You're wandering through the dry brush of Mount Chiliad, the sun is beating down on Franklin’s head, and suddenly, you hear it. A faint, rhythmic chanting. Or maybe it's a bark. If you've spent any real time in Los Santos, you know exactly what that means. You’re standing near one of the GTA 5 peyote plants, those weird little green buttons that turn a gritty crime simulator into a literal fever dream. It’s been over a decade since Rockstar first dropped these into the enhanced versions of the game, and honestly, they remain one of the most brilliant pieces of world-building ever coded.
Most people think they’re just a gimmick. A quick laugh. But there is a surprising amount of depth—and genuine frustration—involved in hunting down all 27 of these things.
What’s the Deal With These Things Anyway?
Basically, these are collectibles that let you play as an animal. It sounds simple, right? Eat a plant, pass out, wake up as a pigeon. But the mechanics are actually pretty specific. When you consume one of the GTA 5 peyote plants found scattered across the map, your character goes into a cinematic hallucination. Depending on where you are—land, sea, or air—you’ll transform into a randomized animal from that region’s "pool."
One minute you're a high-end criminal, the next you're a pug trying to survive a run-in with a semi-truck on the Great Ocean Highway.
The variety is wild. There are 27 plants in total for the base game. You might end up as a hawk, a mountain lion, a hammerhead shark, or even a literal cow. Each animal has its own controls. If you're a bird, you're flapping with the X or A button. If you're a dog, you're biting NPCs. It’s pure, unadulterated chaos, and it’s one of the few times Rockstar lets the player break the "seriousness" of the narrative without using a cheat code.
The Logistics of the Hunt
You can’t just find these anywhere. They are tucked away in some of the most obnoxious spots on the map. You’ll find them in flower pots on back porches in Rockford Hills, hidden under underwater rock arches near Paleto Bay, and precariously perched on the edges of canyons.
If you're looking for the underwater ones, you basically need a submersible or a lot of lung capacity. It’s annoying. You’re swimming around in the murky depths, hoping you don’t get eaten by a real shark before you can turn into a fake one.
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The interesting thing is that once you eat a plant, it’s "collected." It disappears from that spot in your current save, but the animal remains unlocked for use in Director Mode. This is where the real value lies for content creators or people who just like messing with the game's engine. Director Mode is basically a sandbox, and having the full roster of animals makes it ten times more entertaining.
Why the Golden Peyote is a Different Beast Entirely
Now, if you think the standard 27 are a grind, the Golden Peyote is a nightmare. This isn't just about finding a plant; it’s about a multi-step, logic-defying Easter egg that involves the Bigfoot vs. The Beast mystery.
To even stand a chance at finding the Golden GTA 5 peyote plants, you have to have 100% completion of the game. You also have to have completed the "The Last One" mission. Then, you have to go to specific coordinates at a specific time of day—usually between 5:30 AM and 8:00 AM—while the weather is set to foggy or snowy.
If you manage to hit all those marks, you can transform into Bigfoot.
It’s a tribute to the myths that surrounded GTA: San Andreas back in the day. Fans spent years looking for Bigfoot in the woods of the old map, and Rockstar finally gave it to them in V, but they made us work for it. It's that kind of attention to detail that keeps the community alive. People like "Chiliad Mystery" hunters on Reddit have spent thousands of hours documenting every single frame of these transformations.
The Most Infamous Peyote Locations
Some of these plants are legendary for how hard they are to spot.
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Take the one at the very top of Mount Chiliad. You have to hike or fly up to the peak, find the little cluster of flags, and look for two small wooden poles near the path. It’s tucked right there. Then there’s the one in the Los Santos Customs parking lot in the city—it’s just sitting in a planter, hiding in plain sight while you’re busy modding your Zentorno.
- The Underwater Arch: Located near the North-West coast. It’s deep. You’ll see a large rock formation that looks like a bridge. The plant is right at the base.
