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For other uses, see Cattail (disambiguation).

Cattail is a plant in Plants vs. Zombies. It attacks zombies by firing homing spikes at the nearest zombie to it.

It is an upgrade for the Lily Pad and becomes available to purchase before playing Level 4-5. It costs $10,000 to buy from Crazy Dave's Twiddydinkies and 225 sun to upgrade Lily Pad in the Pool. It fires two spikes at the same speed of a Repeater and can pop the balloons of Balloon Zombies, who it prioritizes over all other zombies when they are still airborne.

Suburban Almanac entry[]

Nekotail
Cattail
Cattails can attack at any lane and shoot down balloon zombies too.
Must be planted on lily pads
"Woof!" says Cattail. "Woof woof woof!
Does this confuse you? Do you expect me
to say 'Meow' like a cat because the
word 'cat' is in my name and I also look like
a cat? That's not how things work
around here. I refuse to be pigeonholed."
Cost: 225 Recharge: very slow

Strategies[]

Because a single Cattail can cover all six lanes and have the damage and rate of fire of a Repeater, it makes a good early defensive plant. It also prioritizes Balloon Zombies and helps deal with Digger Zombies and Imps. However, they are easily overran because they cover all six lanes and when there aren't any Balloon Zombies, go after the zombie that's closest to them. For example, a Cattail may be targeting a Conehead Zombie, then a Pole Vaulting Zombie that overtakes the Conehead and becomes even closer, letting the Conehead Zombie go on unhindered. Also, all of your Cattails will typically fire at the same target (except for under certain conditions). While this makes Cattails a very powerful plant in the right circumstances (a large number of them can even kill a Gargantuar in a short amount of time), it also means relying on them as your sole attacking plant is a bad idea.

It is a good idea to use Cattails in large numbers in Survival Mode that take place in Pool or Fog, as they do well against Balloon Zombies. Do not forget to back them up with more consistent firing plants, such as Repeaters or Melon-pults.

Cattails can be very useful in large numbers as they can destroy zombies rather quickly and will be able to save space in other lanes. However, the fact that they are only available in Pool and Fog limits their utility.

Related achievements[]

Pool's closed
Pool's Closed
Complete a pool level without using aquatic plants.
Morticulturalist
Morticulturalist
Collect all 49 plants.
Book Learner
The Complete Zombie2
The Complete Zombie
You've won every trophy, climbed every mountain, defeated every zombie, planted every plant. Congratulations!

Gallery[]

Plants vs. Zombies Wiki has a gallery for Cattail.
Cattail1
Visit this page to see it.
Cattail1

In other languages[]

Please note that only official translations are used.

Language Name Description
United States of America English Cattail
China Simplified Chinese 猫尾草
Taiwan Traditional Chinese 貓尾草
The Netherlands Dutch Kattenstaart
France French Jonc
Germany German Katzenschwanz
Italy Italian Coda di gatto
Japan Japanese キャットテール
Russia Russian Рогоз
Spain Spanish Rabo de gato (Original PC and Nintendo DS versions)
Cola de Gato (GotY version)
"Cat tail"
"Cat Tail"


Trivia[]

