Strange Horticulture is easiest to solve when you treat every request as a chain of evidence: customer wording, plant book clue, microscope note, map coordinate, and story consequence. The game rarely asks you to guess blindly. When it feels unfair, the missing piece is usually a card you have not overlaid, a Bryer’s Disk symbol you have not followed, a letter you forgot to archive, or a plant you have not labeled yet.
This walkthrough is built for players who want a complete route without flattening the whole game into a spreadsheet. It covers the daily card answers, the important day-by-day blockers, missable choices, elixirs, the final ritual plants, all eight ending routes, and the achievement cleanup path. It assumes the main PC/Steam version of the game and cross-checks the puzzle route against current readable walkthrough and plant-location references. If you are playing a later mobile or console build and a customer appears in a slightly different order, follow the same plant logic and day choice rules.
How To Use This Walkthrough
Strange Horticulture autosaves at the start of each day and lets you reload later, so the cleanest completion route is not to make one perfect permanent save. Play normally, keep notes, then reload Day 15 or Day 16 for alternate endings once the required branches are open. If you want the no-hint achievement, do not press the hint button at all; external notes and your own labels are safe.
| Habit | Why It Matters | Practical Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Label every confirmed plant | Later customers often use old names, Latin names, effects, or nicknames. | Use labels immediately after a correct hand-in or confirmed map pickup. |
| Water before exploring | Extra Will to Explore makes it possible to collect optional and ending plants on time. | When several clue cards are waiting, water shelves before ringing the bell again. |
| Archive solved notes | Daily cards, letters, disks, and hidden text can stack into visual clutter. | Once a coordinate is resolved, file the note but keep story-choice items accessible. |
| Use the microscope | Many plants share color or shape, while the inspection note confirms scent, leaf texture, or spores. | When two candidates look similar, inspect both before serving. |
| Separate “plant name” from “plant effect” | Customers may ask for Apis Demissus, Truthsayer, Pixie-Lamp, Goldenlight, or Corpse’s Friend. | Cross-reference Latin names, aliases, and lore effects instead of relying on the visible label only. |
Daily Card Quick Answers
Daily Cards start on Day 2. The table gives the answer first, then the reasoning you can use if you want to solve the clue honestly. Several rewards matter later, especially Red Abony, Long Verecund, Widow’s Woe, Devil’s Nightcap, and Swiftsnare.
| Day | Card Clue | Go To | Reasoning | Reward / Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No Daily Card | None | The card sequence begins after the first day. | Use the day to label starter plants and solve the first letters. |
| 2 | Row H, the third river | H11 | Count rivers crossing row H from west to east. | Gilded Dendra. |
| 3 | North, east, west, south | E17 | Draw imaginary boundary lines from the named places. | Candlewood and Thum. |
| 4 | X on a torn card | N6 | Fit the torn card edge against the map and use the X. | Twilight Lepiota and Aguria. |
| 5 | Castle northwest of the abbey, then three east | B4 | The castle is Egremont Castle at B1; move three squares east. | Royal Gentia. |
| 6 | The Old Man of Coniston | O17 | Follow the river south from Coniston Water to the fork. | Solomon’s Sceptre and Bella Nox. |
| 7 | Five miles south of the tallest but one | I14 | The second-tallest mountain is Bowfell at D14; move five south. | Red Abony, used to activate the viewing device. |
| 8 | Lowick to Illgill Head, Foxfield to Crinkle Crags | I13 | The two route lines intersect at I13. | Long Verecund and Prittle. |
| 9 | Capitalized words in the Tebay verse | F31 | Start at Tebay and follow N, E, S, S, W, S, S. | Palliance and Cauldery. |
| 10 | Blank card | K11 | Use the Red Abony-powered viewing device to reveal hidden text. | Embersoul. |
| 11 | Three punch holes with 902 and 803 | E16 | Align the holes with Bowfell and the Old Man mountain heights. | Sour Bandy. |
| 12 | Truthsayer and lucky Caballia | L7 | Truthsayer is Lisle of Neptune, and lucky Caballia has seven petals. | Trimblehuff and Evulum. |
| 13 | Endmoor, Raven, Spider | H25 | Use Bryer’s Disk on Endmoor, follow Raven, then recenter and follow Spider. | Sheepsnap and Burdum. |
| 14 | Strange Oak, eight east | E11 | The coin identifies the tree as Gosforth; move eight squares east. | Poliscus and Demmel. |
| 15 | Decay / west of White Scar | P29 | Read the reversed text on the card and go west of White Scar by the river. | Devil’s Nightcap. |
| 16 | East of the castle, across river and pass | K31 | The intended castle is Sizergh; trace the route east through the river and pass. | Swiftsnare, required for ritual and control endings. |
Day-By-Day Walkthrough Route
This section focuses on progression blockers, missable branches, and plants you must not forget. It does not list every ordinary customer hand-in unless the plant affects an ending, an achievement, or a later puzzle.
