A plant that eats the neighbors
The Laganaphyllis simnovorii, better known as the Cowplant, is a partly carnivorous bovine plant large enough to swallow a Sim whole. It first appeared as the career reward for the Natural Science career in The Sims 2: University, later returned in The Sims 3 as premium content in the Killer Classics set, and arrived in The Sims 4 as a plantable garden specimen. Reminiscent of Audrey II from the 1986 comedy horror film Little Shop of Horrors, the Cowplant has become one of the franchise's most recognizable and darkly funny creations.
The cake tongue and the milk of life
A hungry Cowplant extends its tongue to reveal a tempting slice of cake, luring nearby Sims to grab it. Those who take the bait are swallowed whole. In The Sims 2, the plant simply spits out a gravestone with no visit from the Grim Reaper, and the resulting ghost is green. In The Sims 3, the Grim Reaper always arrives, and the ghost appears purple. The Sims 3 version is also pickier about its meals, sometimes spitting out Sims with low hygiene or certain traits like Brave, Green Thumb, or Lucky.
After eating a Sim, the Cowplant can be milked for a life-extending drink. In The Sims 2, this adds five days to a Sim's lifespan, working much like the Elixir of Life but available to children as well. Drinking the milk creates a special memory tied to the consumed Sim, and the ghost of the eaten Sim may get angry and haunt whoever drank it.
From career reward to Cowplant berry
The way players obtain a Cowplant has changed with each game. In The Sims 2: University, it was the reward for reaching the top of the Natural Science career. In The Sims 3, it was a premium store purchase. In The Sims 4, players must find a rare Cowplant Berry and plant it in a garden. The plant then grows through three visible stages, sprout, baby, and mature, before it reaches full size. A mature Cowplant can be fed, played with, and petted. If it displays its cake tongue and goes unfed for twelve in-game hours, the Cowplant dies.