  • Its leaves' filenames in the game are Cat_paw1.png, Cattail_paw2.png and Cattail_paw3.png.
  • It is the only upgrade plant that is aquatic and is also the only offensive upgrade plant that upgrades from an unoffensive plant. It is also the only aquatic plant that needs to be planted on Lily Pad.
  • It can be downgraded to a Lily Pad if the player has a Pumpkin on it and tries to dig it up, as that would cause the Pumpkin to fall into the water otherwise. Bungee Zombies can also downgrade it with a Pumpkin. This makes it the only plant to be able to downgrade.
  • It is the most expensive aquatic plant, costing 225 (25 extra for Lily Pad) sun with a 250 sun total. However, this value can rise in Survival: Endless due to the increasing price of upgrade plants.
  • During the ending credits of Zombies on Your Lawn, it is shown next to Laura Shigihara's name. She says it is because it is her favorite plant.
  • When a zombie is defeated, the spikes from Cattails are still aiming for the same direction, it won't damage the zombie behind the defeated one (unlike some other projectiles, which hit the zombies at the back).
  • Its spikes move even slower than Cactus'.
  • It and Lily Pad are the only aquatic plants that can have a Pumpkin on them.
  • Its spikes on the Nintendo DS version of the game will sometimes miss the zombies and keep circling it up until it dies, as well as not target zombies, but rather fly straight ahead and rotate slowly.
  • It has the longest range among the shooting plants.
  • It can fire in the most directions. The plant that fires in the second most directions is Gloom-shroom (eight) and the third is Starfruit (five).
  • Despite the fact it can pop Balloon Zombie's balloon, Cattail is unlisted as a weakness of Balloon Zombies in the Suburban Almanac entry.
  • It won't aim at a Snorkel Zombie when it's underwater. However, it can fire anywhere on the screen and will aim at Balloon Zombies. This is possibly because it can't see it. It may also be because it can't fire at it as the Cattail might not be able to fire heights that low.
Cattail-pole vaulting

A spike turning around to hit the Pole Vaulting Zombie

  • When a Cattail is targeting a Pole Vaulting Zombie and the zombie vaults, the spikes will act as it would if the zombie already died, but when the Pole Vaulting Zombie lands, the spike will turn around and attack the zombie again.
    • This also happens when a Balloon Zombie loses its balloon or when a Dolphin Rider Zombie loses its dolphin.
  • In the mini-game Heavy Weapon, its tail is tinted pink instead of brown.
  • It can support a Pumpkin even though the Pumpkin looks like it is floating.
    • This is because it is an upgraded version of Lily Pad and Lily Pad's function is to support plants on water.
  • The player can't plant a Cattail on a Lily Pad occupied by a plant besides a Pumpkin on it.
  • If it is planted in the very front rows, its spike can't home into zombies.
  • It won't attack unless there are zombies in the second column or farther.
  • In some versions, when a zombie targeted by a Cattail isn't killed by it, the spikes fired targeting the dead zombie may circle around the dead zombie's death location. This behavior has rarely seen in the most recent Android update.
  • It has a counterpart in Plants vs. Zombies 2, which is the Homing Thistle. The only difference between the two is that Cattail fires two spikes dealing 20 damage each, while Homing Thistle only fires one spike, but dealing 40 damage each.
  • It seems to act like a normal plant on a Lily Pad, as they can't plant anymore plants on it and it can support a Pumpkin.
  • Even if it can hit zombies from the back, it will still damage Screen Door Zombie's screen door, even if the projectile hits Screen Door Zombie's back.
  • Its spikes used to turn in the Android version, but they don't anymore.
  • Its crushed sprite only appears when the Ducky Tube Squash Zombie, Zomboni, Catapult Zombie, Gargantuar and Giga-gargantuar crushes the Cattail.

See also[]

