Botanophobia is the extreme, unwarranted and often irrational fear of plants. The word Botanophobia is derived from Greek word ‘botane’ which means grass or pasture, and ‘phobos’ which is Greek for deep aversion or dread. Another possible origin of this word is also from the Greek word Botanikos which means herbs, since some people are only terrified of certain herbs (or herbs under specific conditions/ situations).
To normal people, plants/herbs might seem like odd objects to fear but to people suffering from this phobia, life can become miserable. They live in the constant fear that plants or trees might evolve someday and harm or eat people. Considering the fact that plants are everywhere, the phobics have to go to great lengths to avoid them. Some even refuse to step outdoors owing to their fear. A celebrity with an excessive fear of plants is Christina Ricci who is known to be terrified of houseplants (famously stating they are “dirty”). Plant phobia is also closely linked to Anthophobia which is the fear of flowers, which in turn might be linked to the individual’s fear of wasps, bees or other stinging insects that are attracted to flowers.
Causes of Botanophobia
As with all phobias, the extreme fear of plants might also be linked to an individual’s traumatic episode concerning plants: brush with poison ivy, association of certain types of flowers or plants with the memory of a loved one who has passed, the presence of wreaths and flowers at funerals or simply the memories of a serious injury, illness or allergic reaction resulting plants such as stinging nettles, cacti, thorns of roses etc. All these episodes can trigger Botanophobia in young children. While most kids get over their phobia with age, some continue to suffer way into adulthood.
Another cause of Botanophobia is the superstitious beliefs ingrained in one’s mind about plants. Some cultures talk about plants and trees and their associations with witches, fairies demons and other evil beings that could end up possessing humans. Another, rather modern, superstition concerns plants in hospitals and hospices is that these facilities should not have plants as they might suck out all oxygen from the room harming sick patients. This belief is also based on pseudoscience that plants draw a little oxygen at nighttime –most phobics refuse to acknowledge the fact that plants give out ten times more oxygen in the day than they use up at night.
Another cause of Botanophobia is their possible association with germs/microbes- people with severe germ phobia (Nosophobia) might believe that plants are dirty and cause diseases. Certain plants are actually toxic to humans. In ancient Rome, for example, Strychnine tree’s seeds were used to poison people. Also plants like Poison Ivy also produce allergic reactions on human skin. So the fear’s root could be evolutionary- the brain’s flight or fight response to fearful or harmful situations or things.
Additionally, people with pre-existing anxiety disorders, certain deficiencies or diseases could also suffer from the irrational fear of plants.
Many movies and novels have depicted carnivorous plants harming humans. Examples include the 1978 classic Attack of Killer Tomatoes where tomatoes go on a killing spree, as well as The Little Shop of Horrors (1986) which was the remake of the 1960 movie of the same name. Likewise, the 2008 movie The Ruins (based on novel of the same name) also shows horrifying carnivorous plants in a seriously scary light. Such shows, stories and movies can also trigger Botanophobia in nervous minded or young individuals.
Symptoms of fear of plants phobia
Like any other phobia, the fear of plants phobia can give rise to various psychological and physical symptoms. These include
- Shaking, trembling
- Racing heart and sweaty palms, rapid shallow breathing, dry mouth
- Thoughts of death/dying
- The desire to flee, or run or hide.
- The phobic, in extreme cases, might refuse to step outside for fear of encountering plants. S/he might try everything in their control to limit their contact with plants.
Many plant phobics experience a full blown panic attack at the mere sight or thought of plants which can be embarrassing to them. Some tend to refuse eating vegetables and fruits owing to their fear giving rise to deficiencies. Needless to say, such behavior can also affect personal relationships.
Overcoming and treating Botanophobia
Severe Botanophobia can be threatening to individuals and can greatly impact one’s day to day existence. In such a case, it is essential to get treated with the help of a therapist. There are many drugs available today that can help suppress anxiety symptoms resulting from phobias. But these must be taken under the guidance of the doctor and only for symptomatic relief. For long term cure, it is best to use self help techniques like positive visualization, meditation etc to conquer the fear of plants.
