Plant Food


 * For the version in Plants vs. Zombies Online, see Plant Food (PvZO).

"Plant Food is packed with vitamins and minerals. It's an essential part of a complete breakfast."

- Penny

Plant Food is a game mechanic in Plants vs. Zombies 2 that gives plants powerful effects. The effects are usually a much stronger display of their usual function, or is at least related to it. It is obtained by killing glowing green zombies, breaking tombstones with Plant Food in Dark Ages, planting on Power Tiles in Kung-Fu World, spending 1,000 coins, or planting a Power Lily. The player can carry three at a time at first, but an upgrade obtained in Ancient Egypt can increase this to four at a time; it can then be increased to five at a time via an in-app purchase. The player's current amount of Plant Food is represented by the lights on a bar at the bottom of the screen.

Plant Food effects can be short-term or long-term. Most plants have a short-term effect, which means that plants return to their initial planting state with full health once it ends. Long-term effects are characteristic for all defensive plants other than Sweet Potato and Chard Guard, along with Torchwood, Hypno-shroom, Sun Bean, and Cactus. Potato Mine, Chili Bean, Lily Pad, Celery Stalker, and White Radish are also specific because they spawn duplicates of themselves on the lawn. Some plants' effects last very shortly and serve to produce a unique projectile or utility. For example, Lightning Reed creates a thunderstorm cloud that becomes independent from the plant and will exist even if the plant gets killed. Citron's charged ball of plasma acts differently to any other projectile in the game, and can only be stopped by robotic zombies in Far Future. Finally, some Plant Food effects are completely different from the abilities of the plant. Using Plant Food on a Red Stinger will make it produce a focused laser that damages and slows down all the zombies in its lane, which is completely different from its usual function.

If a plant on a Power Tile is given Plant Food, other plants on the same type of tile will receive the boost too despite not being given Plant Food itself. This only occurs naturally in Far Future, but this can be achieved in any world by using Tile Turnip.

Another function of Plant Food is its ability to speed up the recharging of seed packets - when a Plant Food is dragged on top of a seed packet that is still recharging, it instantly becomes available for use. This can be especially useful for obtaining essential plants in emergency situations, such as instant-kills like Cherry Bomb, overcoming their slow recharge. This ability is unlocked after beating Wild West - Day 20.

The following plants do not have a Plant Food effect because they are single and instant-use plants:
 * Grave Buster
 * Power Lily
 * Cherry Bomb
 * Jalapeno
 * Blover
 * E.M.Peach
 * Tile Turnip
 * Hurrikale
 * Hot Potato
 * Gold Leaf
 * Thyme Warp
 * Intensive Carrot
 * Coffee Bean
 * Loquat

Effects
Plant Food

Trivia

 * In the Chinese version of Plants vs. Zombies 2, the Plant Food is a bean instead of a leaf. When Kung-Fu World was released, The leaf icon appeared as an energy mechanism image. This energy mechanism was however removed in the 1.2.0 update.
 * When Plant Food is used on a damaged plant, it is restored to full health. This includes non-defensive plants.
 * There is no reward to save Plant Food after the level ends, except in Endless Zones, in which the saved Plant Food can be used in the next level.
 * While plants are shining (using Plant Food), they are temporarily invincible and immune to shovels. This is similar to Heavenly Peach's Plant Food ability.
 * A boosted Tangle Kelp can still die from low tides in Big Wave Beach.
 * Some boosted plants in Big Wave Beach - Day 32 can still be eaten by school of sharks.
 * Plant Food fed plants can still be killed upon being squashed by a speaker in Neon Mixtape Tour - Day 32.
 * If the player digs up a Chili Bean, Potato Mine, Lily Pad, or Spore-shroom that was created via Plant Food, sun will not be given if they have Shovel Boost Upgrades. This may be because the player did not plant the extra plants, but rather the plants made them.
 * Though if you revive a Spore-shroom with Intensive Carrot, it will produce sun.
 * In Dark Ages - Night 20's dialogue, Dr. Zomboss said that Plant Food is made out of zombies. Penny later proved that Plant Food is not, but did so in a way that raised suspicion.
 * In the 2.7 update, Plant Food did not work properly, but instead used the Instant Recharge ability, which is otherwise unusable. This glitch was fixed in 2.8.3 version (2.9.1 on Android devices).
 * Knife-Wielding Swordsman is the only zombie that can kill plants while they are initiating their Plant Food effect. This may be a glitch.
 * There is a glitch when the player tries to gave Plant Food to Power Lily when the money bag drops, it will produce 2 Plant Foods at the same time.