpace'' episode "The Great Vegetable Rebellion", Dr. Smith was turned into a plant by an anthropomorphic carrot. (He got better.)
[[/folder]]
* ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'': In "If You Were a Tree" a bedtime story Grandma Ethyl tells Baby Sinclair, Earl, who works as a tree pusher for the [=WeSaySo=] Corporation, magically exchanges souls with a tree. At the end of the story Earl and the tree switch back, each having learned the importance of the other. But it's just an in-show story so there are no long term effects.
* In the ''Series/LostInSpace'' episode "The Great Vegetable Rebellion", Dr. Smith was turned into a plant by an anthropomorphic carrot. (He got better.)
[[/folder]]
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[[quoteright:260:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3363ccb63fcf0d56872b3edafc112f1d.jpg]]
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* This happens to Amberle at the end of ''[[Literature/Shannara The Elfstones of Shannara]]'': she was chosen to transform into a new Ellcrys, the magic tree that keeps the demons trapped in the Forbidding.
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* This happens to Amberle at the end of ''[[Literature/Shannara ''[[Literature/{{Shannara}} The Elfstones of Shannara]]'': she was chosen to transform into a new Ellcrys, the magic tree that keeps the demons trapped in the Forbidding.
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* This happens to Amberle at the end of ''Literature/TheElfstonesOfShannara'': she was chosen to transform into a new Ellcrys, the magic tree that keeps the demons trapped in the Forbidding.
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* This happens to Amberle at the end of ''Literature/TheElfstonesOfShannara'': ''[[Literature/Shannara The Elfstones of Shannara]]'': she was chosen to transform into a new Ellcrys, the magic tree that keeps the demons trapped in the Forbidding.
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* This happens to Amberle at the end of ''Literature/TheElfstonesOfShannara'': she was chosen to transform into a new Ellcrys, the magic tree that keeps the demons trapped in the Forbidding.
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* Music/{{Radiohead}}'s music video for "There There" ends with Thom Yorke becoming a tree, as his apparent punishment for stealing some enchanted clothing he found in the woods.
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* Music/{{Radiohead}}'s music video for "There There" ends with frontman Thom Yorke becoming a tree, tree as his apparent punishment for stealing some enchanted clothing he found in the woods. [[BodyHorror It's a lot more graphic than it sounds.]]
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* Whenever [[ManEatingPlant Audrey II]] in ''Film/LittleShopOfHorrors'' (1960) eats someone, it sprouts a flower with said person's face afterwards. [[spoiler:After it eats Seymour in the DarkerAndEdgier version of the ending, he becomes a flower that can exchange words with his love interest]].
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* Whenever [[ManEatingPlant Audrey II]] in ''Film/LittleShopOfHorrors'' (1960) eats someone, it sprouts a flower with said that person's face afterwards. [[spoiler:After it eats Seymour in the DarkerAndEdgier version of the ending, he becomes a flower that can exchange words with his love interest]].
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Saw this pop up on tumblr and thought it was kind of appropriate. I am of course open to better suggestsions, but the \"used surprisingly often\" cracked me up, given that we have like a dozen Greek mythology examples on this page.
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-> '''Dendroo | δενδρÏŒω'''\\
(vb.) turn/grow into a tree\\
In the Passive, it means "to be turned into a tree." Used surprisingly often.
-->-- ''Ancient Greek Word of the Day, [[http://classicsenthusiast.tumblr.com/post/121255140896/ah-greek-mythology-i-know-thee-well Classics Enthusiast]]''
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figured I\'d add the image source. I loved that particular mythology collection as a kid, and that illustration was the first thing I thought of even though I haven\'t looked at it for maybe a decade.
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%%Illustration of Apollo & Daphne by Troy Howell. Taken from the book Favorite Greek Myths as retold by Mary Pope Osborne.
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found a related page that reminded me of this trope\'s opening sentence. thus, pothole
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One of the more extreme ways to get closer to MotherNature is to become an actual plant.
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One of the more extreme ways to get closer [[InHarmonyWithNature closer]] to MotherNature is to become an actual plant.
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typo leading to wrong namespace
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* ''TabletopGames/DungeonsAndDragons''
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* ''TabletopGames/DungeonsAndDragons'' ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''
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Typos.