View · Edit
Plants (Tower defense)
L · G
Plants vs. Zombies
Day Peashooter · Sunflower · Cherry Bomb · Wall-nut · Potato Mine · Snow Pea · Chomper · Repeater
Night Puff-shroom · Sun-shroom · Fume-shroom · Grave Buster · Hypno-shroom · Scaredy-shroom · Ice-shroom · Doom-shroom
Pool Lily Pad · Squash · Threepeater · Tangle Kelp · Jalapeno · Spikeweed · Torchwood · Tall-nut
Fog Sea-shroom · Plantern · Cactus · Blover · Split Pea · Starfruit · Pumpkin · Magnet-shroom
Roof Cabbage-pult · Flower Pot · Kernel-pult · Coffee Bean · Garlic · Umbrella Leaf · Marigold · Melon-pult
Upgrades Gatling Pea · Twin Sunflower · Gloom-shroom · Cattail · Winter Melon · Gold Magnet · Spikerock · Cob Cannon
Others Imitater · Explode-o-nut · Giant Wall-nut · Reverse Repeater · Giant Sunflower · Giant Marigold · Sprout · Tree of Wisdom
Plants vs. Zombies: Endless Edition
Heroes Iron Man Nut · Wukong Pea · Pig Squash · Nut Wujing · Monk Flower · Nezha Shooter
The Zombies Are Coming Peashooter · Sunflower · Cherry Bomb · Wall-nut · Potato Mine · Snow Pea · Chomper · Repeater
Nightfall Puff-shroom · Sun-shroom · Fume-shroom · Grave Buster · Hypno-shroom · Scaredy-shroom · Ice-shroom · Doom-shroom
Backyard Emergency Lily Pad · Squash · Threepeater · Tangle Kelp · Jalapeno · Spikeweed · Torchwood · Tall-nut
Fog Sea-shroom · Plantern · Cactus · Blover · Split Pea · Starfruit · Pumpkin · Magnet-shroom
Roof Battle Cabbage-pult · Flower Pot · Kernel-pult · Coffee Bean · Garlic · Umbrella Leaf · Marigold · Melon-pult
Fight the Sea Demons Oxygen Algae · Sea Starfruit · Bramble Sea Grass
Brave the Dragon's Palace Water Gun Grass
Upgrades Gatling Pea · Twin Sunflower · Gloom-shroom · Cattail · Winter Melon · Gold Magnet · Spikerock · Cob Cannon
Others Imitater · Explode-o-nut · Giant Wall-nut · Electric Anemone · Strong Cauliflower · Machine Gun Pomegranate · Carrotillery · Oak Archer · Ghost Pepper · Laser Bean · Dandelion · Snapdragon · Bonk Choy
Plants vs. Zombies: Social Edition
Normal Peashooter · Sunflower · Cherry Bomb · Wall-nut · Potato Mine · Chomper · Repeater · Puff-shroom · Scaredy-shroom · Snow Pea · Sun-shroom · Fume-shroom · Grave Buster · Lily Pad · Squash · Spikeweed · Tangle Kelp · Torchwood · Sea-shroom · Jalapeno · Coffee Bean · Tall-nut · Pumpkin · Magnet-shroom · Blover · Melon-pult · Cactus
Premium Pickled Pepper · Icy Fume-shroom · Fire-shroom · Flamewood · Vine-nut · Gatling Pea · Twin Sunflower · Gloom-shroom · Winter Melon · Super Chomper · Future Star · Calm Chuck
Plants vs. Zombies Adventures
>Normal Peashooter · Sunflower · Aspearagus · Wall-nut · Cherry Bomb · Popcorn · Beet · Snow Pea · Jalapeño · Magnet Plant · Flaming Pea · Shamrock · Bamboo Shoot · Repeater · Chilly Pepper · Twin Sunflower
VIPs Sweet Pea · Beeshooter · Hard-nut · Acespearagus · Power Flower · Beetboxer · Ice Queen Pea · Shamrockstar · Bamboom
Others Trees
Plants vs. Zombies 2
Player's House Peashooter · Sunflower · Wall-nut · Potato Mine · Cabbage-pult
