Fungi

Fungi are a class of magical and mundane flora in the Wizarding World. They are a significant subject of study in Herbology, alongside magical plants, and are catalogued in textbooks such as One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. While many fungi possess magical properties and are primarily used as Potion ingredients, non-magical varieties also exist and are used as food. Students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry learn to identify and handle various fungi as part of their curriculum.

The canonical novels describe a few types of fungi, though rarely by a specific name. The wider franchise, particularly video games, has expanded on the varieties available.

• Luminescent Fungi: In the Forbidden Forest, certain fungus-like growths on mossy tree stumps are described as emitting an eerie, bluish light. These fungi illuminated the dark paths for Harry Potter and Ron Weasley when they followed the spiders into the forest.
• Parasitic Fungi: The drawing room of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place was infested with “odd, fleshy-looking fungi” growing on the ceiling, which seemed to thrive in the light of a serpent-shaped candelabra.
• Mundane Mushrooms: Common, edible mushrooms are part of the wizarding diet. Hermione Granger notably gathered and cooked wild mushrooms for herself, Harry, and Ron while they were on the run and camping across the country during their hunt for Horcruxes.
• Jumping Toadstools: These fungi are known to leap and jump, making them difficult to handle. (Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery)
• Leaping Toadstools: A type of fungi that can be grown by wizards or found in the wild. They are a known Potion ingredient. (Hogwarts Legacy)

The primary role of magical fungi in the wizarding community is as ingredients in Potions. The existence of the textbook One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi suggests a wide range of applications, though the novels do not specify many potions that explicitly require a fungus. Students at Hogwarts learn about these organisms in Herbology class, where they would presumably learn to identify, cultivate, and harvest them safely. Additionally, non-magical fungi serve as a common food source within the Wizarding World.

While the original novels provide limited detail on specific fungi, they are more prominent in other media, where their role as potion ingredients is more explicitly shown.

• In the Harry Potter films, various unidentified fungi and mushrooms are often seen as set dressing in locations like Severus Snape's storeroom, the Potions Classroom, and the Hogwarts greenhouses, visually reinforcing their importance as magical ingredients.
• The video game Hogwarts Legacy allows the player to find and use Leaping Toadstools as a potion ingredient. They can be found in woodland areas or grown in the Room of Requirement.
• The mobile game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery also features Jumping Toadstools and other fungi as collectible ingredients for various potions taught in class.