The Spiral Plant might be one of the hardest plants to get in Subnautica: Below Zero. Located either inside the Ventgarden (which is surrounded by Leviathans) or down in the Deep Purple Vents, which, you guessed it, is also riddled with Leviathans.

Because these plants are also located quite deep, you will need the Seatruck Depth Upgrade Mark 2 to get there safely. One problem: the Depth Upgrade requires Spiral Plant Clippings to craft. You see the problem. If you're struggling to get your hands on the Clippings, here's a guide on how to collect some with the least amount of stress possible.

Updated November 2, 2023, by Sean Murray: If you're still on the hunt for Spiral Plan Clippings in Subnautica: Below Zero, we have you covered. This guide has been given improved formatting and more breakout tips to make finding these elusive plans that much easier.

What You Need To Find Spiral Plant Clippings

Ideally, you're searching for Spiral Plant Clippings because you already have a Seatruck, the first Depth Upgrade, and other decent gear (like the larger O2 tank.) Here's what you need before starting the journey.

• At least Depth Module Mark 1 for the Seatruck. At both locations (Purple Vents and Tree Spires), you can find Spiral Plants at a depth of around 250-300 meters, which is just about covered by that first upgrade.
• The Seatruck Perimeter Defense Upgrade is extremely useful in both biomes, as there are sharks and Leviathans galore.
• Food is not a bad idea. The Spiral Plant location is a bit of a mission from your Drop Pod location, though you may have a base closer by this point. Check out our list of best foods in the game.
• Keep in mind that you only need six Spiral Plant clippings to craft all the Synthetic Fiber needed.
• You will need the Survival Knife to actually harvest the Spiral Plant.

The biggest risks you'll face while hunting for Spiral Plants are the Chelicerates and having to dive deeper than you're able to.

Best Place To Find Spiral Plant Clippings

Rather than tangle with the Ventgarden and its surrounding monsters, you can head to the Purple Vents biome. The easiest way to find this is to head South from your Drop Pod location until you find the Mercury II.

You can't miss the Purple Vents: it's the biome with the vents that are purple.

Be careful heading towards the Purple Vents biome. There is a Chelicerate (that crab-claw Leviathan) that hovers towards the Northern side of the biome. It has been known to roam around a bit, so if you don't see it on your way to the Vents, you might see it on your way back. You can kill it, but it takes a bit of work.

• Head North-Northwest from the Stern of the Mercury II, the piece that's next to Delta Island.
• Keep heading into the Purple Vents biome until you find the next piece of the ship.
• Dive past it towards the Deep Purple Vents.
• There are Spiral Plants dotted around the place, usually spawning at 250 meters to start, though more tend to spawn at around 310-320 meters.
• The Deep Purple Vents is not an overly dangerous biome once you're past the Chelicerate.

If you only have the first Depth upgrade for your Seatruck (makes sense--you don't have any Synthetic Fiber yet) you may only be able to retrieve a single Spiral Plant from the Deep Purple Vents.

Rather than use them to craft a Synthetic Fiber, you could plant them in an Exterior Growbed. This is probably the easiest way to get all the Spiral Clippings you need without having to venture too far to find them.

There is a chance, thanks to the random spawn rates, that you won't find any Spiral Plants at a high enough depth at the Purple Vents. It might be time to pay a visit to the Tree Spires biome and the Ventgardens.

No Spiral Plants In The Purple Vents? Head To The Tree Spires Biome

The Tree Spires biome is home to the Adult Ventgarden, those absolutely enormous jellyfish Leviathans that have gardens inside. They are full of Spiral Plants, probably more than you need.

• Start at the Delta Station Dock and head directly south for about 600 meters.
• You will hear a Chelicerate on your way. It's a good idea to stay close to the seafloor while you travel towards the Ventgardens.
• Park the Seatruck underneath the Adult Ventgarden. This should keep it safe(ish) from the Chelicerate. The Leviathan cannot attack you while you are inside the Ventgarden, but it might try.
• Swim up the center of the Ventgarden.
• All over the red platforms inside are a bunch of Spiral Plants, sometimes up to 20 individual plants.

One trip to the Ventgardens is enough to get all the Spiral Plant Clippings you need to craft the required Synthetic Fiber. You will need six Plant Clippings in total, which means only three Spiral Plants harvested.

Synthetic Fibers are used to craft the Reinforced Dive Suit, the Stillsuit, the first Prawn Suit Depth Module, and the second Seatruck Depth Module. These are all pretty valuable upgrades.

Each of these items requires one Synthetic Fiber to craft. There is another item that requires Synthetic Fiber in the game, but in the interest of no spoilers, just make sure you have enough Spiral Plant Clippings saved up to craft another piece of Fiber.

Next: Things That Make No Sense About Subnautica: Below Zero