A costume changer can be used to set whether the plant would wear its costume or not, except for the limited-time costumes of Sunflower, Peashooter, and Wall-nut. It can also change the costumes of the plants if there were more than one costume obtained. Depending on the costume, costumes could be obtained in piñatas, Señor Piñata, Mystery Gift Boxes, or the store (prior to the 5.7.1 update, but returned in 6.5.1).
2.9: The costume changer was released alongside three new obtainable Halloween costumes for Bonk Choy, Repeater, and Kernel-pult.
3.1: Six of the previously unused costumes became obtainable through Piñata Parties in the duration of the Feastivus timeline. All of the Big Wave Beach costumes (excluding Banana Launcher), Homing Thistle, and Sweet Potato's costumes were also added.
3.4: Costumes for all plants missing them since Banana Launcher, excluding Ghost Pepper, Sweet Potato, Pepper-pult and Dandelion, were released, along with Spring-themed costumes for Bonk Choy, Twin Sunflower, Snapdragon, and Kernel-pult made specifically for the Springening event.
April 15, 2015: a new costume for Bonk Choy and some existing costumes of plants were released to the shop.
3.5: Special costumes for Cabbage-pult, Bonk Choy, Kernel-pult, Snapdragon, and Lightning Reed were added to commemorate Plants vs. Zombies' 6th birthday.
3.8: Summer-themed costumes for Repeater, Lightning Reed, Tall-nut, Winter Melon, and Pepper-pult were released for the Summer Nights event. Costumes for Stallia, Gold Leaf, and Strawburst were also added.
5.0.1: Comes with Explode-O-Nut's costume, alongside Snapdragon's unused stovepipe hat costume, the Summer Nights costumes for Repeater, Lightning Reed, Tall-nut, Winter Melon, and Pepper-pult.
^ = Limited-time costume (these costumes are automatically worn during the event and will be removed once the event has ended) ^^ = Costume that the player can keep
Some plants' costumes may make references to other media or their respective Almanac entry. For more information, see the Trivia section of each individual article.
In the Chinese version, the Sunflower, Peashooter, and Wall-nut now have permanent costumes, while some of other the plants have different costumes (Bloomerang, Split Pea, Citron, etc.), some plants' costumes are the same as they are in the international version (Iceberg Lettuce, Potato Mine, Lightning Reed, etc.), and some plants do not have a costume at all (Jalapeno, Power Lily, Tile Turnip, etc.).
In the Chinese version, starting with the 1.2.0 update, there are 24 plants' costumes that the player gets from daily Yeti battles. Each costume affects the Plant Food ability, making them better.
If the player exits a level with a plant without a costume planted in that level and gets that plant's costume at a Piñata Party, when the level is reentered, the already-planted plants will not have that plant's costume, but newly-planted ones will.
In the Chinese version, during the 1.1 update, costumes are the first time reward in Zombot battles and Gargantuar battles.
Starting from the 2.9 update, with the exception of Peashooter, Sunflower, and Wall-nut, plants that have costumes will have their portrait in their Almanac entry and the seed selection screen covered with what appears to be glass.
As of the 4.6 update, all Almanac portraits are covered with this class substance, regardless if it is a plant or zombie.
Some plants, such as the Lily Pad and Spring Bean, have feminine costumes, despite being referred to as male.
The costume shop gives the costumes names and descriptions.
It also refers to Sun-shroom as female, despite it being mainly referred to as male in its almanac entry.
Some costumes in the Chinese version are unused costumes from the international version.