- The Gentry Manor Hotel: In West Vinewood. Check the large planters on the upper balconies.
- Raton Canyon: This one offers some of the best bird transformations. It’s on a ledge overlooking the valley. If you turn into a crow here, the view is actually stunning.
Honestly, the best way to do this is to grab a Buzzard or an Oppressor Mk II (if you’re playing the more recent versions) and just dedicate an hour to it. If you try to do it on foot, you’ll lose your mind.
Technical Glitches and "Temporary" Peyote
It’s worth mentioning that GTA 5 peyote plants aren’t always available in GTA Online. Rockstar treats them like a seasonal event. Usually around Halloween or April Fools, they’ll "enable" peyote plants in the online world.
When this happens, the game goes absolutely off the rails. You’ll see 20 players as rabbits hopping around Legion Square. Or a group of deer trying to rob a convenience store. It’s total madness. Because these aren't a permanent fixture of the Online world, they usually come with RP (Rank Points) bonuses. People farm them to level up quickly because eating a plant gives you a decent chunk of XP.
However, there’s a downside. When the peyote is active in Online, the servers tend to get a bit... twitchy. Transformations can sometimes bug out, leaving you stuck as a half-human, half-animal monstrosity, or simply crashing your session. But for most, the risk is worth the reward of biting a griefer as a Rottweiler.
The Strategy for 100% Completion
If you're a completionist, you need to be methodical. The game tracks which ones you’ve eaten, but the map doesn't show you. If you miss one, you’re stuck re-visiting all 27 locations like a tourist who lost their car keys.
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- Use a checklist. Seriously. Check off each one as you go.
- Do the sea-based ones in one go. Get a boat or a Kraken sub. It saves so much time.
- Keep an eye on the vibration. Your controller will buzz more intensely as you get closer to a plant.
- Listen for the sound. Each plant emits a sound related to the animal you’ll become. If you hear a cluck, you’re about to be a chicken.
The variety in the transformations is determined by the "biome." For example, the plants in the Paleto Forest will almost always turn you into a land animal like a pig or a deer. The ones in the Pacific Ocean are strictly aquatic. The ones on high peaks are usually birds.
Why We Still Care
It's 2026. We are all waiting for the next big thing in the franchise. So why are people still hunting GTA 5 peyote plants?
It’s because they represent a type of game design that is becoming rare. It’s a purely "fun" mechanic that doesn't involve a battle pass, a microtransaction, or a competitive leaderboard. It’s just a weird, psychedelic secret hidden in a massive world. It encourages exploration of areas you’d otherwise fly right over at 200 miles per hour.
When you’re a hawk soaring over the Vinewood sign, the game feels different. The scale is different. You notice the way the wind effects work or how the NPC traffic patterns look from a mile up. It’s a moment of zen in a game that is otherwise about murder and high-speed chases.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Session
If you’re ready to go find them, here is exactly what you should do right now:
- Switch to Franklin: While all characters can eat them, Franklin’s "The Last One" mission is tied to the broader mystery, so it feels more "canon" to do it with him.
- Check the Weather: If you’re going for the Golden Peyote, use the weather cheat or wait for a natural foggy day. Sunday is the rumored best day in-game for this to trigger.
- Clear Your Wanted Level: Don’t try to eat a peyote while the cops are on you. The transformation takes a few seconds, and you are completely vulnerable.
- Save Frequently: GTA 5 is old. It glitches. Save after every three or four plants so you don’t lose progress if the game decides to quit to desktop.
Once you’ve collected all 27, head into Director Mode. You can find it in the "Interaction Menu." Select "Actors," then "Animals," and you’ll see your full roster. From there, you can change the gravity, the density of pedestrians, and even the time of day to create whatever weird animal-led chaos you want. It’s the ultimate reward for the hunt.
Go get started at the Mount Chiliad peak—it’s the easiest one to find and gives you the best view to plan your next move.
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