How to get Hades 2 Mandrake Roots and Seeds

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Mandrake bits in Hades 2 are essential for a few cauldron incantations

Hades 2 digging up mandrake seeds in the Rift of Thessaly
(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

Growing Hades 2 Mandrake Roots from Mandrake Seeds will help you cast several incantations, but you need to reach the Rift of Thessaly first. It can be a tricky region to get through as you teleport between decrepit ships and small isles in between, but it’s the only place you can get these important seeds in Hades 2. You’ll want to keep an eye out for them too, as the incantations the roots are needed for unlock things like Shrines of Hermes, Warding Circles, and Infernal Troves, so here’s everything you need to know about Mandrakes in Hades 2.

Where to find Hades 2 Mandrake Seeds to grow Mandrake Root

Hades 2 Mandrakes and roots growing in soil plots in the crossroads

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

Mandrake Root in Hades 2 is a greenery item that can be grown in the Crossroads soil plots by planting Mandrake Seeds, taking 17 cycles to become harvestable. To get the necessary seeds, you need to find digging spots in the Rift of Thessaly where you can use the Silver Spade to unearth these grubby-looking bulbs. This obviously means you need to know how to reach the Surface in Hades 2, as the Rift, and therefore Mandrake Seeds, can only be reached on the Surface path. If you make it all the way to Mount Olympus, you might even be able to get Hades 2 Adamant.

Prior to starting a Surface run, make sure you’ve got the Silver Spade selected as your priority tool in the Crossroads training grounds as this will increase the chances of digging spots appearing across all regions you enter. Although, be warned that I’ve found the Rift of Thessaly can be quite stingy with its offerings, so you might not get many Mandrake Seeds per run.

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Hades 2 Mandrake Root uses

Hades 2 Mandrakes used in incantation at cauldron

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

You’ll find that Mandrake Roots in Hades 2 are required for several cauldron incantations later in the game, all of which are quite handy:

  • Surge of Fresh Air: 2 Fate Fabric + 2 Garlic + 2 Mandrake Roots. Shrines of Hermes appear in the space between each Surface region,
  • Circles of Protection: 1 Moly + 1 Lotus + 1 Mandrake Root. Warding Circles appear in Erebus.
  • Circles of the Moon: 4 Nightshade + 1 Mandrake Root. Whenever you activate Warding Circles, you fully charge your Hex ability if it isn’t fully charged already.
  • Arisen Troves: 1 Mandrake Root + 3 Iron. Locations on the Surface have the chance to contain and Infernal Trove.
  • Psychic Slivers of Clarity: 100 Psyche + 3 Cinders + 3 Mandrake Roots. Whenever you claim Psyche as a reward, gain 3 Magick.

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Will Sawyer
Will Sawyer
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Will Sawyer is a Guides Editor at GamesRadar+ with over five years of experience in writing online guides, news, and features, and has a BA (Hons) in Journalism. Starting as a freelancer, Will contributed to startmenu and Game Rant before joining the GamesRadar+ team in August 2021. Since then, he has written hundreds of guides about a huge range of games, with shooters and action games being his areas of expertise. Outside of writing about games, Will hops between multiplayer shooters with friends, such as Darktide and Helldivers 2, and delves into whatever has been on his backlog for far too long. He also tries to get through his never-ending Warhammer pile of shame of grey Tyranids, Aeldari, and Chaos Space Marines.