Hazards

There are a number of naturally occurring hazards any intrepid Astroneer might encounter in their explorations - and most are potentially fatal.

Many can be found across all the planets, while one is native to only one world. Some can be dealt with, while others must simply be avoided.

Digging up hazardous flora will provide the player with Research Samples (providing easy access to Bytes) and seeds.

Defensive Flora
Defensive flora only harm the players when getting next to the plant, typically knocking back the player and causing initial damage. If the player gets knocked too high, the player may take fall damage and die. Defensive flora has a chance when dug up to drop a seed, allowing it to be replanted to gain even more Seeds, Research Samples or Research Items at the roots.

Popcoral
Popcoral can be found in caves and are plentiful. They are harmless unless you disturb them. Upon filling in Terrain at their base or digging them up, they will explode (hence their name). This explosion can be fatal if a player is standing too near, but they can be safely dug up from a distance. They will drop a couple of Research Samples, making these a bountiful source of research early on.

Popcoral seeds

Popcoral seeds are often found by destroying Popcoral.

Daggeroot
This giant tooth fungi is a danger toward the Player, and getting too near will cause them to release dangerous spikes around them which could kill the astroneer in two to three hits. Destroying the large one will sometimes provide the player with a seed. Oddly enough, the large Daggeroot can be safely jumped and stepped on due to the lack of spikes on the cap.

Daggeroot Seeds

Daggeroot seeds are often found by destroying Daggeroot. They look similar to a small Daggeroot but do not attack the player. They can be placed into any empty attachment slot. Also you can plant them wherever you want, but it will attack the player once its grown.

Seeds can be planted by dropping them onto the ground then hovering over them and holding the plant key, and they will slowly mature into full-grown Daggeroots. No special location is required; they can be planted in all types of Terrain, both underground or on the surface. A full germination cycle from seed to mature plant with functional spikes takes 4 minutes. Growing Daggeroots can not be destroyed by digging around them, but will become vulnerable again once fully mature and may drop more Seeds if they are uprooted. Daggeroot seeds will quickly disappear if they are not picked up. Daggeroots grown in this manner behave exactly like wild ones, stabbing players who come too close and dropping more Seeds on death.

Wheezeweed
Wheezeweed are big, round green plants with holes revealing a red membrane. When the player approaches them, they produce a sharp wheezing sound and the membrane puffs out through the holes. If the player gets too close they will blow outwards, knocking the player back a good distance. Found on Atrox and Calidor.

Spinelily
Spinelilly are spiky lilypads that can form in small clusters. When a player jumps on them it will launch them in the air, and causes some damage. Often found on Calidor.

Lashleaf
Lashleaf are tongue-looking flora. When the player steps on one, it will launch them into the air. Found on Vesania and Novus.

Bouncevine
Bouncevines are a hazard on the surface of Sylva. If you happen to step on it, it will cause a decent amount of damage to you. They are commonly found in groups of 3 or 4.

Thistlewhip
Thistlewhip are plants that resemble a pollen duster. Once a player approaches it, it will start to shake and emit particles. When a player is in attack range, as suggested by the name, it gives the player a good ol' whip. Found on Vesania and Novus.

Offensive Flora
Offensive flora typically have larger range of attack than defensive flora, either shooting projectiles or spraying clouds of acid.

Acid Sprayer
Acid Sprayers are flora that generate underground. If the player gets too close, it will spray a cloud of acid at the player, similar to the removed Acid Pot.

Popper
Poppers are flora that generate on the surface. If the player gets too close, they explode with a cloud of acid. They are similar to Popcoral, but these only require the player being near to explode.

Lobber
Lobbers are flora that are purple with a red orb at the top. If the player gets in range, it will begin to lob the red orb at the player. After a couple seconds the orb will then explode in a small cloud of poison.

Shooter
Shooters are flora that generate on the surface. If the player gets in range, it will activate and start spitting deadly projectiles at the player. When the projectile collides with terrain, it will give a small explosion and destroy a small portion of soil. The explosion can also destroy player's vehicles which makes Shooters quite dangerous for rovers or shuttles.

Spewer
Spewers are flora that generate on the surface. If the player gets near, they will retract their umbrella-shaped leaf and begin to spew poison until the player dies or moves away from the plant.

Worm Pits
Worm Pits were a hazard on the original Radiated planet. They sat on the surface, awaiting players to unknowingly fall in, leading to an instant death. Hard, black terrain sat at the base of the pits, making digging around them difficult without a Drill. Removing the soil around the base would leave the pit hovering in the air, but allow the player to gather any items that may have fallen in.

Worm Pits were removed in Patch 1.0.

Storms
Storms were a major hazard in the game. They were a giant, roaming dust storm, that could be heard from far away. When reaching the player, storms would be deadly if shelter wasn't found, with cubes flinging at the player until one made contact. Items and vehicles could be blown away or moved due to the high winds.

Storms were removed in Patch 1.0, with plans to reintroduce storms in new ways to certain planets in the future.

Cavern Lure
Cavern Lures were carnivorous plants that hung from cave ceilings and would ensnare and kill an astroneer if they managed to catch one with their dangling lures. They could be dispatched by digging around their bulb with the Terrain Tool. This would cause them to drop to the floor and explode, sometimes leaving behind 1-3 Research Samples.
 * During one of the streams, Cavern Lure was once referred to as a "Red Dangler".

Cavern Lures were removed in Patch 1.0.

Tumbleweed
Tumbleweed was a formation of a giant lethal ball of spikes could be found blowing around in the wind on Arid planets. Getting hit by a single one was not fatal, but getting caught in the middle of a stampede could easily inflict multiple hits. If you are quick, you could get them with the Terrain Tool, and sometimes they would drop Organic which conveys the fact that this object is indeed a flora. The inhibitor mod was a great way to get rid of them. They generally spawned far enough away that you could stay put to avoid them, however they would spawn in sight, which made it look like they were waiting for you.

Tumbleweed were removed in Patch 1.0.

Acid Pots
Acid Pots were pumpkin-shaped flora that released green clouds of acidic gas if players moved too close. These clouds would follow the player a short distance before dissipating. When the gas made contact it damaged the player, and could quickly kill them. They typically spawned in groups of three and could be dug up to prevent them from producing gas. They commonly had an organic research item below them, and harvestable organic blobs surrounding them.

Acid Pots were removed in Patch 1.0, replaced by the Acid Sprayer.

Dangers