Ancient Egypt Bloomerang · Iceberg Lettuce · Grave Buster · Bonk Choy · Repeater · Twin Sunflower
Pirate Seas Kernel-pult · Snapdragon · Spikeweed · Spring Bean · Coconut Cannon · Threepeater · Spikerock · Cherry Bomb
Wild West Split Pea · Chili Bean · Pea Pod · Lightning Reed · Melon-pult · Tall-nut · Winter Melon
Frostbite Caves Hot Potato · Pepper-pult · Chard Guard · Stunion · Rotobaga
Lost City Red Stinger · A.K.E.E. · Endurian · Stallia · Gold Leaf
Far Future Laser Bean · Blover · Citron · E.M.Peach · Infi-nut · Magnifying Grass · Tile Turnip
Dark Ages Sun-shroom · Puff-shroom · Fume-shroom · Sun Bean · Magnet-shroom
Neon Mixtape Tour Phat Beet · Celery Stalker · Thyme Warp · Garlic · Spore-shroom · Intensive Carrot
Jurassic Marsh Primal Peashooter · Primal Wall-nut · Perfume-shroom · Primal Sunflower · Primal Potato Mine
Big Wave Beach Lily Pad · Tangle Kelp · Bowling Bulb · Guacodile · Banana Launcher
Modern Day Moonflower · Nightshade · Shadow-shroom · Dusk Lobber · Grimrose
Premium
Money Snow Pea · Power Lily · Imitater · Chomper · Toadstool · Strawburst · Cactus · Electric Blueberry · Jack O' Lantern · Grapeshot · Cold Snapdragon · Escape Root · Gold Bloom · Wasabi Whip · Apple Mortar · Witch Hazel · Parsnip · Missile Toe · Caulipower · Electric Peashooter · Holly Barrier
Gems Squash · Jalapeno · Hypno-shroom · Pea-nut · Homing Thistle · Ghost Pepper · Sweet Potato · Sap-fling · Hurrikale · Fire Peashooter · Lava Guava · Shrinking Violet · Electric Currant · Kiwibeast
Mints Fila-mint · Pepper-mint · Winter-mint · Reinforce-mint · Bombard-mint · Ail-mint · Enchant-mint · Contain-mint · Enforce-mint · Arma-mint · Conceal-mint · Spear-mint · Appease-mint
Seed packets Torchwood · Starfruit · Dandelion · Blooming Heart · Bombegranate · Explode-O-Nut · Aloe · Hot Date · Solar Tomato · Enlighten-mint · Shadow Peashooter · Goo Peashooter · Sling Pea · Snap Pea · Zoybean Pod · Electrici-tea · Dazey Chain · Blastberry Vine · Pokra · Imp Pear · Pyre Vine · Pumpkin · Ice Bloom · Dartichoke · Ultomato · Gumnut · Shine Vine · Tumbleweed · Olive Pit · Puffball · Explode-o-Vine · Murkadamia Nut · Turkey-pult · Headbutter Lettuce · Boingsetta · Stickybomb Rice · Hocus Crocus · Gloom Vine · Draftodil · Boom Balloon Flower · Pea Vine · Inferno · Solar Sage · Power Vine · Noctarine · Heath Seeker · Iceweed · Tiger Grass · Teleportato Mine · Blockoli · Buttercup · Bramble Bush · Rhubarbarian · Mega Gatling Pea · Levitater · Tomb Tangler · Vamporcini · Meteor Flower · Chilly Pepper · Bun Chi · Bzzz Button · BoomBerry · MayBee · SeaFlora · Scaredy-shroom · Bamboo Spartan · Sundew Tangler · Bean Sprout · Nightcap · Cran Jelly · Bud'uh Boom · Ice-shroom · Dragon Bruit · Electric Peel
Others Marigold
Plants vs. Zombies 2 (Chinese version)
Ancient Egypt Peashooter · Sunflower · Wall-nut · Cabbage-pult · Bloomerang · Iceberg Lettuce · Grave Buster · Bonk Choy · Repeater · Twin Sunflower · Snow Pea · Cherry Bomb · Torchwood
Pirate Seas Kernel-pult · Snapdragon · Power Lily · Spikeweed · Spring Bean · Coconut Cannon · Spikerock · Lightning Reed · Tall-nut
