Triffid

A Triffid is a fictional, highly dangerous, and carnivorous plant species featured prominently in John Wyndham's 1951 science fiction novel, The Day of the Triffids. Within the novel, triffids are described as tall, mobile plants resembling giant asparagus or sunflowers with a thick, woody stem. They possess three root-like appendages they use for locomotion, allowing them to move with surprising speed.

Triffids are capable of communicating with each other through tapping sounds. Their primary method of attack involves a poisonous sting delivered through a whip-like appendage, capable of blinding or killing humans. They cultivate human corpses to fertilize the soil around them, thereby facilitating their own growth and spread.

The origins of the triffids in Wyndham's narrative are deliberately ambiguous, though speculation points to them being a product of either deliberate Soviet bio-engineering or accidental creation. Their sudden and widespread proliferation coincides with a global blinding event, leaving humanity vulnerable and at the mercy of these aggressive plants.

Beyond The Day of the Triffids, triffids have become a cultural trope, representing a type of aggressive, invasive, and ultimately dangerous plant species that poses a threat to humanity. The term is sometimes used metaphorically to describe any rapidly spreading and potentially harmful phenomenon. Their depiction has varied in adaptations and other works, but the core characteristics of mobility, carnivorous behavior, and the use of poison remain consistent.