Kernel-pult

The Kernel-pult is an offensive lobbed-shot plant available in Roof levels. It launches either small light-damage kernel or bigger double-damage butter which temporarily immobilizes zombies. Like other lobbed-shot plants, the Kernel-pult fires at a rate of 1/2x, meaning that the light or normal damage is relative to a Peashooters damage per second - kernels do the same damage as peas while butter does two peas of damage, but the zombies receive the damage half as often. Also like other lobbed-shot plants, the Kernel-pult can hit Snorkel Zombies while still in the water. The Kernel-pult along with its kernels are the species of zea mays or maize. Two Kernel-pults next to each other horizontally can be upgraded into a Cob Cannon.

Suburban Almanac Entry
Kernel-pult

Kernel-pults fling corn kernels and butter at zombies.

Damage: light (kernel), normal (butter)

Range: lobbed

Special: butter immobilizes zombies

Kernel-pult is the eldest of the Pult brothers. Of the three of them, Kernel is the only one who consistently remembers the others' birthdays. He bugs them about it a little, too.

Cost: 100

Recharge: fast

Strategy
The Kernel-pult is best used in conjunction with other lobbed-shot plants (including other Kernel-pults), since it does not do a good amount of damage reliably. They are also good when used in conjunction with Spikeweeds or Spikerocks since if they freeze the zombie while it is standing on the Spikeweed/Spikerock, the zombie will take large amounts of damage from the Spikeweed/Spikerock.

A Kernel-pult requires a bit of luck as the only reason why it can be useful is it has the chance to stun with butter while a kernel does hardly any damage and you would be better off with a Cabbage-pult.

This lobbed-shot plant is more useful than the Cabbage-pult overall, since it can stun, but if you want a better one, go for the Melon-pult. This plant is best used to increase the effective damage output of other plants; it can slow the zombies, giving your plants more time to deal damage. At the beginning of a level, plant a Cabbage-pult and then two Kernel-pults; when two or three are used in a single row the zombies get buttered much more frequently.

It is especially important during Roof levels as the incline of the Roof will upset the firing of peas, spores, etc. It can also hit Screen Door Zombie and Ladder Zombies over their doors and ladders, and Snorkel Zombies while they're underwater. It prioritizes Gargantuars over other zombies, making this a useful weapon against it.

It is best to use a combination of Cabbage-pults, Kernel-pults, then Melon-pults. It is a good idea to eventually replace Cabbage-pults with Melon-pults, and then with Winter Melons.

I, Zombie
Because of the inconsistency of Butter throwings, it is easy to underestimate or overestimate the power of a Kernel-pult. One Kernel-pult near the back would prove to being very hard to deal with, especially if Digger Zombies cannot eat it. Consider either doubling up your Zombies or using a stronger Zombie (Football Zombie, Dancing Zombie, Buckethead Zombie) instead in rows with Kernel-pults. In rows with more than one Kernel-pult, consider Digger Zombie instead of head-on assault.

Trivia

 * An eyebrow-less and catapult-less Kernel-pult can be seen in the Character Menu on the official Plants vs. Zombies website.
 * In the old iPod Touch and iPhone versions of the game, there is also an image of an eyebrowless Kernel-pult on the seed packet. However, the actual Kernel-pult does have eyebrows.
 * A zombie with butter on its head appears in the promotional music video Zombies on Your Lawn.
 * The Kernel-pult throws butter because people sometimes out it on their corn.
 * The Kernel-pult that fires two different kinds of projectiles.
 * The Kernel-pult has the weakest projectile of all Lobbed-shot Plants.
 * Like with other catapult plants, if a Zombie is directly in front of a Kernel-pult, the kernel or butter will hit the zombie instantly instead of flying up in the air.
 * If a zombie has butter on its head while you enter the code "dance", it will not dance but instead pose in a frame of the dance until the butter wears off.
 * The Kernel-pult is the only lobbed-shot plant which looks different than its projectile.
 * All Lobbed-shot Plants have a different stem from each other. The Kernel-pult has a zigzag stem.
 * The Kernel-pult has different leaves than the Cabbage-pult and Melon-pult. Instead of having regular leaves, Kernel-pults have corn stalks.
 * In the Mini-game Invisi-ghoul, the Kernel-pult tends to shoot more butter than kernels.
 * This is possibly because the difficulty of the Mini-game, or so you can see the zombies. This is also the reason why you get the Ice-shroom and why it happens in the nighttime pool.
 * It is also possible that this is a coincidence.
 * In the DS version, the Kernel-pult's butter sometimes sticks to the zombie's hair or jaw, rather then it's head.
 * The Kernel-pult's common projectile is the smallest projectile.
 * If there is a zombie that bites a Garlic and the Kernel-pult throws a butter the will show the disgusted face while it's paralyzed by the butter.
 * It is the only freezing plant which does not use ice, making a good choice with flaming peas as they won't remove the freeze effect, although butter can melt easily.
 * The butter, except in Invisi-ghoul, is only thrown when a zombie gets near a plant, which means that it can still survive when a zombie is right in front of it and it's the only attacking plant in the row.
 * The Butter is the only projectile that remains visible after hitting the Zombie, not counting fumes.
 * The Kernel-pult and Cabbage-pult is a great combo to kill a Conehead Zombie.
 * In Versus Mode, it is unknown why kernel and butter can destroy Zombie Gravestones.
 * If a Kernel-pult is about to lob butter, but is squashed, the squashed Kernel-pult will have a kernel in it instead of butter.
 * The DS Kernel-pult has thicker eyebrows than in other versions.
 * The Kernel-pult the player uses seems to have a slim chance for it to lob butter but the Kernel-pult in I, Zombie has a greater chance to lob butter.
 * The Kernel-pult and the Cob Cannon are the only grains in the game.
 * Kernel-pults seem to butter stronger Zombies more than weaker ones.
 * This is the only Lobbed-shot plant in I, Zombie.
 * When choosing where to plant it in the Xbox Live Arcade version, butter can be seen in the basket.