Wild West Threepeater · Squash · Split Pea · Chili Bean · Jalapeno · Pea Pod · Melon-pult · Winter Melon · Imitater
Kongfu World Resistant Radish · Fire Gourd · Heavenly Peach · Bamboo Shoot
Far Future Laser Bean · Blover · Citron · E.M.Peach · Infi-nut · Magnifying Grass · Tile Turnip · Starfruit
Dark Ages Hypno-shroom · Sun-shroom · Puff-shroom · Fume-shroom · Sun Bean · Pea-nut · Magnet-shroom · Oak Archer · Coffee Bean · Plantern
Big Wave Beach Acid Lemon · Lotus Pod · Lily Pad · Bowling Bulb · Banana Launcher · Guacodile · Tangle Kelp · Homing Thistle
Frostbite Caves Hurrikale · Fire Peashooter · Hot Potato · Pepper-pult · Chard Guard · Stunion · Rafflesia · Whirlwind Acorn
Sky City Rotobaga · Loquat · Asparagus · Saucer · Horsebean · Groundcherry · Anthurium · Pineapple
Lost City Lava Guava · Red Stinger · A.K.E.E. · Stallia · Gold Leaf · Toadstool · Jackfruit
Neon Mixtape Tour Morning Glory · Phat Beet · Thyme Warp · Celery Stalker · Spore-shroom · Garlic · Intensive Carrot · Cactus
Jurassic Marsh Primal Peashooter · Primal Wall-nut · Perfume-shroom · Primal Sunflower · Primal Potato Mine · Primal Rafflesia · Dino-Roar Grass · Timid Thorns · Sugarcane Master
Modern Day Shadow-shroom · Caulipower · Moonflower · Grimrose · Nightshade · Dusk Lobber · Blooming Heart
Steam Age Gold Bloom · Flat-shroom · Maypop Mechanic · Lotus Shooter · Wind-Blowing Vanilla · Lily of Pharmacy · Mulberry Blaster
Renaissance
Age
Aloe · Bearberry Mortar · Wax Gourd Guard · Oily Olive · Jeweler Pomegranate · Dartichoke
Heian Age Dripping Diphylleia · Stephania · Tupistra‎ Stalker · Dendrobium Windbreak · Chef Cypripedium‎‎ · Boophone Geigi‎
Fairytale Forest Ents · Heath Seeker · Hat Mushroom · Hocus Crocus · Princess Spring Grass · Bamboo Trooper
Monthly special Pyro-shroom · Carrotillery · Cryo-shroom · Dandelion · Strong Broccoli · Machine Gun Pomegranate · Chomper · Sweet Potato · Landlord Bamboo · Sap-fling · Ghost Pepper · Chestnut Squad · Bamboo Bro · Rose Swordfighter · Magic-shroom · Electric Blueberry · Mischief Radish · Endurian · Pumpkin Witch · Sunflower Singer · Snow Cotton · Agave · Kiwifruit · Pretty Plum · Dragonfruit · Angel Starfruit · Gatling Pea · Banksia Boxer · Flame Flower Queen · Cattail · Grapeshot · Cold Snapdragon · Shrinking Violet · Cob Cannon · Apple Mortar · Witch Hazel · Escape Root · Electric Currant · White Melon Sumo Wrestler · Wasabi Whip · Explode-O-Nut · Parsnip · Missile Toe · Kiwibeast · Electric Peashooter · Hot Date · Icy Currant · Tulip Trumpeter · Eggplant Ninja · Banana Dancer · Dual Pistol Pinecone · Narcissus Shooter · Alarm Explosive Arrowhead · Holly Barrier · Shadow Peashooter · Snap Pea · Crystal Orchid · Sling Pea · Thunder Snapdragon · Electrici-tea · Imp Pear · Strawburst · Egret Flower Plane · Goo Peashooter · Elaeocarpus-pult · Water Chestnut Brothers · Pokra · Dollarweed Drummer · Ultomato · Shadow Vanilla · Splendens Blade · Stickybomb Rice · Gumnut · Olive Pit · Earthstar Nuclear