List of plants of the Edge Chronicles

This article lists the vast array of fictional plantlife found in the Edge Chronicles, a series of young adult books set in a fantasy world created by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. For information on the books themselves, please see the Edge Chronicles main article.

For further information about the fictional world of the Edge, please see the similar article, Animals of the Edge Chronicles.

B

*Bloodoak - Bloodoak is a carnivorous plant that grows to the size of a tree. It resembles a large tree with a gaping maw at its summit filled with many wooden "teeth". It can voluntarily swallow or spit out its prey. It ejects bones, but draws blood to its roots, where young Termagant Trogs drink it as part of their "Blooding Ceremony" which turns them termagent. Bloodoak wood is very strong when dead, but extremely flexible when alive, adding to the sinister animal-like aspect. When burned, it screams violently. Bloodoak co-operates with the similarly mobile Tarry Vine to draw in and consume prey. Bloodoak wood is the most buoyant wood on the Edge. When felling the Bloodoak, the felling party must either "engage" the Tarry Vine or use bait to distract it (a dishonourable approach) Tem Barkwater was used as Tarry Vine bait, before being found by Quint. Steg Jambles is caught and eaten in Clash of the Sky Galleons. Twig is almost devoured by a Bloodoak in Beyond the Deepwoods.
*Bristleweed - It is found in purple clumps among the bones scattered around a Bloodoak (see "Bloodoak" above). It is used to make a tea sold to Twig in "Midnight Over Sanctaphrax" in the Great Shryke Slave Market by a gabtroll that told him it it would help him find himself.

C

*Coppertree - Like the Ironwood tree, and the Leadwood, the copper wood is a non-buoyant tree of the edge wood (probably wieighing as much as copper).

D

*Dellberry - a red berry used in jelly, as this quote from "Stormchaser" clearly shows: "The sun - large and red and wobbling like an immense bowl of dellberry jelly - had just risen above the horizon." It is unknown whether the berries grow on trees or bushes.

H

*Hyleberry - a fruit with healing properties, used often by Woodtrolls.

*Hairy Charlock - a herb with calming properties, a sales-woman of the Great Shryke Market advised Cowlquape Pentepraxis to buy a tea with hairy charlock in it because he seemed nervous.

I

*Ironwood - Obviously the strongest of the woods found on the Edge. Gathered by Woodtrolls and sky pirates. A variety of giant pine, taller than Earth redwoods. The wood of an Ironwood is extremely strong, comparable in strength to iron, and is used to craft the lances of Freeglade Lancers. Stope Boltjaw's artificial jaw is made of ironwood. They grow a branch every 20 years. They can be used as a beacon by stranded sky-sailors because of their flammable sap.

L

*Loafsap - A type of bread which is said to be very filling when eaten, making it able to last for weeks.
*Lullabee - A tree that sings almost hypnotically. Feared by Woodtrolls because its music may confuse or soporify the listener, but a favored haunt of clairvoyant Caterbirds, carnivorous Skullpelts, and wise Oakelves.
*Lufwood - The Lufwood tree is ash-grey and very tall, with a straight trunk devoid of many branches up until the canopy.

Lufwood timber has many unique qualities: it burns with a purple flame, which some find soothing. It is also one of many "buoyant woods" of the Edge, meaning that it becomes lighter than air in certain circumstances and can shoot off like a rocket; therefore it has to be burned in stoves. This attribute has led to certain sky-pirates using the wood in punishments known as "skyfiring": a mutinous person is strapped to a burning piece of Lufwood (or any other buoyant wood) and then released to shoot off into open sky, never to return.

Most buoyant wood is also lighter than usual in normal temperatures, so they are often used in the construction of sky-ships. It is known that Woodtrolls favour Lufwood for use in their stoves and certain rituals.

P

*Pinecoffee Plant - Not much is known about this plant, but in "Midnight Over Sanctaphrax" there is mention of the "familiar" smell of roasted Pinecoffee beans.

R

S

*Sallowdrop- resembles a weeping willow, grows near water.
*Scentwood- A buoyant wood that, when burned, is highly aromatic.
*Spike-bush
*Stinkwood-A wood that is no doubt similar to scentwood, but creates a disgusting smell.
*Sumpwood - Little is known about the tree itself, but Sumpwood is invaluable to Wood-Flight. The wood is silky and golden, and is unique in being the only wood that is buoyant enough to fly without being burned. When coated with Mole-Glue Varnish, it hovers. A valuable component of Skycraft.

T

*Tarry-vine - A type of animalistically mobile creeper, the tarry vine works with the Bloodoak tree to capture prey. It appears to move using liquid pressure. When it is cut, the part that is still connected to the roots will sprout three new vines, much like a hydra. To prevent this from happening you must sear the fresh cut end with flame, also like a hydra.
*Tripweed - A plant eaten primarily by Woodtrolls, but enjoyed by others also. Can be pickled. In "Midnight Over Sanctaphrax", a search of the Undertown boom-docks yields a drinking pit, that serves the cloddertrog favourite of Tripweed Beer. This foul-smelling beverage is fermented with the entrails of dead oozefish, and has an annoying habit of lingering on the breath of drinkers. Quint, Twig, and Rook all hate tripweed.

W

*Weeping Willoak - Similar to the Weeping Willow.
*Woodsap- A large, tasty pear-like fruit. It has dark red skin and golden flesh. Little, if anything, is known about the plant itself.

External links

* [http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/edgechronicles/ Official Random House site]

ee also

*List of animals of the Edge Chronicles