Additionally, treatment options like Cognitive behavior therapy, hypnotherapy, neuro linguistic programming and gradual desensitization etc can also help overcome Botanophobia. These treatment modalities help get to the root of the phobia and erase the anxiety once and for all. Gradual desensitization is especially useful- it is done by exposing the phobic slowly to the object of his fear- in this case plants. Thus, he might be shown pictures of plants or made to touch plants until he is comfortably able to control the anxiety response to his fear of plants for good.
Liliane says
I have had a phobia of common hogweed (and plants that look like it, especially Anjelica) since I was a child. I stumbled on this forum by searching “hogweed phobia” and was surprised (and relieved) to see the number of people quoting a phobia of Giant Hogweed. I knew people could have all kinds of random strange phobias, but I thought I was the only one to fear hogweed as it’s so specific! I’ve only ever seen a Giant Hogweed once safely from afar in the Botanic Garden, but randomly encountering a wild one would be the stuff of a nightmare!
I was only afraid of this one plant as an adult (though I had a phase as a kid when I was afraid of wild sorrel, but this passed quickly). I have no other phobia and cannot recall any traumatic incident, though it may have happened, and I could have forgotten as I grew up in the countryside.
The largest specimen of common hogweed terrifies me enough that I have to stay several meters away (I’m fine as long as to avoid any possibility of contact even if I fall). Luckily, I’m far enough away, and they cut the grass often enough that these are rare. I manage to walk past the average-sized hogweed as long as I avoid touching it, so it’s only a real problem when walking on busy roads with overgrown sides when I have to avoid a passing car.
Thanks for sharing your experiences so we feel less alone in our odd phobias :)
Phil says
I have a kind of subset of botanophobia. I am afraid of anything to do with plant roots when they become visible. I have seen a few posts over the years of other people who have this, but I have not come across a name of categorization for this. If I’d name it, I would call it “radicophobia” – literally fear of roots.
Ahana says
Hi, I’m also scared of plants. Especially leaves, aka phyllophobia. I get extreme anxiety, nervousness, urge to run away when I’m near leaves. My sister brought a fiddle plant to our room, and I just want to cry if I’m anywhere near 3 feet of it.
Kayvon Kamyar says
I have phyllophobia too, but it’s for sycamore leaves and leaves that look like it only.
Malin says
Monstera deliciosa, especially if the leaves are really split with lots of those little holes. Mediterranean cypress trees and spruces standing in a line so it forms like a hedge
H says
My reaction is like with trypophobia – which I guess what I have isn’t even a real phobia itself. When I see an image that triggers my trypophobia, I feel disgusted, itchy and sometimes feel like throwing up. The same thing happens when I see a big, leafy dandilion (I seem to not like serrated leaves), or a plant with too many weird looking leaves in a small amount of space. Big, tropical leaves are not an issue, nor are most plants in general. I like kale and salads but the more chopped up the leaves, the better. Today I opened a container of sage from the store, and this stalk had way too many leaves for my liking, like it was so.. leafy. So I threw most of it away (yes I felt bad about throwing it out) and I have felt itchy and pukey ever since. It tends to be worst before my period.
K says
Oh my god, same here! I’ve had a lifelong phobia of out-of-control dandelions since childhood! Much better about it as an adult, but I will NOT touch one with bare skin. I have also always feared vines, and that fear STILL gets me today. They’re always taking over things, and it’s creepy!
Kayvon Kamyar says
As a man, the phobia just is static.