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* In ''Webcomic/TheDragonDoctors'', staying as a tree for six months to three years is one of the first step of training in shapeshifting magic: One has to learn to appreciate other shapes to master tham.
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* In ''Webcomic/TheDragonDoctors'', staying as a tree for six months to three years is one of the first step of training in shapeshifting magic: One has to learn to appreciate other shapes to master tham.them.
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* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'': The episode "Demon Seed" features a Haylin Seed turning Jack Spicer, Vlad, and all the Xiaolin Warriors save Raimundo into plains.
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* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'': The episode "Demon Seed" features a Haylin Seed turning Jack Spicer, Vlad, and all the Xiaolin Warriors save Raimundo into plains.plants.
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misspelling of Western Animation was redirecting to the general BTAS page
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* In ''Webcomic/TheGamer'' the druid warrior Horpitia Aholting, partner to the Witch of Slaughter, is capable of transforming into a tree that gathers life force to power the Witch's spells.
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* In ''Webcomic/TheGamer'' ''Webcomic/TheGamer,'' the druid warrior Horpitia Aholting, partner to the Witch of Slaughter, is capable of transforming into a tree that gathers life force to power the Witch's spells.
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* ''WesternAnimaion/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': There's an episode where Poison Ivy attempts to turn rich people into trees.
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* ''WesternAnimaion/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': There's an episode where Poison Ivy attempts to turn rich people into trees.
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* Hiei of ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' has Mukuro's [[AbusiveParents abusive father]] fused with a parasitic plant, making him almost immortal but still able to feel pain, then [[AndIMustScream gives the guy to Mukuro as a present.]]
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* [[spoiler:The heroine]] in ''VideoGame/SwordOfMana'' transforms into (or fuses with) the [[WorldTree Mana Tree]] to restore it after its power is drained.
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* In ''Webcomic/TheGamer'' the druid warrior Horpitia Aholting, partner to the Witch of Slaughter, is capable of transforming into a tree that gathers life force to power the Witch's spells.
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* In Creator/StephenHunt's ''The Court Of The Air'', an ancient and evil civilization escaped a terrible disaster by moving underground, and coped with the lack of food by transforming the enslaved majority of its population into plants that lived off the caverns' thermal energy. The elite classes lived off their human "crops", which were helpless to resist or even protest.
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* The title character of "The Girl Who Loved the Sun" by Creator/DianaWynneJones ends up as a beech tree; the story is modeled on Greek legends, but with a more English and less Mediterranean ecosystem.
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* ''Webcomic/{{Erstwhile}}'': In "A Tale With A Riddle," based on the ''very'' short story by Creator/TheBrothersGrimm, [[http://www.erstwhiletales.com/a-tale-with-a-riddle-0/ three women are changed into flowers]].
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* ''Webcomic/{{Erstwhile}}'': In "A Tale With A Riddle," based on the ''very'' short story by Creator/TheBrothersGrimm, [[http://www.erstwhiletales.com/a-tale-with-a-riddle-0/ three women are changed into flowers]]. flowers]].
* In ''Webcomic/TheDragonDoctors'', staying as a tree for six months to three years is one of the first step of training in shapeshifting magic: One has to learn to appreciate other shapes to master tham.
* In ''Webcomic/TheDragonDoctors'', staying as a tree for six months to three years is one of the first step of training in shapeshifting magic: One has to learn to appreciate other shapes to master tham.
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cleaned up typo
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* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'': The shadowy soul-stealing BigBad known as the Beast can turn people into edelwood trees if they're close to death or passing the DespairEventHorizon. [[spoiler:He then uses the resulting trees to keep the his [[SoulJar lantern]] lit.]]
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* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'': The shadowy soul-stealing BigBad known as the Beast can turn people into edelwood trees if they're close to death or passing the DespairEventHorizon. [[spoiler:He then uses the resulting trees to keep the his [[SoulJar lantern]] lit.]]
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* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'': The shadowy soul-stealing BigBad known as the Beast can turn people into edelwood trees if they're close to death or passing the DespairEventHorizon. He then uses the resulting trees to keep the his [[SoulJar Lantern]] lit.
