Bristle Blossom

Bristle Blossom is a food plant that appears both wild and domesticated in Oxygen Not Included. Each mature plant produces 1 kg (1600 kcal) of Bristle Berry per harvest. Domesticated specimens complete their growth cycle in 6 cycles; wild Bristle Blossoms take 24 cycles to reach maturity. Bristle Blossoms require light to grow and must be in an atmosphere of Oxygen, Polluted Oxygen, or Carbon Dioxide at an air pressure between 150 g and 10 kg. The temperature tolerance for growth is 5–30 °C (41–87 °F). A domesticated Bristle Blossom planted in a Hydroponic Farm requires 20 kg of Water per cycle (≈33.3 g/s); wild plants do not require irrigation.

Bristle Blossom contributes positive Decor: a single plant provides +15 Decor with a radius of 2 tiles. When fully grown to 100%, a Bristle Blossom releases Floral Scent germs into nearby gas, which relieves Stress for normal Duplicants but causes an Allergic Reaction in Duplicants with the allergies trait; restrict access to allergy-prone Duplicants if necessary. Blossom Seeds are a crafting component for Allergy Medication in an Apothecary: 1 Blossom Seed + 1 kg Dirt → 1 Allergy Medication.

The plant’s harvest is a basic food ingredient. Bristle Berry (1600 kcal) can be eaten raw or cooked into higher-value dishes:

• Gristle Berry: requires 1600 kcal Bristle Berry → produces 2000 kcal (one-to-one conversion).
• Berry Sludge: requires 1600 kcal Bristle Berry plus Sleet Wheat to produce 4000 kcal (upgrades food quality to Good).
• Stuffed Berry: requires 4000 kcal Gristle Berry and Pincha Peppernut to produce 4400 kcal (upgrades food quality to Great). Per-plant production rates for a domesticated plant working on a 6-cycle schedule are about 266.67 kcal/cycle (1600 kcal / 6 cycles). This implies roughly 3 Bristle Blossom plants per Duplicant to satisfy a 1000 kcal/cycle requirement when using Gristle Berry conversions as baseline examples; conversions to Berry Sludge or Stuffed Berry change the required plant counts as listed above.

Bristle Blossoms have multiple mutation variants that alter yield, irrigation, light requirements, growth time, and temperature band. Notable variants include Bountiful (higher yield but requires 400 Lux), Easygoing (lower irrigation need), Juicyfruit (drops fruit on the floor on ripening), Leafy (shorter cycle with high light requirement), Licey (produces Meal Lice in addition to Bristle Berries), and specialized temperature-range variants that trade broader tolerance for greater output. Variants can demand darkness, specific Lux thresholds, different irrigation amounts, or impose food-poisoning risks in rare cases; check the mutation summary when breeding.

Practical usage and cultivation notes:

• Hydroponic Farm is recommended for domesticated production since it supplies required irrigation reliably (20 kg/cycle per plant) and enables denser, controlled layouts.
• Bristle Blossoms require light but many artificial light sources (Lamp, Ceiling Light, Sun Lamp) generate heat; use cooling or choose non-heat-producing light where available. Shine Bugs can provide light without the same heat penalty.
• Lamps placed above plant tiles maximize ground light; consider lamp placement carefully to meet Lux requirements without overheating crops.
• Because Bristle Blossoms convert water into edible product and seed material that composes into Dirt, they are one of the few domesticated crops useful for integrated composting strategies.
• Restrict allergy-prone Duplicants from Bristle Blossom farms or manage Floral Scent exposure to avoid Allergic Reactions.