I mean, they generate the oxygen we breathe, synthesize the glucose we eat, and make our world an amazing place to live in. The Pokémon world is no different. Except their plants are often sentient, and not quite as stuck to the ground as ours. Once again, the Pokémon universe proves that just a bit more magic in our world would make our lives vastly more interesting. Despite having evolved from their inert counterparts, plant styled Pokémon retain many of their original characteristics. And they often inhabit areas densely populated by plants such as forests and swamps, like the nature spirits of myth. If you’re looking to get in contact with nature and surround yourself with leafy friends in your team, well then our ranking of the best plant Pokémon is sure to give you an idea of what you may want to add onto your team during your next journey.
25. Lileep
At first glance, you’d be forgiven for not identifying Lileep as a plant. However, given this creature is reconstructed from the DNA in the Root Fossil from Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire, there’s no doubt about it in my mind. Things were much different back when giant Sea Lily Pokémon like Lileep populated the bottom of the ocean. So much so that it’d be a completely alien planet for modern lifeforms, just as this Rock/Grass-type looks so alien to me.
24. Cherrim
Known as the Blossom Pokémon for its ability to change forms once it blooms, Cherrim is both among the cutest and most plant-like of all Pokémon. Whereas the average Grass-type is an animal with plants growing on it or a plant frozen in a stage of its developmental cycle, Cherrim acts like a live flower. It protects itself from preying birds and bugs in its Overcast form. But once the weather turns sunny it blooms and graces the world with one of the cutest, brightest designs in Pokémon history. This process also powers up the rest of the party thanks to the Flower Gift ability.
23. Jumpluff
While Jumpluff may very well look like it’s 50% cotton, don’t be fooled here. It’s known as the Cottonweed Pokémon just from looks but it’s much stronger than you’d think. And shearing its soft balls of cotton-ish material certainly won’t help you make a shirt. This grass-type is the final form of the super-cute Hoppip, found all over the Johto realm at different times of the year, mostly thanks to the seasonal winds in the region. You never know where a Jumpluff has been before! In combat, this buoyant fellow excels at speed and provides many utility moves that you may find useful if you’re adamant about having it in your party.
22. Eldegoss
It often comes as a surprise for the uninformed that the vital commodity we know as cotton comes from a plant. If it came from a creature as cute as Eldegoss, things would be considerably different. As the Cotton Bloom Pokémon, Eldegoss is valued in the Galar region both for its remarkably nutritious seeds – which it shares with others by letting them fly away with the wind – and its super-soft cotton, which can be spun into premium quality yarn. In battle, Eldegoss shines for its excellent defense and some interesting abilities such as Regenerator, which heals it a bit after being withdrawn. Another valuable ability is Cotton Down which can decrease an opponent’s speed after it hits Eldegoss.
21. Carnivine
While most plant Pokémon can be difficult to raise in environments without the best lighting, Carnivine will forego all light in favor of tasty flesh morsels. Not only that, but this little Pokémon will take care of any annoying bug-themed pests that mess with your peace and harmony. Your friends will also be very curious as to where you got such a good reproduction of the carnivore plant from 1986’s Little Shop of Horrors. Just make sure you keep it happy, because thanks to its Levitate ability there’ll be no escaping from its sharp teeth once you get on its bad side.
20. Tropius
If we’re talking about useful plant Pokémon to keep around then we can’t ignore Tropius. This Grass/Flying dual-type will keep you fed and fighting strong as long as you keep it happy and healthy. The bananas that grow from its head are incredibly nutritious and sweet. They have to be a perfect snack after an afternoon of training(not that I’d know). You may find it a bit weird that it likes to eat its own fruit, but you know what they say: You are what you eat.
19. Vileplume
Not all tropical plants are good for eating… or anything positive, really. That’s the case with Vileplume, one of Gloom’s final evolutions along with Bellosom. While the latter is a cute dancing flowery thing, Vileplume goes about things in a very different way. This Grass/Poison mix is based on the Amorphophallus Titanium, also known as the “Corpse Flower” for its nauseating and pervasive carrion smell. How delightful. Now despite having the largest petals in the Pokémon world, I wouldn’t say Vileplume is a “pretty” flower by any means. This monster can be vicious with spores that may induce paralysis, sleep, or poison on almost any enemy.