Silo · Headbutter Lettuce · Dazey Chain · Boom Balloon Flower · Celebration Soda Palm · Claw Gloriosa · Impatiens Shooter · Turkey-pult · Hammer Flower · Fishhook Grass · Mangosteen · Inferno · Tigerstool · Gardener Grass · Draftodil · Buttercup · Byttneria Meteor Hammer · Laser Crown Flower · Zoybean Pod · Orchid Mage · Jack O' Lantern · Twin Year of the Rabbits · Pea Pharmacist · Pike Hoya · Vamporcini · Burdock Batter · Pumpkin · Capaci-cone · Cranesbill Fencer · Meteor Flower · Gorgon Pitcher · Power Vine · Parkour Mandrake · Abyss Anemone · Abyss Devil's Claw · Hoya Heart · Pea Vine · MayBee · Oilseed-pult · Leaf-Blade Dracaena · Bamboo Spartan · Shine Vine · Sunshine Leek · Nightcap · Pyre Vine · Gluttonous Snapdragon · Bun Chi · Heliconia Gunner
Others Potato Mine · Flower Pot · 8-Bit Peashooter · Tactical Cuke
Hero Plants P-Mech Assembler - Flamestar
Removed Rotten Red
Plants vs. Zombies Online
Player's House Sunflower · Peashooter · Wall-nut · Potato Mine
Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Bruce Bamboo · Carrot Rocket · Pomegranate · Dandelion · Venus Flytrap · Wax Gourd · Sod
Ancient Egypt Bloomerang · Bonk Choy · Grave Buster · Iceberg Lettuce · Cabbage-pult
Pirate Seas Snapdragon · Spikeweed · Spring Bean · Kernel-pult · Coconut Cannon · Narcissus · Endurian · Spikerock · Pineapple-pult · Threepeater
Far Future Laser Bean · Blover · Citron · E.M.Peach · Tile Turnip · Ganoderma · Banana Tree · Nitro-shroom · Infi-nut · Magnifying Grass
East Sea Dragon Palace Oxygen Algae · Garlic · Bubble Flower · Electric Sea Pine
Upgrades Twin Sunflower · Repeater
VIPs Winter Melon
Power Ups Cherry Bomb · Jalapeno
Premium Squash · Snow Pea · Tall-nut
Adventure Mode only Magic Vine · Split Pea · Chili Bean · Lightning Reed · Pea Pod · Melon-pult · Starfruit · Chomper · Fire Peashooter · Cattail · Rose Swordfighter · Clivia · Sap-fling · Acid Lemon · Magic-shroom · Ghost Pepper · Guacodile · Hurrikale · Plantern · Oak Archer · Homing Thistle · Pepper-pult · Resistant Radish · Toadstool · Blooming Heart · Red Stinger · Electric Blueberry · A.K.E.E. · Moonflower · Agave · Asparagus · Pumpkin Witch · Mine Fruit · Sea Anemone · Lychee Drill · Sea Starfruit
Plants vs. Zombies 3
Neighborville Sunflower · Wall-Nut · Bamboo Shoots · Peashooter · Bonk Choy
Lost Keys Lake Lily Pad · Tangle Kelp · Squash
Mt. Quesogrande Chili Bean · Silversword · Cabbage-Pult
Power-Ups Grapes of Wrath · Chilly Pepper · Jalapeño · Cherry Bomb · Blover
Pre-2021 Puff-Shroom · Buttercup · Garlic · Potato Mine · Pushywillow · Chard Guard · Spikeweed · Kernel-Pult · Caramel Popcorn · Lightning Reed · Melon-Pult · Shuffle Truffle · Blockbuster · Butternut Squash · Ragweed · Sawgrass · Fire Peashooter · Pine Needler · Snow Pea · Night Cap · Aloe Vera · Sweet Potato · Hydrangea · Dogwood · Chomper · Flak Seed · Gravitree · Gloom-Shroom · Lemon-Aid · Starfruit · Snapdragon · Fairy Ring Mushroom · Kalestorm · Star Tree · Magic Beans
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