Day 1: Learn The Desk And Collect Early Plants
Visit Ambleside Library at C20 after Simone’s letter to gain important book entries. From Amos Duncan’s first letter, go to G5 for Lady of Summer. Check the drawer note and travel to M21 for Storian. Storian is more than a random poison plant: it can later be used in the Burbidge murder route, so label it clearly.
For customer requests, remember that St. John’s Poppy, Forest Camphry, Lemon Dandy, and Wandering Bue are starter-shelf logic tests. Use the microscope when the book description alone is too vague. If you are chasing Back from the Brink, Day 1 is a low-risk time to intentionally make mistakes, fill Rising Dread, and solve the recovery puzzle.
Day 2: Mines, The Sisterhood, And The Burbidge Choice
The first Daily Card gives Gilded Dendra at H11. Isidore Burbidge asks for Apis Demissus; that is Gandyroot. Amos’s Hard Knott letter sends you to the mine at F13, but the gate needs Clavilium. Once opened, collect Bishop’s Parasol, Glowhorn, and Fool’s Midnight.
Bethany Coleman can draw you into the Sisterhood route. Give Mary’s Breath, then visit J17 and use Ren to investigate. This gives useful future plants and keeps the plot moving. Burbidge returns later in the day; giving Butterdale calms his complaint, while giving Meakdew sets up the Extreme Consequences achievement on Day 5.
Day 3: Great Gable, Common Trouse, And The First Ending Seed
The card answer is E17 for Candlewood and Thum. Amos’s Great Gable clue sends you to A13, where you need Brimlock to withstand the cold and obtain Winterbore. Simone points you toward Red Pike; go to B9 for Common Trouse and keep it labeled, because it comes up again.
Some late-day customers can vary. If someone asks for a beautiful “M-something” plant that should not be touched, Meakdew is the intended solution. If the request differs, solve it by the book and microscope rather than forcing this exact order.
Day 4: Henchuck, Faye, And The First Major Branch
The card answer is N6 for Twilight Lepiota and Aguria. Verona’s letter leads to K19 in Grizedale Forest. Use Mellow-Glow to avoid trouble with the Sisterhood and collect Henchuck.
Faye Swift is the important choice today. Give Candlewood if you want to open the Control ending route later. Giving Aguria keeps you on a simpler route but blocks the Faye-control branch. If you want a single-run ending cleanup file, choose Candlewood.
Day 5: The Viewing Device And The Burbidge Cleanup
The card answer is B4 for Royal Gentia. Simone asks for Common Trouse, then gives directions to the Mysterious Man. Travel first to J22, read the “down 2, right 3” clue, then travel to L25. He gives you the viewing device, which will matter once Red Abony is found on Day 7.
If you gave Burbidge Meakdew on Day 2, he returns angry. Give Storian to complete the Extreme Consequences path. This is intentionally cruel and achievement-driven; if you want the kinder version of the story, give a non-lethal option and accept that this achievement waits for another save.