18. Tangrowth
I was very glad to see an OG Pokémon like Tangela get an evolution in Generation IV. Tangrowth may not have the most creative design, which is essentially a larger Tangela. But it’s cute and oddly appropriate as a new evolution. Caring for a Tangrowth may be a challenge for novice gardeners, as warmer seasons that provide more sunlight inevitably lead to it becoming buried in its own vines… which you’ll have to trim. Other than helping it grow, intense sunlight will also make it faster thanks to its Chlorophyll ability. So this is a plant monster you’ll want to build a strategy around in battle.
17. Sunflora
If you ever played Plants vs. Zombies(the famous Tower Defense/Gardening simulator) then you’re bound to like the next entry in my list. Sunflora is, for all intents and purposes, a sentient sunflower with a smiley face and a lot of power. It evolves from Sunkern once the little fella is exposed to a Sun Stone – no surprises there. And it will continue seeking out the sun long after it evolves. This behavior has earned it the title of the Sun Pokémon. In combat this gen 2 Grass-type has excellent Sp. Attack, which will increase even further in sunshine thanks to its Solar Power ability.
16. Cacturne
Despite the Pokédex referring to Cacturne as the Scarecrow Pokémon, it’s evident that Cacturne is really just a scary-shaped cactus. This Grass/Dark dual-type from gen 3 is the final form of the round-faced Cacnea. And you can find it standing still in arid climates to preserve moisture inside it. If you see one or more of these guys while traveling the desert, be very careful. Especially if it hasn’t rained in a while. These Pokémon will leave their unmoving state and work in teams to assault caravans and steal their water in order to survive a drought.
15. Whimsicott
No matter how hard they try, Jumpluff and Eldegoss will never be the best cotton Pokémon compared to Whimsicott. This adorable Grass/Fairy dual-type was introduced in gen 5 as Cottonee’s final form. Thanks to its small frame and detachable fluff, Whimsicott can both fly with the wind and slip through the tiniest cracks. Don’t be surprised to find one inside your cottage on a cold night. Or to see your car buried in cotton remains after a pack of Whimsicott swiftly pass through town.
14. Bellossom
We’re now several spots above Vileplume and we come to Bellossom. I think this little guy must be proudly performing a dance of victory as the superior Gloom evolution. It may be harsh, but it’s hard not to see how a cute, amiable, flowery Hawaiian dancer might be better than a poisonous abomination. Even if Vileplume may be stronger in battle. While Bellossom boasts pretty solid stats overall for getting through single-player games, don’t expect Bellossom to do much in a truly competitive situation. Its place is really on a stage, bringing happiness to the hearts of its audience.
13. Dhelmise
Surprised to see an old, rusty anchor from a wreckage in a plant-like Pokémon ranking? Well think again. Despite evidently being some sort of spooky sea-ghost, what’s haunted here isn’t the anchor itself. But ather the seaweed that has attached itself to this monster. This Pokémon is like a Hermit Crab of sorts. But instead of repurposing shells it salvages anchors and uses them as a weapon. Interesting concept, right? Thanks to this heavyp piece of metal, Dhelmise can prey on creatures as big and strong as Wailord by weighing them down. Just don’t ask me how it “eats” its prey. I’m too scared to find out.
12. Meganium
Despite there being a wide array of Grass starters in the Pokémon franchise, most of them are animal-like with some sort of plant characteristic. Only Chikorita, the cutest of them all, can be considered a veritable plant – a Japanese daikon radish, to be exact. Meganium is Chikorita’s final form, a beautiful flower that somehow avoided getting chopped and pickled in its infancy and went on to become an incredibly powerful Pokémon. According to the Pokédex, this creature emits a calming smell and its breath can bring dead patches of land back to life. Maybe you should take that one old radish from the fridge and put it in soil. You never know!
11. Roserade
Ever since it was first introduced in generation III, Roselia was widely loved by fans for its beautiful design and graceful personality. When it received a new evolution in Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, everyone went crazy by creating fanart and loving Roserade to death. And it’s easy to see why the fandom always had a soft spot for the Bouquet Pokémon. I mean, it has beautiful bouquets for hands! That must be inconvenient but it’s a small price to pay for being committed to beauty. That said, these flowery hands do come in handy in the wilds. This is where Roserade attracts prey with their sweet smell before trapping them with the thorny whips hiding among the flowers.
