Magic Vine
Magic Vines are essential and very consistent objects in the Mario franchise. They first appeared in Super Mario Bros., and remain dormant inside blocks until their block is struck. They then grow into a tall vine and allow Mario and Luigi to access new heights.
In Super Mario Bros. 2 the vines are already in the level and sometimes don't even have anything to grow from. In Super Mario Bros. 3, they match the color scheme of the world they are located in. However, in New Super Mario Bros. all Magic Vines are green.
In Super Mario World some vines grow toward breakable blocks. If Mario removes the blocks the vine can continue rising, making short cuts available.
They most recently appeared in New Super Mario Bros. However, the direction the vine grows depends on whether Mario or Luigi hits the block containing the vine from the bottom, or Ground Pounds it from the top.
It is interesting to note that most Magic Vines have Piranha Plants as their heads while they are growing. The head dissapears when the vine is fully grown.