Day 6: Insects, Cult Invite, And Sadgill
The card answer is O17 for Solomon’s Sceptre and Bella Nox. Eleanor Bramer’s marsh note points to F2, where Winterbore lets you repel the insects and collect Eyebright. Ennis Aleford invites you to the Seeds of Redemption; to open the cult ending route, leave St. John’s Poppy at Sadgill church at C28 before the deadline.
Day 6 is also a good time to check that Solomon’s Sceptre is labeled. It becomes one of the Control Elixir ingredients near the end of the game.
Day 7: Red Abony And Hidden Text
The card answer is I14 for Red Abony. Once you have it, drag Red Abony onto the viewing device. That unlocks hidden writing on cards, letters, and the map. Use it to reveal hidden map labels, especially Elderphinium at Q30, the Tomb of the Hunter at B14, and the Great Oak at N9. Some guides place this discovery one day later depending on when players spend exploration charges, but the key rule is the same: Red Abony powers the device.
Save the Kentmere Eye note until you have Bryer’s Disk instructions from the secret drawer, then solve it by placing the disk on Kentmere and following the Eye symbol to E27 for Wild Cole.
Day 8: Secret Drawer, Elderphinium, And Long Verecund
The card answer is I13 for Long Verecund and Prittle. The jade-mask woman asks for Elderphinium; if you have activated the viewing device, collect it at Q30 and serve it. Amos brings the flower-symbol papers needed for the secret drawer. Combine them with the loose paper already in the shop, align the torn edges, and set the desk symbols to the assembled sequence. Opening the hidden drawer gives key notes, book entries, a coin, and Bryer’s Disk instructions.
If a clue points toward Robert Barrow’s Herbology in Kendal, bring Copper Caledonian to trade for Norwood, Mountain Astory, and Haverage. These are not all final-ending plants, but they smooth out later customer requests.
Day 9: Bryer’s Disk Practice And Dead Man’s Fingers
The card answer is F31 for Palliance and Cauldery. Beckfoot Candle uses Bryer’s Disk: center it on Beckfoot and follow the Candle symbol to D12 for Larkshine. Verona’s letter mentions the dead ground northeast of Tebay; go to B32 for Dead Man’s Fingers. Label it carefully, because Day 15 uses it as the counterpart to Widow’s Woe for ending alignment.
If Forest Vair asks for Dranthium and you have not collected it yet, use the viewing device on the map to find the Tomb of the Hunter at B14. This is a classic example of a request that looks like a plant-identification problem but is really a hidden-location problem.
Day 10: Long Meg, Elixirs, And Arduinna
The blank Daily Card uses the viewing device; go to K11 for Embersoul. Simone’s Calder Abbey lead sends you to C3. Offer Fox Button as the sign of friendship, then use the Long Meg clue from the Daughters’ Stone Circle at A25: move three south and two east to D27 for Weeping Belle.
Thomas Green gives you the lab equipment, opening elixir brewing. Bethany’s Altar of Arduinna note maps to I19. Offer Embersoul if you want to save the Sisterhood and earn Guardian of the Forest. Cauldery, or no offering, leads to a worse character outcome.
Day 11: Baylock’s Elixir And Muncaster
The card answer is E16 for Sour Bandy. Amos asks for Baylock’s Elixir, which uses Eyebright, Palliance, and Prittle. Simone points you toward Lord Fremont’s archives at Muncaster Castle, I8. If Ennis gave you Lesser Merrydock, store it for Forest Vair on Day 12 if you are following the cult ending branch.
Day 12: Widow’s Woe, Daisy Dock, And Forest Vair
The card answer is L7 for Trimblehuff and Evulum. You receive a locked round box; open it with Clavilium. Its note sends you along the Duddon tributary to L13 for Widow’s Woe, and the box also hints at the five final ritual plants. David’s Foxfield Trident note is another Bryer’s Disk clue; center it on Foxfield and follow the Trident to K8 for Daisy Dock.