10. Gourgeist
People have been carving pumpkins ever since the Irish brought the tradition of Jack O’Lanterns to America. And in the Pokémon world, this ghostly character came to life in the form of Gourgeist. While this Ghost/Grass-type is known for reaching insanely big sizes, it has some other features too. But because of its size these guys are often entered into contests similar to those carried out in Pumpkin Festivals all over the Western world. Despite them living in harmony with their trainers and people of the Pokémon world, Gourgeist are known to sing in eerie voices at times. Which people believe to belong to spirits suffering in the afterlife. Talk about spooky.
9. Victreebel
Among the most notorious and memorable plant-like Pokémon in the original 151 is Victreebel, the Flycatcher Pokémon. Much like Carnivine, this Grass/Poison type relies on catching prey rather than photosynthesis as its primary source of nourishment. It’s based on real-world pitcher plants which use a sweet scent and slippery inner walls to make small insects fall into its digestive juices. Gourgeist may be spooky, but Victreebel is a downright horror for anyone fond of bug type creatures.
8. Maractus
If you ever find yourself lost in an arid environment of the Unova region and see a cactus dancing in the distance, don’t assume it’s just a mirage due to dehydration. It may simply be a Maractus, which might be your only hope of surviving the desert. Unlike Cacturne, this spiky Grass-type cutie won’t try to murder you for your water. If anything, it may try to help you out of a hopeless situation by letting you eat its seeds, which are precious food for desert-dwelling tribes and Pokémon.
7. Lilligant
Another cute doll-like plant Pokémon is Lilligant, the final form of the already adorable Petilil. This really well-designed grass monster is notorious for its incredible beauty and elegance. Which has made it very popular among celebrities in the Pokémon universe. Even other Pokémon are swayed by this cutie’s grace. It takes an expert trainer offering lots of care to make the flower on its head bloom. Will you be the one to crown one in your own team?
6. Tsareena
While Lilligant may need human intervention to achieve its maximum potential, there are other self-made monarchs in the Pokémon kingdom. For a Tsareena to be born, a council of Bounsweet belonging to the same colony must choose one among themselves who’ll ascend to the throne and rule over them. From that point onward this grass-type head of state will defend its colony with its powerful kicks until its dying breath. With great power comes great responsibility.
5. Fomantis
Known as the Sickle Grass Pokémon, this generation VII grass-type is one of the smallest, cutest things the Alolan plant world has to offer. During the day, all it does is hang around in the sunlight, soaking it up and storing energy for evolution. During the night you’ll be hard-pressed to find one doing anything other than sleeping. It doesn’t get much more plant-like than that! And like a baby, the tip of its head emits a pleasant aroma while it photosynthesizes. Well… maybe not exactly like a baby, but still a nice effect.
4. Alolan Exeggutor
According to Alolan natives, their regional version of Exeggutor is how the Pokémon should look when raised under the most favorable circumstances. And I’m inclined to agree. Unlike the chunky and unappealing international species we remember from Kanto, the Alolan Exeggutor stands tall with the spirit of a dragon giving it a glorious form. This Grass/Dragon dual-type beast can only evolve from Exeggcute when exposed to a Leaf Stone while in Alola. Also where the sun is intense and the temperatures ideal for a tropical plant like this fella.
3. Sudowoodo
Who doesn’t remember this troublesome dude from gen 2? Yes, it may only look like a tree. But I’ll be damned if this Rock-type Pokémon isn’t also considered a plant. I mean, it fooled us all at first and required a damn squirtbottle to move. For those of you who don’t know, Sudowoodo is found blocking paths in inconvenient locations in both Johto and Hoenn, looking very similar to trees you’d use Cut on to remove. But it’s not a cuttable tree, is it? I can’t begin to imagine how much my Raticate must have hurt its teeth trying to cut into stone.
2. Trevenant
In D&D they call them Treants, in LotR they’re known as Ents. Sentient trees protect magical forests all over fantasy lands. And the Pokémon universe is no exception. Known as the Elder Tree Pokémon, this Ghost/Grass creature roams the forests of the Kalos region, protecting them from any and all aggression. Their vicious nature and outright malevolent look is the reason lumberjacks from the region never get to work without a Fire-type Pokémon by their side.
1. Lurantis
Now if you’re searching for the single most amazing plant themed Pokémon in all of Arceus’ creation, you need look no further than Lurantis. After Fomantis soaks up enough energy it evolves into the most gracious of beings. Lurantis is a sharp and leafy Pokémon reminiscent of an elegant Japanese lady wearing a traditional kimono. But so much grace and elegance doesn’t come easily, and Lurantis expects its Trainer to put in the same effort into their crafts as it does into being the best Pokémon it can be. Are you up to the task?