Calico Calypso says
I always have that fear of vines, ferns, big plants, you name it. People think I’m crazy and they would often joke around about it which is not funny at all. I’ve had a traumatic event when I was a toddler. I pricked my leg on a thorn of some plant but I continued to walk, and the cut run all the way to the ankle. Since then, I just have this reflex to avoid specific plants. It was way worse when I was younger because even grass I didn’t wanna mess around with, but I grew out of some of it, but still have some legit fear of some plants. I remember being in third grade, it was botany class, and my teacher assigned us to bring leaves to evaluate. I brought a leaf that I was okay with, and I was surprised when the majority of my classmates brought ferns. They were all casually examining them while I was having a panic attack and eventually broke down in the middle of the class. The teacher asked me what’s wrong and I admitted the phobia that I have and they all laughed at it, not believing me at all. Even my friends used the plants to bribe me to their advantage. During my agriculture class in 5th grade, my parents had to talk to my teacher about my condition, and they just made me clean the tools, which I’m okay with. During the entirety of high school, I never told anyone about my condition for fear of bullying, so I just hid everything from them and did not make all my panic attacks obvious. One day, my best friend brought in an elephant ear leaf and used it as a fan, and they even fanned it to me. I appreciated the offer but I still couldn’t get enough air because I was already hyperventilating without them even noticing. I also once dreamt that I was trapped in my house wrapped in extraordinarily growing vines and it was only a matter of minutes before it got to me. I woke up bathing in sweat and trembling. Botanophobia has had a very big impact on my life, missing out on a lot of things because of a single plant, enduring the bullying that I received, and wondering if I was the only one. Glad to know I’m not.
Kayvon Kamyar says
I never got bullied, and my school has none of the trigger leaves, but I have phyllophobia and have a fear of sycamore leaves and leaves that look like it.
K says
Omg, I have an irrational fear of vines, and wild grape vines are one of the worst for me, and they have a VERY similar shape! I’m okay with them on a tree, but they remind me so much of vine leaves that I get creeped out because it’s made me start thinking about vines.
Kayvon Kamyar says
Grape vine leaves are included in my Phyllophobia, which is the fear of leaves specifically. I believe my Phyllophobia was started by either the iOS 4 maple leaf emoji or a Curious George episode that said, “3 leaves, let it be,” which was supposed to be for poison ivy.
K says
Wow, I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been going through this! I have a massive phobia of vines specifically and for no rational reason. I’m okay with plants that grow predictably (like ferns), but vines are like an unstoppable monster that engulfs anything in its path. So you are not alone!
Cathy says
I am so relieved to hear there are others like me. I really don’t like any plants but if I ignore them, I can be ok. But if one accidentally touches me, I totally freak out. The worst are viney things like ivy with little suckers on their branches. My yard got invaded by ivy that killed several rose bushes. Then I noticed it was winding it’s way around the railing to my back door. When I came home from work, I forgot about it and I grabbed the railing and the beast had grown a couple inches during the day. I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it into the house. The top part wasn’t attached yet and it was swaying in the breeze. Now I found out there is Japanese knotweed by the side and back of my garage. I thought they were bamboo but not in NE part of the country. These things are virtually impossible to kill and spread through their roots. There’s some pesticide you inject into the plant and it has killed the treated ones but new ones keep popping up and grew 36 inches in a couple days. I am so horrified. Of all people it had to invade, it had to be me who’s terrified of them.
Calico Calypso says
You don’t understand how I relate to you on a spiritual level. Vines are the bane of my existence.
K says
Oh my god, you have perfectly captured how I also feel about vines. Like, I know that they can’t actually harm me, but they are creepy, disgusting, unstoppable and actually harmful to other plants!
john mitchell says
I was afraid of giant hogweed as a child and lesser common hogweed and rhubarb. I’m also diagnosed with Aspergers.
Pete says
I have a panic fear of weeds, and to be precise, it is milk thistle, burdock and blue cornflower. I am very much afraid of them and have been for as long as I remember, but I cannot explain the occurrence of the phobia because I did not have any incidents.
K says
That’s exactly how I’ve always been about huge dandelions and vines!
Alpha says
I am afraid of taro leaves. I don’t know why but I am only afraid of these leaves and when I see them, surprisingly, my heartbeat rises and I want to die.
Purvi patel says
I also have the same issue with taro leaves.
