Lava Guava

Lava Guava is a gem premium plant in Plants vs. Zombies 2. It was released on May 26, 2015 for 129 gems, along with the Lost City part 1 teaser Piñata Parties.

Lava Guava erupts upon contact with a zombie, briefly splashing lava around it and dealing 10 normal damage shots to all enemies in a 3x3 area. Afterwards, a lava puddle which lasts for 12 seconds (or only 1.5 seconds on water) will be formed, capable of damaging zombies that step on it as well as preventing other plants from being planted on the tile until it disappears. Lava Guava is also a thawing plant, emitting heat every 1.5 seconds that gradually unfreezes frozen or chilled plants in a 3x3 area surrounding it, as well as being immune to all freezing effects itself.

Origins
Lava Guava is based on the guava fruit, most likely the one from the plant Psidium guajava. Its name is also a reverse of "Guava Lava," a type of cocktail.

Almanac entry
Sun cost: 75

DAMAGE: Heavy RANGE:  Touch RECHARGE: Mediocre

Lava Guavas erupt, creating a lava pool that burns zombies.

Usage: single use, on contact Special: erupts, damaging nearby zombies Special:  creates a burning lava pool in its tile

Lava Guava frowns with barely-repressed rage. He's trying to keep it in check. He's trying so hard. But one day some zombie's going to push him too far and he can't be held responsible for the consequences.

Plant Food
When fed with Plant Food, Lava Guava creates a fissure in the ground on all tiles in front of it, dealing a total of 45 normal damage shots over 12 seconds to all grounded enemies walking along the crack. In addition, it warms nearby plants twice as fast in Frostbite Caves.

Strategies
Similar to Ghost Pepper, Lava Guava benefits greatly from its long damage-dealing duration, low sun cost, and relatively quick recharge rate compared to other instant-kill plants. Because of this, it is best used as an aid to other offensive plants, or an emergency option to quickly neutralize large clusters of zombies. While Ghost Pepper has a greater range and therefore will be better suited to fighting quick-moving enemies, Lava Guava deals more damage in a smaller area and will prove to be better at attacking slower targets.

Lava Guava should ideally be positioned in areas where large groups of zombies will walk through. Directing zombies with Sweet Potato or Garlic, as well as delaying them with stalling plants such as Stunion or Stallia, can also greatly increase Lava Guava's efficiency. Lava Guava's Plant Food ability should not be relied upon, as it deals relatively low damage compared to other plants.

Lava Guava is particularly useful in Frostbite Caves as the ice floes can create natural choke points, forcing enemies from multiple lanes to walk through the lava tile and maximizing Lava Guava's potential. Additionally, Lava Guava can be used as a thawing plant if the player opted not to carry other fire-based plants into the battle. The player should be aware of Troglobites because their frozen block can crush Lava Guava, as well as Dodo Rider Zombie, as they can fly to bypass the lava tile.

Do not use Lava Guava against Imp Dragon Zombies, as they are immune to all fire-based attacks. It is also a poor idea to use this plant on water tiles in Big Wave Beach - not only will the Lily Pad supporting Lava Guava be instantly destroyed, the lava tile will also disappear very quickly and deal little damage to zombies, wasting the player's sun in the process.

Trivia

 * Lava Guava, Banana Launcher, Jack O' Lantern, and Bamboo Shoot are the only plants that cannot be planted on minecarts. Trying to plant a Lava Guava on a minecart will yield the message, "Lava would melt the railcart."
 * If Lava Guava's Plant Food ability is used in Pirate Seas or Big Wave Beach, the water in the lane will boil and bubble up.
 * Even after leaving its lava puddle behind, it could be shoveled up for sun refund before the 3.7.1 update. The lava would stay on that tile after Lava Guava had been dug up.
 * Lava Guava can nullify Sap-fling's sap puddles it has left on the lawn. However, in the rare occasion Sap-fling and Lava Guava synchronize, the sap will not melt.
 * If Lava Guava's targets are immobilized, it will not activate.
 * If any plant is planted to the right of the lava puddle, Mecha-Football Zombie will push that plant two tiles backwards. It will reach to the left of the lava puddle.
 * Excavator Zombie sometimes attempts to attack Lava Guava with his shovel.
 * In the 3.6.1 update, Lava Guava's splash damage effect was delayed and took a few seconds more to hurt the zombies. The delay was removed in update 3.8.1.
 * Lava Guava's seed packet was changed to its in-game texture in the 3.6.1 update.
 * One of Lava Guava's costume is a lei, which is a string of flowers and originates from Hawaii. This might be a reference to the fact that Hawaii is a series of islands formed from volcanoes, and that Lava Guava is similar to a volcano.
 * MC Zom-B can kill an idling Lava Guava using his microphone attack. However, the lava puddle will also cause him to use it, stalling him for a while. This was fixed in update 4.1.1.
 * As of update 3.8.1, Lava Guava can get eaten if it is planted behind a blocked zombie, similarly to how zombies can eat defensive plants from behind.