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* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'': The shadowy soul-stealing BigBad known as the Beast can turn people into edelwood trees if they're close to death or passing the DespairEventHorizon. He [[spoiler:He then uses the resulting trees to keep the his [[SoulJar Lantern]] lit. lantern]] lit.]]
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As I pimp the page to related tropes, I\'m finding more examples.
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* In ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryII'', Julanar is a woman who, while fleeing from brigands, is discovered by a djinn who transforms her into a tree in order to save her from her pursuers.
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Page creation!
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[[quoteright:260:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3363ccb63fcf0d56872b3edafc112f1d.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:260:A trope with its [[IncrediblyLamePun roots]] in antiquity.]]
One of the more extreme ways to get closer to MotherNature is to become an actual plant.
This trope goes [[OlderThanFeudalism way back]] to the days of Myth/ClassicalMythology, when turning people into plants was used as both a reward and a punishment by the various [[Characters/ClassicalMythology gods of the pantheon.]]
A Transflormation can be positive, negative, or even neutral under the right circumstances. Becoming a plant may be the result of a BalefulPolymorph in which the victim's consciousness is either rendered inert or [[AndIMustScream forced to look on in silence]]. On the other hand, it may instead take the form of a species change from [[{{Muggles}} Muggle]] to PlantPerson.
Because people tend to associate positive feelings with nature, a permanent transflormation can be an effective way to show that a dying character is "returning to nature" and thereby finding peace and dignity in death.
See also CoolAndUnusualPunishment, TransformationHorror, CurseThatCures, and {{Metamorphosis}}. Compare its sister tropes TakenForGranite (an involuntary stint as statuary) and {{Animorphism}} (VoluntaryShapeshifting to take animal form.)
Not to be confused with PlayingATree.
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!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Anime/BlueSubmarineNo6'' had two human background characters that were turned into trees ([[AndIMustScream with their eyes still moving]]).
[[/folder]]
[[folder:ComicBooks]]
* In ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs'' comic book story "The Little Tree", Lumberjack Smurf finds out that an elf's sister has been turned into an evergreen tree and spares her from being cut down.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
* In the [[{{Disney/Hercules}} Disney version of Hercules]], a nymph does this when chased by Phil as a callback to the myth of Daphne and Apollo. It's VoluntaryShapeshifting on her part, though: as he comments "they can't keep their hands off me" she indignantly whips him with a branch.
* Near the end of ''WesternAnimation/YellowSubmarine'', the Nowhere Man turns the chief Blue Meanie partway into a rose bush.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]
* Whenever [[ManEatingPlant Audrey II]] in ''Film/LittleShopOfHorrors'' (1960) eats someone, it sprouts a flower with said person's face afterwards. [[spoiler:After it eats Seymour in the DarkerAndEdgier version of the ending, he becomes a flower that can exchange words with his love interest]].
* ''Film/{{Troll2}}'': Arnold gets turned into a plant thing by the goblins, complete with his own planter. Of course, he mostly just looks like a human with a couple of vines and pieces of bark stuck on, because the movie had NoBudget.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:{{Literature}}]]
* In the third book of the ''[[Literature/TheDuelOfSorceryTrilogy Duel of Sorcery]]'' trilogy, Serroi is turned into a tree [[spoiler:as the [[EquivalentExchange price]] of defeating Ser Noris.]]
** In the subsequent trilogy, ''[[Literature/TheDancersTrilogy Dancers]]'', [[spoiler: she turns back]].
* In the second book of Creator/TamoraPierce's ''[[Literature/TheImmortals Immortals]]'' quartet, [[TheArchmage black robe]] Numair manages to change [[DiscOneFinalBoss Book Two Final Boss]] Tristan Staghorn into an apple tree, which is treated as a near-impossible feat.
* ''[[Literature/LandOfOz Kabumpo in Oz]]''. In the [[{{Backstory}} backstory]], the Princess of Sun Top Mountain was turned into a tree by the evil magician J. Glegg when she refused to marry him.
* ''Series/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'': Pre-series, Zeus turned his daughter Thalia into a pine tree to save her life.