Di_p says
I have the same problem with taro leaves and all plants with leaves of similar shape. I see a face in the leaf and it gives me anxiety, palpitations, feelings of death and makes me want to run, hide and lock myself up in a concrete cell. Only to imagine the trees growing inside the cell and coming at me!
Pb says
Omg! I am horrified of taro leaves, elephant ears, philodendrons, burdock, basically any heart shaped leaf. It’s so miserable. I’m relieved to see there are others like me!
Golet says
Taro, hogweed, burdock, monstera, rhubarb, anything with giant leaves. You name it, I fear it. I also do not remember any triggering incident in my childhood.
Dylan says
Cucumber leaves can be creepy, and tobacco leaves are spooky too.
K says
I’m so happy that I stumbled across this forum because my whole life, I felt so ridiculous and alone feeling this EXACT SAME WAY about vines and weeds!
K says
That’s exactly how I feel about vines! I didn’t know what taro leaves looked like and just did a search, and I agree. They are, for some reason, repulsive, and I can’t explain why!
Janice says
I am afraid of plants especially climbing vine, houseplants. I feel very uncomfortable when I see pot plants growing indoors. However, I feel less uncomfortable if I see the same plant growing outdoors and I am ok with trees and grass.
Laura says
I have a BIG fear of all plants. Plants that move, are hairy and can grow really tall. Trees and grass i’m okay with but other things i can’t stand. I’m also afraid of flowers. Mostly Sunflowers they are the most scariest things ever. My fear of flowers are calming down though. But every now and then i have a panic attack about them. Also you know those weed looking things that grow out of potatoes and other things (tomatoes, apples, lots of things like that) i can’t take them. They just come right out of them. It’s really hard. My friend just thinks it’s a joke, but it’s really hard for me. I have so many phobias. It’s so weird. I really don’t understand why i’m so afraid of them?
K says
I totally feel you, friend! My former roommate left a sweet potato in the back of our pantry for almost a year, and it looked like the Kraken when I discovered it, and I felt like I was going to die. It was so disgusting! It’s crazy how irrational our phobia is but also good to know we aren’t alone!
Sara says
I am terribly scared of plant roots or plant bodies with these small hairs. I don’t think they will hurt me or anything but the thought of it touching me makes me so scared and disgusted, I’m not sure why… I don’t mind flowers or leaves, I can touch them with no problem. I love nature, so I often do hikes and go into the wilderness. Good for me roots are underground… But things like orchids freak me out, my mother in law has dozens of pots with them and… Just to look at them gives me chills sometimes, these roots are full of hairs too. Yucks.
Darren says
Have a fear of…..big leaves! Really freak me out. Cannot go near them without the fear they are going to cover or trap me. Guess I know I the name of my phobia now!
Anyone else have this?
Leanne Walker says
I have a fear of tropical plant/trees and plants/trees with big leaves!
It really impacts my life and causes anxiety and panic attacks when I’m forced to go near them.
I can go to some strange and incredible lengths to avoid them.
I have occasionally refused to go into a place if its so filled with them that it is impossible to avoid them! And as such it has impacted my family life.
I think it was derived from the tv and films of the late 1960’s and 1970’s onwards. My mum also thinks that this is the case.
Stephen says
I was very scared of big leaves when i was younger, especially elephant ear plants, but now i no longer fear big leaves even though i still get slightly uneasy. So touching them has helped.
Joe K says
I’m not sure if I have a minor form of this or not, but I really can’t stand the thought of giant weeds or mushroom mycelium networks. Anything else is fine like tall grass, rose bushes, raspberry bushes, stinging nettle, and even poison ivy, but giant weeds like ragweed and plants I’m not framiliar with just make me really uncomfortable.
K says
YES, SAME HERE! It’s something about the unpredictability and then creeping up in places where they don’t belong and just taking over. I get especially uneasy about out-of-control wild vines.
