Escape Root

Escape Root is a premium plant in Plants vs. Zombies 2 which is tied with Modern Day Part 2. When planted, it will take ten seconds to arm itself before emerging from the ground. Afterwards, it will transform into either a Potato Mine, a Cherry Bomb, a Grapeshot or a Primal Potato Mine upon contact with a zombie. Its normal price is $6.99.

The player can switch its place with another plant by simply tapping it, and then the plant the player wishes to swap; doing so will also instantly arm the plant. It is classified as an underground plant, and cannot be planted on the planks in the Pirate Seas, and in the minecarts in Wild West. It also cannot switch places with plants on water tiles in Big Wave Beach.

Origins
Escape Root is a portmanteau of "escape route" and "root." Its name refers to its main ability; to swap places with a selected plant, thus helping the plant escape from danger.

Its yellow miner hat costume is a reference to the fact that it is an underground plant capable of digging.

Almanac entry
Sun cost: 50 Escape Roots explode on contact, and can be swapped with other plants that are in danger.

DAMAGE: Massive RANGE: Touch RECHARGE: Sluggish

Special: tap Escape Root and another plant to swap them

The other plants put on a big surprise party for Escape Root last week, but he did his thing and suddenly it was a surprise party...FOR THEM!

Plant Food effect
When fed Plant Food, Escape Root will summon two copies of itself next to a zombie one at a time that will turn into a random explosive plant. If there are no zombies, Escape Root will summon two explosives on itself. This is similar to the Plant Food effect of both the Potato Mine and the Chili Bean.

Costumed
When costumed and fed by Plant Food, Escape Root will summon three copies of itself instead of two that will turn into a random explosive plant.

Strategies
As its own name says, this plant can be used on some levels where there are large hordes so the player can protect a powerful plant, simply by swapping place with them. The player can use Sweet Potato to gather many zombies at a single place and later swap place with this plant in order to instantly destroy the zombies. Its more accurate efficiency if the zombies are all in a single square, since the explosion range of this plant is not much trustworthy.

A thing to remember about the Escape Root is that it can be swapped with plants multiple times. This is useful for moving a powerful plant in to another lane multiple times. As a result, this plant could be used as a minecart in other worlds and with plants that cannot be planted on minecarts.

The player could also use this well with Grimrose. If the player plants a Grimrose (which would be next to a Moonflower) on a lane with a zombie and no other zombies come, the player could use Escape Root to swap it to a lane where there are zombies.

Another strategy is to plant Escape Root where zombies will not be able to eat it, then placing a cheap plant such as a Sunflower near the zombies (but not too close) as something to switch with. Switch the plant and Escape Root. Since the Escape Root will automatically be armed and swapping positions, any zombie near it will blow up by either a Potato Mine, Primal Potato Mine, Cherry Bomb, or Grapeshot, all that can easily wreak havoc among zombies. Using plants such as Spikeweed and Spikerock to switch with is an excellent idea as well since they cannot be eaten.

Additionally, on levels with endangered plants, Escape Root can be used to move them to a safer place, defeating the purpose of the level. This is especially useful if the endangered plants are explosive plants, such as Potato Mines, and can easily die. Bringing the endangered plants to the back with offensive plants in front of them will help make sure the player have a higher chance of winning the level.

Trivia

 * Before the 4.6.2 update, it was not able to swap endangered plants.
 * There is a glitch where it does not spawn an explosive plant when a zombie is near. Instead, just as when it has not armed yet, it gets chewed on.
 * There is a glitch where Wizard Zombie can still transform plants being moved by Escape Root. This results in a sheep appearing on top of it. The plant that was turned into a sheep disappears after the Wizard Zombie dies, but it is left unaffected.
 * There is a glitch where a Gargantuar Prime is unable to destroy it. When this happens, the it is unable to transform. Every time the explosive plant is about to detonate, it is smashed and turns back into itself. This leads to the Gargantuar repeatedly smashing it.
 * If the player allows a zombie to arm it, but then drags it to an empty tile, it glitches and will be invincible to any zombie that does not destroy a plant. At this point it cannot be dug up nor can switch with another plant. Though it can still be swapped by a non-glitched Escape Root.
 * It is the third plant which can turn into another, with the first one being Imitater and the second being Intensive Carrot. It is also the first that doesn't turn into that other plant on planting.
 * If the player uses Plant Food on it when there is one zombie on the screen and there are no other zombies after he explodes, the boosted Escape Root will spawn another one on itself. After it explodes, the its dirt cannot be seen.
 * Like Potato Mine and Primal Potato Mine, it does not activate if a flying zombie hovers over it.
 * If a Plant Food fed Infi-nut switches places with Escape Root, the force field remains on the same place. Destroying or shoveling the Infi-nut does not remove the shield.
 * It is the only premium plant to be pre-picked for the player (not in Locked and Loaded levels).
 * It is the only explosive plant that does not self-destruct; rather, it goes away and leaves another plant to explode. However, the Almanac says it explodes.
 * In a level with a limited number of plants, when the number reaches the maximum number, the player will no longer be able to swap another plant using it. Its Plant Food ability will also spawn new Escape Roots only on itself.
 * It can be eaten just after it is finished swapping with another plant, causing it to not explode.
 * It is the first premium plant that is capable of spawning another premium plant, being Grapeshot. The second is Witch Hazel, which spawns Toadstool when fed Plant Food.

Specific to Chinese version

 * Exploding plants created by Escape Root will use the English text without translating into Chinese. It shares this trait with Mischief Radish's costumed Plant Food effect.
 * Its level 2 and level 3 upgrades are exactly the same as Primal Potato Mine.