I came across this Whoopee Cushion on the road near my driveway the other day. It was just lying there amidst a cluster of fallen yellow leaves and looked as if it were trying to fit in. This got me thinking that if this Whoopee Cushion actually was a leaf, what kind of plant would it come from? And what purpose would it serve? After doing some ideation, this is what I came up with: meet the Whoopee Tree.

The whoopee tree is a fast growing annual plant that thrives in moist soil. It is able to grow to tall heights rapidly because of its bladder system in its roots that contains gas-producing bacteria. This hydrogen sulfide gas provides the pneumatic pressure that keeps the plant body rigid as well as the defensive mechanism for the plant. As individual whoopee tree leaves mature, they fill with gas and fall around the base of the tree in a concentric perimeter. When disturbed, the loud sound and noxious gas released by the fallen leaves serves as an effective deterrent for potential predators. The whoopee leaves are also capable of vegetative reproduction, being able to grow into a new whoopee tree.