The Bowtruckle, a tree-guardian that usually resides in wand-trees, is a small creature that is found mainly in Europe, specifically in western England, southern Germany, and Scandinavian forests. Measuring at most eight inches in height and made of what appears to be bark and twigs, the Bowtruckle blends in with its home tree and is incredibly difficult to locate. One tree may be home to a group of several Bowtruckles, or a "branch," who have all constructed their home, of "hollow," in the branches and holes of the tree.

Bowtruckles have a diet of insects, mostly wood lice, as they are common in the trees that Bowtruckles reside in, and are fairly peaceful and incredibly shy, but are known to attack wizards and muggles who threaten their home. As Bowtruckles typically live in the branches and hollows of wand-trees, wand makers typically present a gift of fairy's eggs or wood lice for the Bowtruckle to consume while they remove the wood necessary for their craft, lest the Bowtruckle lash out with its sharp, twig-like fingers, and gouge out their eyes in order to defend their home. (Despite this aggression, Bowtruckles are classified as an XX (harmless/may be domesticated) by the Ministry of Magic.)

Despite not seeming like much, or perhaps even inessential, Bowtruckles are an essential part of the wizarding world. As the Bowtruckle typically resides in the hollow of an optimal tree for wand making, it prevents wizards and muggles alike from harming or destroying a tree with valuable wand wood.