ShepardRahl says
I have this phobia to a fairly serious degree. I don’t like to touch plants at all. If a plant so much as grazes my bare skin I have a near freak out. If I need to work with small plants like to cut down a vine or something I need to be completely covered head to toe and wearing gloves so nothing touches me. Big plants I won’t go anywhere near. Except trees. They don’t bother me. But stuff like tall thick weeds, huge sunflowers, stuff like that I won’t go anywhere near. Even being completely covered. I know why I’m like this. When I was a child (before 10…I’m 36 now) I saw an old movie called Day of the Triffids. It’s a movie about human sized mutant plants with long tongues with stingers that instantly kill you. I didn’t notice any effect at the time, but shortly afterwards I started to become anxious around plants. When I was a teenager I tried to go hunting with my uncle, but had to leave shortly afterwards because I couldn’t make it 20 feet into the forest. It was embarrassing. I’ve had to live with this my whole life. My family knows, but it’s not something I broadcast. The sentence about living in the constant fear that plants might evolve someday and harm or eat people pertains specifically to me. I know there are plants that can move quickly as a reaction. Just thinking about it makes my chest tighten.
Betty Jo Burchett says
You and I are a lot alike. Trees and grass is about it for me the majority of my life. I pushed myself over the years to get over it once I realized my own children were becoming scared like I was. Now I can handle a lot more. Big leaves, hairy and things that vine or move (fly traps) I completely lose it still. But now touching herbs and tomato plants stuff like that I’m ok with. Ok is an iffy word btw. Try breathing through it. I’ve found nice deep breaths and don’t move to touch it until you are calmed down. Took me a couple of hours at some points to do it. But the more I did the better I got at it. The fear doesn’t go away at all. It just becomes easier to control it. Believe me, I still freak out big time if someone spooks me or it moves with the wind. Good luck and breathe through it is the best I can tell you.
K says
I feel the same! Any plants that are predictable, uniform, and growing where they were deliberately meant to grow are fine. But huge weeds and vines that get wild and out of control and take over places make me want to die. Even when it’s just one small dandelion, I know what it will become in a few weeks.
kylie says
Moss. I wont breathe, walk or eat/drink anything near moss. If I so much as go near 20 feet of moss, I have to take a shower. I find it disgusting. Its affecting my life.. I dont know why people need to use it to decorate.
Heralda Tambunan says
I have a fear of plants. Specifically flowers. It’s mainly caused by my fear of insects that often go near plants like bees, worms, etc. I’ve had that fear for almost 5 or 6 years now. It gradually turned from being afraid to go near to them, to being afraid to look at them.
One time I was in a car and there were like 5 pots of thorny plants everywhere. Since it was dark I didn’t realize there was any in the car. I was on the very left side of the car. As I turned to my right to talk to my mother, I noticed a pink object behind her. When I realized it was a huge plant, probably 3 and a half feet tall, I immediately freaked out and almost had a panic attack in the car. I looked behind me to find 4 more pots sitting there. I immediately took deep breaths and counted from 1 to 100 while holding the door handle of the car. This reassured my that if the plant was to attack someone, I would still be able to get out and live.
Every time I’m near a plant or bush, I immediately start thinking they might stab me with their thorns, or magically start attacking me in some way.
Chippy says
I pulled an enormous weed that was growing in my yard today and then had to go back into the house to sit down. Small weeds seem to be okay but this was one was really tall and it freaked me out.
K says
I need to go back inside and sit down after reading this LOL. I totally feel you!
JohnMe says
I have this phobia. I am not afraid of all of the plants though. The big ones scare me. Big leafs are horrible, and big flowers. I absolutely hate them, even the sound they make in the wind i find it irritating.
Monika says
Hello JohnME.. I am an artist and I am making a video about plants.. Do you think, that you can send me some of your experiences? Your feeling about plants, what do you feel, how do they scare you… It would really help me. I do have the same feeling sometimes but I never met anyone who would tell me more about it.. That is why I am trying to express all those feelings in the video. Thank you for your answer Monika
Paul says
I’m the same way! I’m terrified of large leaves, especially from plants like rhubarb, burdock or any type of taro plant