* In ''Literature/SpeakerForTheDead'', this is revealed to be part of the natural life cycle of the aliens known by the human colonists as "piggies." The piggies, or pequeniños, are the highest form of animal life on their planet; the humans discover (after some tragic misunderstandings on both sides) that when they die they are "planted" and then metamorphose into the planet's large (sentient) trees, the dominant vegetable life, as a natural part of their life cycle. The human scientists eventually discover that this is a common theme for all life on the planet; everything from insects and grass to birds and fish have two distinct stages, many of them switching from animal to vegetable. [[spoiler:It turns out that this is not a natural state but that the planet's native life had been altered by an alien race's genetic engineering virus in the distant past.]]
* ''Literature/WhichWitch'':
** Ethel Feedbag imprisons a family of three {{Muggles}} in three different trees as part of a black magic competition.
** When [[spoiler:Terrence]] is recaptured by Matron and [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome finally realizes he has magic powers]], he turns her at least partially into a tree in order to root her to the ground and halt her threatening advance.
* In the world of Creator/PiersAnthony's ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'', the Magician Trent won the SuperpowerLottery with the power to transform any living organism into any other living organism. During his reign of terror, he hits quite a few of his enemies with {{Baleful Polymorph}}s of every size and shape. Then he figures out that trees are living organisms too, and just starts turning his enemies into trees.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music Videos]]
* Music/{{Radiohead}}'s music video for "There There" ends with Thom Yorke becoming a tree, as his apparent punishment for stealing some enchanted clothing he found in the woods.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:{{Mythology}}]]
* Happens a lot in ClassicalMythology, often serving as a JustSoStory about the origin of a particular plant.
** The nymph Daphne was shot by one of Eros' lead-tipped arrows, which caused her to spurn Apollo's amorous advances. Desperate to escape Apollo, the fleeing Daphne cries out to the gods to save her and is [[EmergencyTransformation changed]] into a laurel tree.
** Baucis and Philemon from Ovid's Literature/TheMetamorphoses are the only ones in their town to welcome the [[AngelUnaware disguised Zeus and Hermes]] into their home. Part of their reward for upholding SacredHospitality is that when one of them dies, the other will die also; when death comes for them, they are changed into a pair of intertwining trees to symbolize their EternalLove.
** Persephone turned the nymph Minthe into the mint plant as revenge for trying to sleep with her husband.
** The myth of Narcissus is sometimes recounted as Narcissus being [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment changed]] into a narcissus flower as a punishment for being such a, you guessed it, [[TropeNamers narcissist]]. In the earliest recorded versions, though, the flower simply sprang up on the bank of the spring where he died, and was named in his memory.
** Myrrha, Adonis's mother, was transformed into a myrrh tree after [[ParentalIncest sleeping with her own father]]. She then gave birth to Adonis while a tree.
** Philyre, who got turned into the linden tree after giving birth to Chiron, a centaur.
** Smilax got turned into bindweed after slighting Krokos (who got transformed into saffron after his death).
** When the Argonauts encountered the Hesperides, the sisters transformed themselves into an elm, a poplar, and a willow tree.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:TabletopGames]]
* ''TabletopGames/DungeonsAndDragons''
** The Polymorph Other and Polymorph Any Object spell can change a living creature into a tree or other plant.
** In an old ''Magazine/{{Dragon}}'' magazine article a wizard was challenged to a duel. He snapped his fingers, cast a [[BalefulPolymorph Polymorph]] spell on the challenger and changed him into a plant, then said "Next?"
** The Shape Change spell allows the caster to change into a plant, such as a bush.
** The Barkburr is a small limpet-like monster that lives on trees. It jumps onto an opponent and injects them with a poison that causes lignification -- it turns the victim into a tree.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Television]]
* ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'': In "If You Were a Tree" a bedtime story Grandma Ethyl tells Baby Sinclair, Earl, who works as a tree pusher for the [=WeSaySo=] Corporation, magically exchanges souls with a tree. At the end of the story Earl and the tree switch back, each having learned the importance of the other. But it's just an in-show story so there are no long term effects.
* In the ''Series/LostInSpace'' episode "The Great Vegetable Rebellion", Dr. Smith was turned into a plant by an anthropomorphic carrot. (He got better.)
