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Homing Thistle is a gemium plant that was released in the 2.9.1 update of Plants vs. Zombies 2. He attacks in a way similar to the Cattail, shooting spikes (every 1.7 - 2 seconds) that home in (as the name implies) on the zombie nearest to the Player's House. However, Cattail shoots two spikes at a time with each spike dealing 20 damage, while Homing Thistle shoots one thistle instead with each thistle dealing 40 damage. He now costs 100 gems. Like Cattail, Homing Thistle's attack is triggered by a zombie appearing in any lane.
In the 3.4.4 update of the game, the accuracy of Homing Thistle's attack was changed. Instead of every needle hitting the leftmost zombie, they were much more inaccurate and would sometimes hit random zombies or even go off the lawn without hitting anything. Sometimes after he had destroyed a zombie, he would attack somewhere random, perhaps not hitting anything or damaging a gravestone. This was changed as of the 5.7 update though; in the current version of the game he still shoots randomly after defeating a zombie.
Origins[]

Homing Thistle is based on thistles, a plant group known for their prickly leaves; possibly the milk thistle (Silybum marianum) due to its large spikes and the flower's shape and color.
His name is a combination of the aforementioned "thistle"; and "homing missile," a weapon that is known to target a location or object and adjust his trajectory in order to hit, a quality present in Homing Thistle's projectile.
Almanac entry[]
Note: The stats shown below only apply to Level 1.
Homing Thistle
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Homing Thistle |
Homing Thistles fire seeking shots at targets that are closest to home. Don't even think about trying to pull one over on Homing Thistle. He's got a bead on you. He sees right through your facade. It's like he has a laser beam ... aimed at your soul. |
Chinese version (China only)[]
导向蓟会对离自己最近的目标发射跟踪弹。
范围:草坪全范围 别奢望可以靠近导向蓟。那个时候他早已经盯上你了。他能看穿任何伪装。就好像带着激光枪一样…瞄准着你的灵魂。 Range: Whole lawn |
Upgrades[]
Plant Food effect[]

Plant Food ability (animated)
When given Plant Food, he spins and shoots cyan needles that target zombies on the screen or tombstones and any lawn obstacles if there is an insufficient amount of zombies. The cyan projectiles deal 240 damage each, and they sometimes encircle zombies for a long period of time. If there are no zombies present on the screen, he will fire the projectiles in a spiral shape.
Spear-mint effect[]
When boosted by Spear-mint, Homing Thistle will receive an additional 140 damage to his main attack. His projectile velocity will be as fast as at level 7-10.
Level Upgrade[]
Level | Seed packets |
Coins | Upgrades | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sun Cost |
Recharge (Mediocre) |
Starting Recharge |
Toughness (Typical) |
Damage (Moderate) |
Projectile Velocity |
Range | |||
1 | 0 | 0 | 250 | 15 seconds | 10 seconds | 300 damage | 40 damage | Normal | Full Board |
2 | 10 | 1,000 | 14 seconds | 350 damage | 50 damage | ||||
3 | 25 | 2,500 | 225 | 13 seconds | 9 seconds | 400 damage | 60 damage | + 1.3x | |
4 | 50 | 5,000 | 12 seconds | 450 damage | 70 damage | ||||
5 | 100 | 10,000 | 200 | 11 seconds | 550 damage | 80 damage | |||
6 | 200 | 20,000 | 10 seconds | 8 seconds | 600 damage | 90 damage | |||
7 | 400 | 30,000 | 9 seconds | 650 damage | 100 damage | + 1.6x | |||
8 | 800 | 50,000 | 175 | 8 seconds | 7 seconds | 700 damage | 110 damage | ||
9 | 1,200 | 75,000 | 7 seconds | 5 seconds | 800 damage | 120 damage | |||
10 | 1,600 | 100,000 | 150 | 5 seconds | 900 damage | 140 damage |
Mastery upgrades[]
- Chance to Boost
- Damage Pierce
Costumed (China only)[]
The ability now mixes normal blue projectiles with fire projectiles, which do more damage, and ice projectiles, which slow zombies.