Forest Vair creates another branch. Give Embersoul to help him survive. Give Lesser Merrydock if you are staying loyal to Ennis and want the cult ending route. Milton Forbes points you to Arnside at P26, where you obtain recipes for St. Quentin’s Elixir and Elixir of the Damned.
Day 13: Endmoor Disk Chain, Pennybell, And Simone’s Choice
The card answer is H25 for Sheepsnap and Burdum. The clue “Endmoor, Raven, Spider” is a two-step Bryer’s Disk puzzle: start at Endmoor, follow Raven, recenter the disk, then follow Spider. Another hidden-text letter sends you to the River Esk source north of Bowfell; use C14 for Pennybell.
Simone’s request is a major branch. If you gave Faye Candlewood earlier and want Control endings, give Simone Lisle of Neptune rather than Palliance. This unlocks the Elixir of Control recipe later.
Day 14: Gosforth Coin, Farmer’s Worry Cure, And Dendrew Elixir
The card answer is E11 for Poliscus and Demmel. The coin from the secret drawer identifies the strange oak as Gosforth, then the clue moves eight miles east. If Thora Dunn’s husband ate Farmer’s Worry, give Royal Gentia as the antidote. The Sadgill Chalice note uses Bryer’s Disk on Sadgill and points to G28 for Carnivorous Torren.
If you helped Forest Vair, he may need St. Quentin’s Elixir: Daisy Dock, Candlewood, and Sheepsnap. If you followed Ennis and harmed Forest, Ennis can provide the Dendrew’s Elixir route instead.
Day 15: Devil’s Nightcap And The Jade-Mask Decision
The card answer is P29 for Devil’s Nightcap. Amos’s cave letter sends you to White Scar Cave at P32, where Farmer’s Worry lets you enter and collect Liverstone and Spring Waxcap. A customer asks for Elixir of the Damned; brew Caballia, Dranthium, and Henchuck.
The jade-mask woman is the ending alignment choice. Give Widow’s Woe to weaken her. Give Dead Man’s Fingers to strengthen her. This does not pick the final route by itself; it changes which version you get when you choose Verona, Faye, or Ennis on Day 16. If you want the three achievement-connected good routes in one cleanup loop, choose Widow’s Woe.
Day 16: Swiftsnare And Route Selection
The card answer is K31 for Swiftsnare. Get it before committing to any ending, because both the Verona ritual and the Faye route need it. Brew any elixirs before traveling to the final site; the game expects you to arrive prepared.
At this point the final route is your choice: go to O9 with Verona and the five ritual plants, go to A25 with Faye and Elixir of Control, or go to L9 with Ennis and Dendrew’s Elixir. After one ending, reload Day 16 and repeat for the others you unlocked.
Final Ritual Plants
The Verona ritual at O9 uses five plants. Several sources agree on the clue meaning; one readable source used the typo “Nighttrap,” but the plant list and achievement routes identify the plant as Devil’s Nightcap, also known as Corpse’s Friend.
| Ritual Clue | Plant | Where It Comes From | Do Not Confuse With |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corpse’s Friend | Devil’s Nightcap | Day 15 Daily Card, P29. | Dead Man’s Fingers; that is a different mushroom used for ending alignment. |
| Ankle Grabber / Binder | Swiftsnare | Day 16 Daily Card, K31. | Do not spend the day before collecting it. |
| Fear bringer | Widow’s Woe | Locked box clue, L13. | Do not hand away your only labeled plant without replacing the label. |
| Lift a curse | Long Verecund | Day 8 Daily Card, I13. | Prittle, collected from the same square. |
| Reverse black blood | Elderphinium | Viewing-device hidden map mark, Q30. | Gilded Dendra, which is connected to black blood in the mystery. |
Ending Routes
There are eight named main endings. Think of them as three route families plus one Day 15 alignment switch. The families are Verona’s ritual, Faye’s Control route, and Ennis’s Redemption route. The Day 15 plant determines whether the outcome is the Widow’s Woe side or Dead Man’s Fingers side.