[[/folder]]
[[folder:VideoGames]]
* In the 6th grade level of ''VideoGame/TheClueFinders'', Joni starts turning into a plant while held hostage by the denizens of the polluted underground civilization.
* In ''VideoGame/ConquestsOfTheLongbow'', if you pass the Green Main's [[RiddleMeThis riddle game]] he will grant you the ability to temporarily turn yourself into a tree. If you fail, [[NonstandardGameOver he'll make you one permanently.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'', a curse not only covers an entire kingdom with thorny vines but also turns almost everyone into statue-like plants.
* Over the course of a few hundred years, Harold from ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' slowly goes from oddball [[MutagenicGoo FEV product]], to PlantPerson with a [[ConsultingMrPuppet bonzai tree on his head named Bob]], to a fully fledged [[WiseTree talking tree]] completely rooted in place by Bob. He's not really happy with the last bit when your character first encounters him in that form, but depending on how you play it he can come to terms with being involuntarily made a FisherKing slowly restoring plant life to the wasteland.
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': The population of a lumberjack village is turned into trees due to a forest spirit's curse, then restored after the heroes break the curse.
* ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'' has monsters that can [[BalefulPolymorph turn]] the player into a ''mobile eggplant.''
* In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVIIThePrincelessBride'', this happens in the backstory of a minor female character called Ceres. She was attacked by the WickedWitch Malicia and turned into an oak tree, then stabbed and left to bleed to death with the stake still impaled in her trunk. Of course, the curse gets lifted in the end.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' begins with Link forced into the form of a Deku Scrub by the Skull Kid. Once the player figures out how to reverse the transflormation, they can initiate it [[VoluntaryTransformation at will]] by donning the Deku Mask. The TransformationSequence still looks [[EyeScream excruciating]], though.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': Druids can learn a Tree-of-Life form.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:{{Webcomics}}]]
* ''Webcomic/AvasDemon'': Maggie gains the ability to transform her arms into vines and branches as an effect of forming her [[DealWithTheDevil pact with the demon]] Tuls.
* ''Webcomic/{{Erstwhile}}'': In "A Tale With A Riddle," based on the ''very'' short story by Creator/TheBrothersGrimm, [[http://www.erstwhiletales.com/a-tale-with-a-riddle-0/ three women are changed into flowers]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGummiBears'': Tummi steals a fruit off a cursed tree, eats it, and then slowly transforms into a tree himself. The rest of the Gummi Bears need to find the cure.
* ''WesternAnimaion/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': There's an episode where Poison Ivy attempts to turn rich people into trees.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'': The alien forms Wildvine and Swampfire are [[PlantPerson Plant People]]. Well, PlantAliens.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Catscratch}}'': In the episode "Core-uption", Waffle becomes a potted flower as a result of Gordon turning the world turning into a SugarBowl.
* ''WesternAnimation/DefendersOfTheEarth'' had an episode where an AbsentMindedProfessor accidentally creates a super plant fertilizer that turns him into a plant. The villains plan to conquer Earth by turning humans into plants using the professor's formula.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': The episode "Northwest Mansion Mystery" has the MonsterOfTheWeek turning the party guests into tree-like [[TakenForGranite statues]].
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Twilight Sparkle's PowerIncontinence once resulted in her turning her parents into potted plants.
* The [[WesternAnimation/MGMOneshotCartoons MGM cartoon]] ''The Tree Surgeon'' has the titular surgeon sprouting roots and branches after accidentally poking himself with a syringe meant for a sick tree.
* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'': The shadowy soul-stealing BigBad known as the Beast can turn people into edelwood trees if they're close to death or passing the DespairEventHorizon. He then uses the resulting trees to keep the his [[SoulJar Lantern]] lit.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'': Raphael is turned into a plant in the first episode of Season 3 when the turtles battle The Creep, a mutant plant monster.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/UltimateBookOfSpells'' has Gus and Cassie afflicted with a curse that brings out their ancestry; Cassie slowly turns into a tree, as apparently witches originally came from "witchwood" (though the specifics aren't explained.)
* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'':
** Halfway through the first season, Wirta is changed into a pumpkin by Icy, and Flora spends the rest of the season trying to figure out how to change her back.
