#swallowthorn

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 21 December 2021

Being a female plant Hippophae salicifolia ‘Streetwise’ (sea buckthorn, sallow thorn, swallow thorn, willow thorn) can provide a dramatic autumn and winter display of small, bright orange berries. This large deciduous shrub or small tree has a narrow upright habit, willow-like silvery leaves and thorny shoots.

Swallowthorn

RARITY: ★★☆☆☆ | THREAT: ★★★☆☆ SIZE: Varies from the size of a houseplant to a large shrub.

HABITAT: 

Found in wooded areas, particularly in the deeper parts of the Pines, where patches of swallowthorn growth can make the woods impassable. They can occasionally grow attached to the sides of trees or walls of shallow caves, making it hazardous to lean back without looking first. 

OVERVIEW: 

At first glance, swallowthorns appear to be beautiful, flowery bushes. People are often drawn to them, sometimes finding the way their leaves grow to form a “head” and “body” to be cute. Unfortunately, this is part of what makes them dangerous. Swallowthorns are ravenous creatures that will eat just about any living creature, from beasts and animals to more sentient beings. They have methods of drawing their prey in close and, when someone falls for their trap, will quickly snap their “head” down and open a wide, gaping mouth. Worm-like tendrils then sprout from their mouths, pulling their victim inside. Victims are swallowed whole without any form of chewing. Often, they will be spit out immediately after, but this is not always the case. If a victim is swallowed again immediately after their first trip down a swallowthorn’s gullet, the plant will have adjusted enough not to spit them up again, leaving them to suffocate or be crushed within its branches.

ABILITIES: 

Swallowthorns have a tendency to draw victims in and tempt them to get closer. Some smaller plants do this simply with their cutesy appearance, but others have adapted to grow sweet-smelling buds similar to honeysuckles near their mouths. When someone reaches for the buds, the swallowthorn will strike, swallowing them up.

Their mouths contain hundreds of small worm-like tendrils, which are capable of grabbing individuals to pull them inside a swallowthorn’s mouth. These tendrils are capable of gripping a person very tightly, making it nearly impossible to escape once you’re in their grasp.

Though variable in size, swallowthorns can swallow prey much larger than they are. A swallowthorn the size of a houseplant, for example, is still capable of consuming a smaller humanoid. A larger one can – and will – consume an entire moose if one gets near enough.

WEAKNESSES: 

Swallowthorns are finicky eaters. Oftentimes, they accidentally spit their food back up, still in one piece, immediately after swallowing it. When this happens, they cannot re-swallow their prey unless it falls for the same trap again, allowing many more intelligent beings to escape relatively unscathed (but likely psychologically traumatized) from the experience.

Swallowthorns are stationary and incapable of moving from where they are rooted, so in order to feed, they have to entice prey to come close.

If a swallowthorn does not consume enough victims, it will starve to death. The number of victims it needs to eat varies depending on the size of the plant. A smaller plant may only need to eat once a week or less, but a larger one may need to consume new fuel daily in order to remain alive.

Like most plants, swallowthorns are highly flammable and can be destroyed with fire. This is risky, however, as there is always a chance of the flames spreading to the forest around them.