Plot summary

Although he tries hard, mild-mannered, accident-prone Seymour Krelborn is in jeopardy of losing his job at Mushnick's Florist on Skid Row in Los Angeles for one mistake too many. Seymour is able to convince his boss, the store's owner Gravis Mushnick, to give him one more chance when the unique new plant he cultivated thrives at the store and brings in new customers. The prehistoric-looking plant, which he named Audrey Jr. after his coworker (and secret crush) Audrey Fulquard, sickens, then perks up when Seymour learns what it needs to grow: human blood, and lots and lots of it. Seymour stumbles onto a temporary solution when he accidentally kills a man. He must decide to go into the murder business to fulfill the needs of the plant that is making him famous and potentially wealthy in that fame. One factor in his decision is how Audrey Jr. affects his relationship with Audrey; Mushnick complicates matters when he learns what the plant thrives on; and the police are investigating a series of missing-person cases and suspect that the victims have been murdered.—Huggo