** Miss Faragonda is turned into a tree at one point, but she gets better.
* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'': The episode "Demon Seed" features a Haylin Seed turning Jack Spicer, Vlad, and all the Xiaolin Warriors save Raimundo into plains.
[[/folder]]
-----------------------------
[[caption-width-right:260:A trope with its [[IncrediblyLamePun roots]] in antiquity.]]
One of the more extreme ways to get closer to MotherNature is to become an actual plant.
This trope goes [[OlderThanFeudalism way back]] to the days of Myth/ClassicalMythology, when turning people into plants was used as both a reward and a punishment by the various [[Characters/ClassicalMythology gods of the pantheon.]]
A Transflormation can be positive, negative, or even neutral under the right circumstances. Becoming a plant may be the result of a BalefulPolymorph in which the victim's consciousness is either rendered inert or [[AndIMustScream forced to look on in silence]]. On the other hand, it may instead take the form of a species change from [[{{Muggles}} Muggle]] to PlantPerson.
Because people tend to associate positive feelings with nature, a permanent transflormation can be an effective way to show that a dying character is "returning to nature" and thereby finding peace and dignity in death.
See also CoolAndUnusualPunishment, TransformationHorror, CurseThatCures, and {{Metamorphosis}}. Compare its sister tropes TakenForGranite (an involuntary stint as statuary) and {{Animorphism}} (VoluntaryShapeshifting to take animal form.)
Not to be confused with PlayingATree.
------------------
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Anime/BlueSubmarineNo6'' had two human background characters that were turned into trees ([[AndIMustScream with their eyes still moving]]).
[[/folder]]
[[folder:ComicBooks]]
* In ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs'' comic book story "The Little Tree", Lumberjack Smurf finds out that an elf's sister has been turned into an evergreen tree and spares her from being cut down.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
* In the [[{{Disney/Hercules}} Disney version of Hercules]], a nymph does this when chased by Phil as a callback to the myth of Daphne and Apollo. It's VoluntaryShapeshifting on her part, though: as he comments "they can't keep their hands off me" she indignantly whips him with a branch.
* Near the end of ''WesternAnimation/YellowSubmarine'', the Nowhere Man turns the chief Blue Meanie partway into a rose bush.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]
* Whenever [[ManEatingPlant Audrey II]] in ''Film/LittleShopOfHorrors'' (1960) eats someone, it sprouts a flower with said person's face afterwards. [[spoiler:After it eats Seymour in the DarkerAndEdgier version of the ending, he becomes a flower that can exchange words with his love interest]].
* ''Film/{{Troll2}}'': Arnold gets turned into a plant thing by the goblins, complete with his own planter. Of course, he mostly just looks like a human with a couple of vines and pieces of bark stuck on, because the movie had NoBudget.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:{{Literature}}]]
* In the third book of the ''[[Literature/TheDuelOfSorceryTrilogy Duel of Sorcery]]'' trilogy, Serroi is turned into a tree [[spoiler:as the [[EquivalentExchange price]] of defeating Ser Noris.]]
** In the subsequent trilogy, ''[[Literature/TheDancersTrilogy Dancers]]'', [[spoiler: she turns back]].
* In the second book of Creator/TamoraPierce's ''[[Literature/TheImmortals Immortals]]'' quartet, [[TheArchmage black robe]] Numair manages to change [[DiscOneFinalBoss Book Two Final Boss]] Tristan Staghorn into an apple tree, which is treated as a near-impossible feat.
* ''[[Literature/LandOfOz Kabumpo in Oz]]''. In the [[{{Backstory}} backstory]], the Princess of Sun Top Mountain was turned into a tree by the evil magician J. Glegg when she refused to marry him.
* ''Series/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'': Pre-series, Zeus turned his daughter Thalia into a pine tree to save her life.
* In ''Literature/SpeakerForTheDead'', this is revealed to be part of the natural life cycle of the aliens known by the human colonists as "piggies." The piggies, or pequeniños, are the highest form of animal life on their planet; the humans discover (after some tragic misunderstandings on both sides) that when they die they are "planted" and then metamorphose into the planet's large (sentient) trees, the dominant vegetable life, as a natural part of their life cycle. The human scientists eventually discover that this is a common theme for all life on the planet; everything from insects and grass to birds and fish have two distinct stages, many of them switching from animal to vegetable. [[spoiler:It turns out that this is not a natural state but that the planet's native life had been altered by an alien race's genetic engineering virus in the distant past.]]
