It’s time for the Peculiar Plants community challenge wrap up! Check out the best pieces from this awesome community to inspire your own worldbuilding!
What was Peculiar Plants about?
In March 2021 we ran a worldbuilding challenge for our community about… you guessed it, plants! Plants make a world feel more alive, and it’s an often-forgotten detail! So we teamed up with our friends at Kobold Press, and 200 people submitted amazing entries about peculiar plants in their worlds. Let’s look at the best entries, chosen by Kobold Press, and what the judges had to say about them!
Standard League awards for Peculiar Plants
The Standard League is for everyone who hasn’t won a World Anvil challenge before. Winners shift up to the Premiere League, where they compete with one another at a whole new level! This means we can keep having new Standard League winners without people feeling intimidated by people who’ve won often before. Here are our honorable mentions and winners for the Peculiar Plants Standard League.
Most creative: Mizarin Nightlight by kefkejaco
“I absolutely loved the symbiotic relationship between the plants and the people. The addition of the Lightwalkers was a lot of fun and what made this article stand out.”
The reproductive methods of this plant is what stands out from this article —they basically create walking intelligent seeds called Lightwalkers! It also explains the uses of this plant (including military applications), and how it’s see in culture and religion too. Check out Mizarin Nightlight!
Technical Achievement: Royal Thistle by MaybeStewartArtist
“The design and layout of this article is beautiful. It is easy to read and follow.”
Looks like a mundane plant, but it has so many different uses! From medical treatment to divination and scrying. And the article itself has a great and clear layout, to make sure it’s as easy to read as possible. Check out Royal Thistle!
Runner-up: Digivine by exetremepsi
“The little details are what made this article such a delight to read. The memos were a wonderful touch. Well done.”
The Digivine has integrated organic solar panels. Yep, you heard that right —talk about green energy! The article details many different aspects of this plant, and even contains messages written by different researchers about the plant, which makes it feel part of a real living world. Check out Digivine!
Winner: Zare Masni by thechangeling
“The Zare Masni are a delightful and thorough plant species. This article is well thought out and executed. The beautiful illustrations are icing on the cake.”
It’s cute golem time! And powerful too, sure, but take a look at the art and you’ll know what I mean. It’s a really well-written article with in-depth descriptions that really make you want to live in this world. Check out Zare Masni! And congratulations to thechangeling, who has now entered the Premier League!
Premier League Awards for Peculiar Plants
All users who win a challenge are promoted to the Premier League, where they compete against each other. These were the best Premier league entries and honorable mentions for the Peculiar Plants challenge!
Most Creative: The Immortal Fey Flower by DinosaurBob
“Loved the inclusion of speak with plants section. That was unique in all of the submissions I read. It is a lovely sentiment.”
This is a flower with great religious meaning, since it grows from the hearts of deceased Fey. It’s has a really cool section explaining how the flower talks to people who can speak with plants —reading about the personality of inanimate plants is really fun! Check out The Immortal Feyflower!
Technical Achievement: Star Mushroom by SableAradia
“This article has an excellent layout. It is easy to read, and contains interesting side panels. Well done.”
This is a very detailed article about a species of mushroom that can be used as a drug, but also to dissipate harmful radiation, which is pretty useful in a sci-fi setting! The article has several reference images, and even an interactive chart so you can learn about each individual part of the mushroom! Check out Star Mushroom!
Runner-up: Drowning Lily by Serukis
“The addition of folktales made this article pop. Well done.”
That’s a pretty scary plant, if those folktales are to be believed. Details like its symbiosis with a species of spiders, cultural notes, and a folktale really make this article feel like a seamless part of the world. Check out Drowning Lily!
Winner: Sonosap Willow by Stormbril
“While I enjoyed everything about this article, I particularly loved the cultural role this plant holds. Generational memories stored in a tree is a wonderful concept.”
Looking for truly peculiar plants? What about a tree that stores memories? That’s the Sonosap Willow! It’s a beautiful concept for a plant species, and the result is truly awesome. You can even click the tree to hear a sample of stored memories! Check out Sonosap Willow!
Reading these articles was so inspiring! Which one was your favorite? Make sure to check these tips for making plants and create your World Anvil account to develop your own fictional plants and take part in our challenges!
Looking for more inspiration? We created three videos to help inspire you to create your own fictional plants! Watch them below or on our Youtube channel!
