Lava Guava

Lava Guava is a gem premium plant in Plants vs. Zombies 2. It erupts when a zombie is near it, briefly splashing lava around it in a 3x3 area, dealing 10 normal damage shots, then leaving a lava puddle which damages zombies that step on it. The puddle lasts for 12 seconds before it disappears.

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. All zombies on these tiles get damaged. Also it warms nearby plants twice as fast.

Strategies
Lava Guava is a powerful instant plant, as it can deal a large amount of damage to zombies for a short amount of time, moreso than Ghost Pepper. It is made even more practical due to its low sun cost. Lava Guava is particularly good against Zombie Chickens and Ice Weasels as they die almost instantly when reaching lava pools.

A good combination is pairing Lava Guava with Sweet Potato. If all zombies attracted to Sweet Potato destroy the plant, they will reach the Lava Guava and be killed by the resulting lava. Feeding it with Plant Food is a good idea, as it will damage multiple zombies at once in an entire lane. Imitating this plant is also good idea, as you do not have to wait for the mediocre recharge of the original Lava Guava.

If you are going to use this against Wizard Zombies and Octo Zombies, plant the Lava Guava close to them rather than wait for them to reach the Lava Guava. If you wait for the Wizard Zombies and Octo Zombies to reach the Lava Guava, there is a chance that it might turn into sheep or become covered by octopi.

Lava Guava is useful in Frostbite Caves. Since this plant is a thawing plant (like Fire Peashooter and Pepper-pult) and Lava Guava is immune to frozen winds and Hunter Zombie's snowballs. It may be helpful to harm several Blockhead Zombies. Careful of Troglobites because their frozen block can crush the Lava Guava and Dodo Rider Zombie can fly when there is a lava tile in front of him. A good trick is to use ice floe in your advantage (especially in Icebound Battleground). Using Ice floes can make more effective use the Lava Guava's lava tile. If properly utilized, it makes for an effective counter against Ice Weasels.

Do not use Lava Guavas against Imp Dragon Zombies. Not only this will waste your sun, but the Imp Dragon Zombies are immune to the lava attack and the lava tile. It is also a very bad idea when using this plant in Big Wave Beach, as it can destroy Lily Pads instantly, wasting space for your plants, and the lava tile disappears if it is planted in an area with water. Its main weakness is when you use this plant in levels where you cannot lose plants.

Pair this plant with Hurrikale as it will do more damage.

Trivia

 * Lava Guava's name is most likely meant to be witty, as "lava" and "guava" rhyme.
 * It also shares its trait with Fume-shroom, Doom-shroom, Gloom-shroom, Power Flower, and Chard Guard, whose words all also rhyme.
 * There is also a cocktail named "Guava Lava."
 * It first appeared in the store on May 27, 2015.
 * Lava Guava, Pepper-pult, Fire Peashooter, and Torchwood are the only plants that generate heat in Frostbite Caves.
 * It is the cheapest plant among the four heat-emitting plants.
 * Lava Guava, Banana Launcher, and Bamboo Shoot are the only plants that cannot be planted on minecarts. Trying to plant one on a minecart will say "Lava will melt the railcart."
 * While exploding, Lava Guava is invulnerable to any damage, including lasers, torches, surfboards and Gargantuar smashes. A Gargantuar will also keep smashing the tile even after the lava is created.
 * Lava Guava is the seventh gem premium plant to appear in the game's store.
 * If multiple Lava Guavas are fed with Plant Food in the same lane, the Plant Food effect will create much more lava and damage.
 * 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.
 * After it erupts, the lava puddle that it left can still generate heat in Frostbite Caves.
 * When a Lava Guava erupts on a Lily Pad, the Lily Pad will get destroyed.
 * Additionally, Lava Guava will not leave a lava tile in Big Wave Beach when it erupts in a water column; the lava will immediately disappear.
 * Even when it leaves its lava puddle behind, it could be shoveled up for sun refund before the 3.7.1 update. The lava stayed on that tile after Lava Guava had been dug up.
 * This trait was shared with Ghost Pepper and Power Lily, which can be shoveled even after its detonation.
 * 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.
 * It will also not activate if planted behind zombies.
 * If a Pharaoh Zombie sets it off, the zombie will pass with one health point remaining.
 * The lava tile Lava Guava leaves behind takes up a space and can not be planted upon until it disappears. This trait is similar to Doom-shroom's ability to generate a crater upon its explosion.
 * 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.
 * When Lava Guava is watered in the Zen Garden, the water will get rid of its lava. Afterwards, it will build up its lava supply again. A similar thing happens to Torchwood, Pepper-pult, and Fire Peashooter.
 * It seems to be a reverse Ghost Pepper, as Ghost Pepper does damage, then explodes, while Lava Guava explodes, then does damage.
 * Likewise, Lava Guava is listed as male, while Ghost Pepper is listed as female in the almanac.
 * Lava Guava can get crushed by the Pianist Zombie and Troglobite, but only before it erupts.
 * Excavator Zombie sometimes attempts to attack Lava Guava with his shovel. This also happens to Stunion.
 * In the 3.6.1 update, Lava Guava's splash damage effect was delayed and takes a few seconds more to hurt the zombies.
 * As of the 3.8.1 update, the delay was removed.
 * Its seed packet was also changed to its in-game texture in the 3.6.1 update.
 * The only slowing effect that it works with is Red Stinger's Plant Food effect and Stallia's effect.
 * One of Lava Guava's costume is a lei, which is a string of flowers and is 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 also a volcano.
 * Its alternate red bandana costume is similar to Kernel-pult's red bandana costume.
 * On June 26, 2015, Lava Guava's gem cost was permanently changed from 129 to 99 gems. A price drop also occured to Hurrikale in a subsequent.
 * Turquoise Skull Zombie can kill an idling Lava Guava using its burning attack.
 * As of the 3.8.1 update, Lava Guava can get eaten if it is planted behind a blocked zombie, similarly to how zombies can eat defensive plants from behind.