* ''Literature/WhichWitch'':
** Ethel Feedbag imprisons a family of three {{Muggles}} in three different trees as part of a black magic competition.
** When [[spoiler:Terrence]] is recaptured by Matron and [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome finally realizes he has magic powers]], he turns her at least partially into a tree in order to root her to the ground and halt her threatening advance.
* In the world of Creator/PiersAnthony's ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'', the Magician Trent won the SuperpowerLottery with the power to transform any living organism into any other living organism. During his reign of terror, he hits quite a few of his enemies with {{Baleful Polymorph}}s of every size and shape. Then he figures out that trees are living organisms too, and just starts turning his enemies into trees.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music Videos]]
* Music/{{Radiohead}}'s music video for "There There" ends with Thom Yorke becoming a tree, as his apparent punishment for stealing some enchanted clothing he found in the woods.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:{{Mythology}}]]
* Happens a lot in ClassicalMythology, often serving as a JustSoStory about the origin of a particular plant.
** The nymph Daphne was shot by one of Eros' lead-tipped arrows, which caused her to spurn Apollo's amorous advances. Desperate to escape Apollo, the fleeing Daphne cries out to the gods to save her and is [[EmergencyTransformation changed]] into a laurel tree.
** Baucis and Philemon from Ovid's Literature/TheMetamorphoses are the only ones in their town to welcome the [[AngelUnaware disguised Zeus and Hermes]] into their home. Part of their reward for upholding SacredHospitality is that when one of them dies, the other will die also; when death comes for them, they are changed into a pair of intertwining trees to symbolize their EternalLove.
** Persephone turned the nymph Minthe into the mint plant as revenge for trying to sleep with her husband.
** The myth of Narcissus is sometimes recounted as Narcissus being [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment changed]] into a narcissus flower as a punishment for being such a, you guessed it, [[TropeNamers narcissist]]. In the earliest recorded versions, though, the flower simply sprang up on the bank of the spring where he died, and was named in his memory.
** Myrrha, Adonis's mother, was transformed into a myrrh tree after [[ParentalIncest sleeping with her own father]]. She then gave birth to Adonis while a tree.
** Philyre, who got turned into the linden tree after giving birth to Chiron, a centaur.
** Smilax got turned into bindweed after slighting Krokos (who got transformed into saffron after his death).
** When the Argonauts encountered the Hesperides, the sisters transformed themselves into an elm, a poplar, and a willow tree.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:TabletopGames]]
* ''TabletopGames/DungeonsAndDragons''
** The Polymorph Other and Polymorph Any Object spell can change a living creature into a tree or other plant.
** In an old ''Magazine/{{Dragon}}'' magazine article a wizard was challenged to a duel. He snapped his fingers, cast a [[BalefulPolymorph Polymorph]] spell on the challenger and changed him into a plant, then said "Next?"
** The Shape Change spell allows the caster to change into a plant, such as a bush.
** The Barkburr is a small limpet-like monster that lives on trees. It jumps onto an opponent and injects them with a poison that causes lignification -- it turns the victim into a tree.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Television]]
* ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'': In "If You Were a Tree" a bedtime story Grandma Ethyl tells Baby Sinclair, Earl, who works as a tree pusher for the [=WeSaySo=] Corporation, magically exchanges souls with a tree. At the end of the story Earl and the tree switch back, each having learned the importance of the other. But it's just an in-show story so there are no long term effects.
* In the ''Series/LostInSpace'' episode "The Great Vegetable Rebellion", Dr. Smith was turned into a plant by an anthropomorphic carrot. (He got better.)
[[/folder]]
[[folder:VideoGames]]
* In the 6th grade level of ''VideoGame/TheClueFinders'', Joni starts turning into a plant while held hostage by the denizens of the polluted underground civilization.