| Ending | Route Family | Required Setup | Day 15 Choice | Day 16 Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I: Thum | Verona ritual | No special branch required beyond having the five ritual plants. | Widow’s Woe. | Go to O9 and place Devil’s Nightcap, Swiftsnare, Widow’s Woe, Long Verecund, and Elderphinium. |
| II: Elderphinium | Verona ritual | Same as Ending I. | Dead Man’s Fingers. | Perform the same O9 ritual. |
| III: Gilded Dendra | Control, self | Give Faye Candlewood on Day 4; give Simone Lisle of Neptune on Day 13; brew Elixir of Control. | Widow’s Woe. | At A25, use Swiftsnare on Faye, then drink Elixir of Control yourself. |
| IV: Swiftsnare | Control, self | Same Control setup as Ending III. | Dead Man’s Fingers. | At A25, restrain Faye and drink the elixir yourself. |
| V: Dead Man’s Fingers | Control, Faye | Same Control setup as Ending III. | Dead Man’s Fingers. | At A25, give Faye the Elixir of Control. |
| VI: Solomon’s Sceptre | Control, Faye | Same Control setup as Ending III. | Widow’s Woe. | At A25, give Faye the Elixir of Control. |
| VII: Bishop’s Parasol | Ennis / Redemption | Leave St. John’s Poppy at Sadgill, C28, on Day 6 or 7; give Forest Vair Lesser Merrydock on Day 12; brew Dendrew’s Elixir. | Dead Man’s Fingers. | Go to Swinside Stone Circle, L9, and use Dendrew’s Elixir. |
| VIII: Devil’s Nightcap | Ennis / Redemption | Same Redemption setup as Ending VII. | Widow’s Woe. | Go to L9 and use Dendrew’s Elixir. |
For a practical cleanup route, do this: choose Candlewood for Faye on Day 4, join Ennis by leaving St. John’s Poppy at C28, give Forest Vair Lesser Merrydock on Day 12, give Simone Lisle of Neptune on Day 13, and give the jade-mask woman Widow’s Woe on Day 15. On Day 16, brew Elixir of Control and Dendrew’s Elixir, collect Swiftsnare at K31, then reload Day 16 to see the Verona, Faye-self, and Ennis achievement endings.
Elixirs And Antidotes
The lab opens on Day 10. Brew before traveling to a final location; the game does not always give you a second chance to mix after committing to a route.
| Mixture / Cure | Ingredients Or Plant | Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Baylock’s Elixir | Eyebright, Palliance, Prittle. | Amos request on Day 11. |
| Elixir of the Damned | Caballia, Henchuck, Dranthium. | Alden Gregory request on Day 15. |
| St. Quentin’s Elixir | Daisy Dock, Candlewood, Sheepsnap. | Forest Vair recovery path if you helped him. |
| Elixir of Control | Solomon’s Sceptre, Witch Phygg, Farmer’s Worry. | Faye / Control ending family. |
| Dendrew’s Elixir | Witch Phygg, Pennybell, Bishop’s Parasol. | Ennis / Redemption ending family. |
| Bishop’s Parasol cure | Lemon Dandy. | Use when a patient needs an antidote for Bishop’s Parasol. |
| Farmer’s Worry cure | Royal Gentia. | Thora Dunn’s Day 14 antidote request. |
| Spring Waxcap cure | Hopheart. | Antidote table cleanup. |
| Sunset Mountcap cure | Sour Bandy. | Antidote table cleanup. |
Achievement Cleanup
Steam currently exposes 18 achievements for Strange Horticulture. Most come from ordinary play, but several require deliberate choices. The rarest group is tied to special endings and no-hint play, so plan those rather than assuming they will happen naturally.
