Apple Mortar

Apple Mortar is a premium plant in Plants vs. Zombies 2, released in the 5.3 update. It attacks by lobbing apple cores in three lanes, in a similar manner as a Threepeater or a powered Dusk Lobber. These apple cores deal damage and stun zombies for half a second.

Almanac entry
Sun cost: 250

DAMAGE: Moderate AREA: 3x3 RECHARGE: Mediocre

Apple Mortar lobs apple cores that damage and briefly stun zombies over three lanes.

Apple Mortar stuns three zombies dead in their tracks. SPAF! That'll show 'em! That'll show ALL of them!

Origins
Its name is most likely a reference to the 2-inch Medium Mortar, also known as the "Toffee Apple" due to its shape when loaded with a bomb.

Plant Food effect
When fed Plant Food, Apple Mortar lobs big apples at every zombies on screen. These apples stun zombies and do varying amount of damages, depending on how many zombies are on screen. It can deal anywhere from 2.5 to 5 normal damage shots.

Strategies
Though Apple Mortar looks weak at first, Apple Mortar can be a potent threat if given enough support. Apple Mortar is great for handling small groups of zombies, and can stall single zombies indefinitely if there are lots of Apple Mortars. However, Apple Mortar struggles to keep up in horde situations. Stalling plants like Hurrikale and Chard Guard are good choices to take with Apple Mortar, since they help to keep zombies away from Apple Mortar. Area-of-effect plants such as Laser Bean, Fume-shroom, and Snapdragon also works well with Apple Mortar, as the area damage makes it much easier for Apple Mortar to stun-lock and defeat several zombies at once.

In Jurassic Marsh, Apple Mortar is a great plant to use during the start of levels, because of the coverage it can provide for multiple lanes at a relatively low sun cost. This can help to fight against the early swarms of weak zombies that Jurassic Marsh likes to send out. It is highly recommended to bring Hurrikale and Perfume-shroom, to help to deal with dinosaurs and any zombies that get thrown into your defense.

Avoid using Apple Mortar against Jester Zombies and Parasol Zombies, since they will deflect Apple Mortar's projectiles.

In Endless Zones, Apple Mortar can be used as a setup offensive plant to hold off zombies while building up sun-production, and can transition into a good support plant later on. It is not recommended to use Apple Mortar as the only offensive plant in Endless Zones though, as the high amounts of zombies that come in later levels will give Apple Mortar an incredibly difficult time. An alternative to use in higher levels is Sap-fling, however the trade-off is offense for more defense.

Trivia

 * It is the first apple-based plant in Plants vs. Zombies 2.
 * Not counting the unnamed computer apples in L.E.A.F. headquarters in Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2, it also makes it the first plant based on an apple to appear in international games.
 * It bears a striking resemblance to A.K.E.E.
 * Coincidentally, most of Apple Mortar's sounds are recycled from A.K.E.E.'s.
 * It, Dusk Lobber, Homing Thistle, Pea-nut, Pepper-pult and Dandelion are the only projectile-shooting plants that do not have a fast recharge speed.
 * It is one of three premium lobbed-shot plants, the others being Sap-fling and Blooming Heart.
 * An advertisement for it references the legend of how Sir Isaac Newton began his work on gravity. Supposedly, Newton was sitting under an apple tree and was hit by a falling apple. The apple caused him to wonder why things fall, thus beginning his interest in gravity.