* In ''VideoGame/ConquestsOfTheLongbow'', if you pass the Green Main's [[RiddleMeThis riddle game]] he will grant you the ability to temporarily turn yourself into a tree. If you fail, [[NonstandardGameOver he'll make you one permanently.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'', a curse not only covers an entire kingdom with thorny vines but also turns almost everyone into statue-like plants.
* Over the course of a few hundred years, Harold from ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' slowly goes from oddball [[MutagenicGoo FEV product]], to PlantPerson with a [[ConsultingMrPuppet bonzai tree on his head named Bob]], to a fully fledged [[WiseTree talking tree]] completely rooted in place by Bob. He's not really happy with the last bit when your character first encounters him in that form, but depending on how you play it he can come to terms with being involuntarily made a FisherKing slowly restoring plant life to the wasteland.
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': The population of a lumberjack village is turned into trees due to a forest spirit's curse, then restored after the heroes break the curse.
* ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'' has monsters that can [[BalefulPolymorph turn]] the player into a ''mobile eggplant.''
* In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVIIThePrincelessBride'', this happens in the backstory of a minor female character called Ceres. She was attacked by the WickedWitch Malicia and turned into an oak tree, then stabbed and left to bleed to death with the stake still impaled in her trunk. Of course, the curse gets lifted in the end.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' begins with Link forced into the form of a Deku Scrub by the Skull Kid. Once the player figures out how to reverse the transflormation, they can initiate it [[VoluntaryTransformation at will]] by donning the Deku Mask. The TransformationSequence still looks [[EyeScream excruciating]], though.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': Druids can learn a Tree-of-Life form.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:{{Webcomics}}]]
* ''Webcomic/AvasDemon'': Maggie gains the ability to transform her arms into vines and branches as an effect of forming her [[DealWithTheDevil pact with the demon]] Tuls.
* ''Webcomic/{{Erstwhile}}'': In "A Tale With A Riddle," based on the ''very'' short story by Creator/TheBrothersGrimm, [[http://www.erstwhiletales.com/a-tale-with-a-riddle-0/ three women are changed into flowers]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGummiBears'': Tummi steals a fruit off a cursed tree, eats it, and then slowly transforms into a tree himself. The rest of the Gummi Bears need to find the cure.
* ''WesternAnimaion/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': There's an episode where Poison Ivy attempts to turn rich people into trees.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'': The alien forms Wildvine and Swampfire are [[PlantPerson Plant People]]. Well, PlantAliens.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Catscratch}}'': In the episode "Core-uption", Waffle becomes a potted flower as a result of Gordon turning the world turning into a SugarBowl.
* ''WesternAnimation/DefendersOfTheEarth'' had an episode where an AbsentMindedProfessor accidentally creates a super plant fertilizer that turns him into a plant. The villains plan to conquer Earth by turning humans into plants using the professor's formula.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': The episode "Northwest Mansion Mystery" has the MonsterOfTheWeek turning the party guests into tree-like [[TakenForGranite statues]].
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Twilight Sparkle's PowerIncontinence once resulted in her turning her parents into potted plants.
* The [[WesternAnimation/MGMOneshotCartoons MGM cartoon]] ''The Tree Surgeon'' has the titular surgeon sprouting roots and branches after accidentally poking himself with a syringe meant for a sick tree.
* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'': The shadowy soul-stealing BigBad known as the Beast can turn people into edelwood trees if they're close to death or passing the DespairEventHorizon. He then uses the resulting trees to keep the his [[SoulJar Lantern]] lit.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'': Raphael is turned into a plant in the first episode of Season 3 when the turtles battle The Creep, a mutant plant monster.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/UltimateBookOfSpells'' has Gus and Cassie afflicted with a curse that brings out their ancestry; Cassie slowly turns into a tree, as apparently witches originally came from "witchwood" (though the specifics aren't explained.)
* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'':
** Halfway through the first season, Wirta is changed into a pumpkin by Icy, and Flora spends the rest of the season trying to figure out how to change her back.
** Miss Faragonda is turned into a tree at one point, but she gets better.
* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'': The episode "Demon Seed" features a Haylin Seed turning Jack Spicer, Vlad, and all the Xiaolin Warriors save Raimundo into plains.
[[/folder]]
-----------------------------
