Scaredy-shroom

Scaredy-shroom is a long-range Mushroom similar to the Peashooter, only more cost effective. It is intended to be used during the night levels as an early defense. It is unique in that it hides when zombies get too close to it, preventing it from shooting without actually protecting it.

Suburban Almanac Entry
Scaredy-shroom 

Scaredy-shrooms are long-ranged shooters that hide when enemies get near them.

Damage: normal

Special: stops shooting when enemy is close

Sleeps during the day

"Who's there?" whispers Scaredy-shroom, voice barely audible. "Go away. I don't want to s ee  anybo  dy.  Unless it's the man from the circus."

Cost: 25

Recharge: fast

Usage
Scaredy-shrooms are really useful for early defenses, as an additional defense to work with Puff-shrooms. As they only cost 25 sun, Scaredy-shrooms can be planted early in the level, giving you coverage in a whole lane; its long range will be able to kill an incoming zombie and give you enough protection to keep planting Sun-shrooms or Sunflowers. However, if you use it on a day level, it will cost 100 sun, due to 75 additional Sun requirement for a Coffee Bean, making it obsolete as a Peashooter is better.

Strategy
Scaredy-shrooms are very helpful due to their low cost, high range and fast recharge time. In an extremely foggy level, it is reasonable to have Scaredy-shroom in your slot because it is the only long-ranged mushroom and it can locate the zombies covered with the fog by attacking them. Some people will be put off due to its rather set-backing ability to stop shooting when an enemy gets within a square of them in any direction, leaving it vulnerable to be eaten; however, they work best if they are planted behind other mushrooms or planted on the far left of your lanes - even behind Sun-shrooms. Just remember to not neglect the nearby lanes, seeing as they hide if a zombie gets close in any of the adjacent lanes. One Scaredy-shroom will be enough to kill a normal Zombie or Conehead Zombie if planted on the far left, which is really amazing for a plant that only costs 25 sun. Scaredy-shrooms also work very well in conjunction with Wall-nuts or Tall-nuts.

Notes: Don't bother with Scaredy-shrooms at all during the day, as Peashooters cost exactly the same (when you count the Coffee Bean), only take one seed slot, don't hide when enemies get close and their peas can be set on fire. Also with Imitaters, use Puff-shrooms instead. However, if you are attempting the Good Morning achievement, it is recommended to use these shrooms because of their low cost compared with other shrooms (when combined with the Coffee Beans), as long as they are placed as far left as possible.

Trivia

 * Digger Zombies, Bungee Zombies, and Balloon Zombies can scare the Scaredy-shroom while underground and in the air, respectively, despite their inability to eat it.
 * The Scaredy-shroom sweats and cries when it hides.
 * When a Scaredy-shroom is sleeping, its eyes cannot be seen.
 * However, sleeping Scaredy-shrooms have visibly open eyes in the Nintendo DS version.
 * This is the only mushroom that cries. However, it is not the only plant that cries, other plants that cry are the Tall-nut and Garlic.
 * This is the cheapest long-range plant, justified by it being a mushroom and having a bad ability that hides when zombies get near.
 * When on a Lily Pad, it will hide in the Lily Pad, even when it's not connected to any ground.
 * Scaredy-shroom's eyes get about 4-5 times larger when scared.
 * In the iPhone version, the Scaredy-shroom blinks its eyes when it's hiding.
 * Its seed packet in the iPad version has very small eyes and the eyes are a little higher than other versions.