Upgrades


 * If you were looking for plants in the original game which were planted on other plants for their effect, see Upgrade Plants.

There are 13 upgrades in Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time. Six are Power Ups (four in the Chinese version) and seven are bonuses.

Before the 1.9 update, there were three Power Ups: Power Pinch, Power Toss and Power Zap. Power Pinch was replaced by Power Snow. In the 3.1 update, Power Snow was switched with Power Flame, in levels exclusive to Frostbite Caves.

After the 2.7 update was released, three new Power Ups used only in Vasebreaker were introduced, they are: Reveal Vase, Butter Zombie and Move Vase.

Power Pinch
Description: Pinch the zombie to destroy it!

Cost: 800 coins

Duration: six seconds

Removed in the 1.9 update.

Power Toss
Description: Swipe the zombie to toss it around. Swipe it twice to send it off the screen!

Cost: 1200 coins

Duration: six seconds

Power Zap
Description: Hold your finger on a zombie to electrocute it!

Cost: 1000 coins

Duration: four seconds

Power Snow
Description: Hold your finger down on a zombie to throw chilling snowballs at it!

Cost: 1400 coins

Duration: six seconds

Added in the 1.9 update.

Switched with Power Flame in Frostbite Caves levels.

Power Flame
Description: Hold your finger down to thaw ice and burn zombies in Frostbite Caves!

Cost: 1500 coins

Duration: four seconds.

Added in the 3.2 update.

Exclusive to Frostbite Caves levels in place of the Power Snow.

Reveal Vase
Description: Reveals the contents of one Vase in Vasebreaker.

Cost: 200 coins

Duration: Unlimited per one vase

Butter Zombie
Description: Butters a single Zombie in Vasebreaker.

Cost: 300 coins

Duration: N/A

Move Vase
Description: Relocates a Vase in Vasebreaker.

Cost: 400 coins

Duration: N/A

Cuke
Unlocked: First time playing Ancient Egypt - Day 2 (Chinese version)

Description: Explodes across the screen by eliminating all the zombies that are on the screen.

Cost: 15 diamonds

Duration: Instant

Plant Food Boost
Unlocked: Mummy Memory (pre-1.7); after completing Ancient Egypt - Day 17 (1.7 and above)

Description: Hold onto one more Plant Food during a level!

Sun Boost
Unlocked: Last Stand (pre-1.7); After completing Ancient Egypt - Day 21 (1.7 and above)

Description: Start with 25 extra sun in the bank!

Shovel Boost
Unlocked: Cannons Away (pre-1.7); After completing Pirate Seas - Day 12 (1.7 and above)

Description: Get an additional 25% of sun cost back when shoveling up plants!

Extra Seed Slot
Unlocked: Last Stand (pre-1.7); After completing Pirate Seas - Day 21 (1.7 and above)

Description: Lets you choose another plant type every level!

Wall-nut First Aid
Unlocked: Save Our Seeds (pre-1.7); after completing Wild West - Day 15 (1.7 and above)

Description: Fully repair damaged defensive plants by planting on top of them.

Instant Recharge
Unlocked: Not OK Corral (pre-1.7); After completing Wild West - Day 20 (1.7 and above)

Description: Instantly refresh a seed packet by dragging and dropping Plant Food on it.

Shovel Perk
Unlocked: Last Stand (pre-1.7); after completing Wild West - Day 11 (1.7 and above)

Description: Get an additional 25% of sun cost back when shoveling up plants!

Mower Launch
Unlocked: After completing Day 20

Description: Manually launch one mower by tapping and holding!

Sun Bonus
Price: $3.99

Description: Start with 25 extra sun in the bank!

Plant Food Bonus
Price: $2.99

Description: Hold onto one more Plant Food during a level!

Shovel Bonus
Price: $2.99

Description: Get an additional 25% of sun cost back when shoveling up plants!

Bonus Seed Slot
Price: $3.99

Description: Lets you choose another plant type every level!

Free Power-Ups:
There is a feature in the game that not many people get to see, this is the free power-ups ad. Once you fail a level continiously an ad will appear with a zombie hand reaching out from the sky and handing you a power up. A player can also expose this feature by saving an quitting a level over and over again.

Trivia

 * In the older versions of Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time, Power Ups and Plant Food could only be used once per level in Challenge Zones.
 * In Ancient Egypt - Day 5, the player cannot use any plants. Instead, he or she plays with Power Ups for free.
 * Power Ups are free in Ancient Egypt - Day 5 only.
 * However, the player can earn free Power Ups in Pinata Parties and in Endless Zones, starting with the 2.0.1 update.
 * It is also the first level where they can be used.
 * Power Flame is the most expensive Power Up.
 * In the 1.9 update, the Power Pinch was replaced with the Power Snow.
 * The Cuke is quite similar to the Doom-shroom, but has a bigger range and does not leave a crater, and it deals two instant kills' worth of damage.
 * The Power Pinch was originally going to cost 1600 coins.
 * The Power Toss does not work on Gargantuars, but they can be moved by it, and it can kill them when accompanied by a Blover, but it does not work at all on Imp Cannons, Zombie Kings, and Fisherman Zombies.
 * Dark Ages, Big Wave Beach, and Frostbite Caves are the only worlds that have no upgrades.
 * Power Toss can be used to toss hypnotized zombies, but they cannot be tossed off screen.
 * Butter Zombie is the only Power Up in Vasebreaker that affects the zombies. However, it does not deal any damage. It is also similar to Kernel-pult's butter.
 * In the 2.7.1 update, when the player feeds Plant Food to a plant, it does not work. Instead, the Instant Recharge works.
 * Power Flame's original cost was 1000 coins.
 * Cuke is the strongest upgrade and the first plant to be an upgrade.
 * Power Flame is the first new power-up to be exclusive for worlds.
 * Cuke can be accidentally pressed very easily. Even if you slide your finger across it, it activates. It is also impossible to upgrade the plant nearest to the Nuclear Cucumber in Fright Night Theatre.