Escape Root

Escape Root is a premium plant in Plants vs. Zombies 2 that is tied with Modern Day Part 2. When planted, Escape Root will take ten seconds to arm himself before emerging, and afterwards will transform into either a Potato Mine, a Cherry Bomb, a Grapeshot, or a Primal Potato Mine upon contact with a zombie. His normal price is $6.99.

The player can also switch Escape Root's place with another plant's simply by tapping Escape Root, then the plant the player wishes to swap; doing so will also instantly arm the plant. Escape Root is classified as an underground plant, and cannot be planted on the planks in the Pirate Seas, in the minecarts in Wild West nor can switch places with plants on water tiles in the Big Wave Beach.

Origins
Escape Root is a portmanteau of "escape route" and "root". His name refers to his main ability; to swap places with a selected plant, thus helping the plant escape from danger.

His yellow miner hat costume is a reference to the fact that he is an underground plant capable of digging.

Almanac entry
Sun cost: 50 Escape Roots explode on contact, and can be swapped with other plants that are in danger.

DAMAGE: Massive RANGE: Touch RECHARGE: Sluggish

Special: tap Escape Root and another plant to swap them

The other plants put on a big surprise party for Escape Root last week, but he did his thing and suddenly it was a surprise party...FOR THEM!

Plant Food effect
When fed Plant Food, Escape Root will summon two copies of himself next to a zombie one at a time that will turn into a random explosive plant. If there are no zombies, Escape Root will summon two explosives on himself. This is similar to the Plant Food effect of both the Potato Mine and the Chili Bean.

Strategies
As its own name says, this plant can be used on some levels where there are large hordes so the player can protect a powerful plant, simply by swapping place with them. You can use Sweet Potato to gather many zombies at a single place and later swap place with this plant in order to instantly destroy the zombies. His more accurate efficiency if the zombies are all in a single square, since the explosion range of this plant is not much trustworthy.

A thing to remember about the Escape Root is that he can be swapped with plants multiple times. This is useful for moving a powerful plant in to another lane multiple times. As a result, this plant could be used as a minecart in other worlds and with plants that cannot be planted on minecarts.

You could also use this well with Grimrose. If you plant a Grimrose (which would be next to a Moonflower) on a lane with a zombie and no other zombies come, you could use Escape Root to swap it to a lane where there are zombies.

Another strategy is to plant Escape Root where zombies won't be able to eat it, then placing a cheap plant such as a Sunflower near the zombies (but not too close) as something to switch with. Switch the plant and Escape Root. Since the Escape Root will automatically be armed and swapping positions, any zombie near him will blow up by either a Potato Mine, Primal Potato Mine, Cherry Bomb, or Grapeshot, all that can easily wreck havoc among zombies.

Additionally, on levels with endangered plants, Escape Root can be used to move them. This is especially useful if the endangered plants are explosive plants, such as Potato Mines, and can easily die. Bringing the endangered plants to the back with offensive plants in front of them will help make sure you have a higher chance of winning the level.

Trivia

 * Before the 4.6.2 update, Escape Root wasn't able to swap endangered plants.
 * There is a glitch where Escape Root does not spawn an explosive plant when a zombie is near. Instead, just as when he has not armed yet, he gets chewed on.
 * There is a glitch where Wizard Zombie can still transform plants being moved by Escape Root. This results in a sheep appearing on top of the Escape Root. The plant that was turned into a sheep disappears after the Wizard Zombie dies, but the Escape Root is left unaffected.
 * There is a glitch where a Gargantuar Prime is unable to destroy an Escape Root. When this happens, the Escape Root is unable to transform. Every time the explosive plant is about to detonate, he is smashed and turns back into an Escape Root. This leads to the Gargantuar repeatedly smashing the Escape Root.
 * If the player allows a zombie to arm Escape Root, but then drag him to an empty tile, Escape Root glitches and will be invincible to any zombie that doesn't destroy a plant. At this point Escape Root cannot be dug up nor can switch with another plant. Though he can still be swapped by a non-glitched Escape Root.
 * This is the third plant which can turn into another, with the first one being Imitater and the second being Intensive Carrot.
 * If the player uses Plant Food on an Escape Root when there is one zombie on the screen and there are no other zombies after he explodes, the boosted Escape Root will spawn an Escape Root on itself. After it explodes, the Escape Root's dirt cannot be seen.
 * Like Potato Mine and Primal Potato Mine, Escape Root does not activate if a flying zombie hovers over it.
 * If a Plant Food fed Infi-nut switches places with Escape Root, the force field remains on the same place. Destroying or shoveling the Infi-nut does not remove the shield.
 * Escape Root is the only premium plant to be pre-picked for the player (not in Locked and Loaded levels).
 * He is the only explosive plant that does not self-destruct; rather, he goes away and leaves another plant to explode. However, the almanac says he explodes.
 * In a level with a limited number of plants, when the number reaches the maximum number, the player will no longer be able to swap another plant using Escape Root. Escape Root's Plant Food ability will also spawn new Escape Roots only on himself.