| Achievement | How To Unlock It | Missable Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Beginnings | Serve your first customer correctly. | None. |
| On the Map | Solve any Daily Card location. | None if you solve at least one card. |
| Apprentice | Identify 10 plants. | Low; label plants as you confirm them. |
| Explorer | Visit 20 map locations. | Low if you solve daily cards and letters. |
| Back from the Brink | Fill Rising Dread, then repair the broken-symbol recovery puzzle. | Easy to miss if you never fail; do it early on a reload if desired. |
| Hidden Texts | Get the viewing device from L25 and activate it with Red Abony. | Requires Simone’s Day 5 note and Day 7 card reward. |
| A Mystery Solved | Use Bryer’s Disk to solve a symbol location, such as Kentmere Eye. | Open the secret drawer so the disk instructions make sense. |
| Secrets | Open the hidden drawer using the flower-symbol papers. | Clean up the desk so you do not miss one paper. |
| Master Brewer | Create an elixir after the lab unlocks. | Baylock’s Elixir on Day 11 is the clean route. |
| Cat Lover | Pet Hellebore 13 times. | Click the cat between customers until it pops. |
| Ending | Complete any main ending. | None if you finish Day 16. |
| Banished | Perform the O9 ritual with the five ritual plants. | Requires Devil’s Nightcap, Swiftsnare, Widow’s Woe, Long Verecund, and Elderphinium. |
| Guardian of the Forest | Offer Embersoul at the Altar of Arduinna on Day 10. | Cauldery or no offering loses this character outcome. |
| Extreme Consequences | Give Burbidge Meakdew on Day 2, then Storian on Day 5. | Requires the hostile Burbidge branch. |
| I am the Dendrew | Open the Control route, weaken the jade-mask woman with Widow’s Woe, then restrain Faye and drink Elixir of Control yourself at A25. | Requires Day 4 Candlewood and Day 13 Lisle of Neptune. |
| Praise the Dendrew | Open the Redemption route, weaken the jade-mask woman with Widow’s Woe, then use Dendrew’s Elixir at L9. | Requires St. John’s Poppy at Sadgill and Lesser Merrydock to Forest Vair. |
| Experienced Horticulturist | Identify all plants, including epilogue cleanup help from Simone. | Finish the post-game cleanup if you skipped optional identifications. |
| Horticulturist | Complete a full playthrough without using the hint button. | Do not press the hint button at any point in the run. |
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Why It Hurts | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Not collecting Red Abony promptly | The viewing device gates hidden text, Elderphinium, Dranthium, and several later clues. | Solve the Day 7 card at I14 and power the device immediately. |
| Opening the secret drawer but leaving items inside | Some route notes and disk instructions may not register as fully collected. | Remove every item from the hidden compartment and file them properly. |
| Mixing up Widow’s Woe and Dead Man’s Fingers | They control which version of the ending you get. | Use Widow’s Woe for the three achievement-connected cleanup endings; use Dead Man’s Fingers when deliberately seeing the alternate versions. |
| Traveling to A25 or L9 before brewing | Final routes expect Elixir of Control or Dendrew’s Elixir to be ready. | Brew first, then travel. |
| Assuming every guide’s typo is a new plant | “Devil’s Nighttrap” appears in some text, but the plant used in the final ritual is Devil’s Nightcap. | Check the plant’s alias Corpse’s Friend and scientific name Mors Amicus. |
| Using the hint button during a completion run | It can void the Horticulturist achievement. | Keep this page, your own labels, and day-start reloads as your safety net. |
Sources & Credits
Official metadata and screenshots were verified from the Strange Horticulture Steam page. Day routes, plant coordinates, endings, elixir recipes, and achievement cleanup were cross-checked against readable community walkthrough, catalogue, ending, and achievement references. Blocked or bot-protected pages were recorded during research and were not used as factual sources.