Level upgrade (China only)[]
Strategies[]
Homing Thistle, in groups, can thin out the ranks of lesser zombies very quickly and pile on damage on single targets, making them a good complement to any offensive. Their flying thistles can target just about any enemy type from anywhere, including Snorkel Zombies while they are swimming, Prospector Zombies after they have jumped, and even Swashbuckler Zombies while they are swinging (the thistles will wait in ambush where they will land). Homing Thistle is also a good choice against Pirate Captain Zombie as a group of them can quickly kill his Zombie Parrot and prevent the plant from being stolen. Since they always target the enemy closest to the lawn mowers first, enemies closing in on the Player's House can expect to take additional damage even if their row is unoccupied.
Homing Thistle is also useful when only one or two Gargantuars are on screen, as five or more of them can easily overpower a Gargantuar. However, this is not advised when aside from the Gargantuars, there are other zombies on screen because the other zombies on screen might be closer to home than the Gargantuars are, letting the Gargantuars walk closer to your house.
Homing Thistle, however, requires mass planting for to be effective by themselves, as groups of enemies with high toughness, such as Buckethead Zombies, can tank through a storm of thistles. This is complicated by their slow recharge time and, ironically, their priority on targets furthest ahead on the lawn, which often causes them to target lesser enemies while ignoring real threats like Buckethead Zombies, or especially high-level enemies such as Gargantuars or Wizard Zombies. If the player is using them exclusively as their only offense, it's best to support them with defensive plants such as Spikerocks and Tall-nuts, while using plants such as Cherry Bombs, Chili Beans, Iceberg Lettuces, and similar plants to stall or pick off higher-level enemies.
Avoid using Homing Thistle against Shield Zombie, Jester Zombie, and Excavator Zombie as they will block or deflect its shots, even if boosted by Plant Food.
Gallery[]
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In other languages[]
Please note that only official translations are used.
Language | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
Homing Thistle | ||
导向蓟 | lit. "Direction-guiding Thistle" | |
Chardon guidé | ||
Lenkdistel | ||
Cardo casalingo | ||
Espinho Guiado | Portuguese for "guided thorn" | |
Cardo teledirigido |
Trivia[]
- He is the first non-seasonal plant to cost gems.
- He is the only plant so far to have two different Plant Food effect animations.
- He prioritizes zombies over stationary objects like surfboards and tombstones.
- If a Swashbuckler Zombie hasn't landed yet, his needles will circle around the tile it will land on up until it touches the ground.
- If the player uses Plant Food on him after all zombies have been defeated, he will shoot normal projectiles instead of the blue glowing ones.
- His projectile can be deflected by Jester Zombies. However, they won't home in on plants but rather go in a straight line.
- Homing Thistle's spikes find it hard to target a group or zombies, especially for submerged Snorkel Zombies, as they tend to loop above their snorkels for a long time, up to when the spike correctly aims at one of them upon resurfacing.
- If there are no zombies on and Plant Food is used on him, there is a bug where the spikes will loop in a circle in the same pattern.
- His idle animation resembles Hurrikale's and Hypno-shroom's.
- A Valenbrainz advertisement of the Homing Thistle states "Homing Thistle is where the heart is," a pun on the saying "Home is where the heart is."
- He technically has a "Full Board" area as he can target any zombie on-screen. In this way, he is similar to Blover and Thyme Warp.
- Unlike them, he can only target zombies one at a time, rather than affecting all of them.
- He resembles Flowering Caperticus from Clicker Heroes. However, this is most likely a coincidence.
- He is featured for free in Big Wave Beach - Days 21, 31, and 32.
- His projectile will disappear automatically if it exists on the field for more than five seconds.
- Unlike most of the plants in his plant family, Homing Thistle's attacks can't pierce zombies. They can go through obstacles but do not interact with them, similar to Dartichoke.
- He is the only plant whose projectile velocity can be boosted by a Power Mint.
See also[]
View · Edit | L · G |
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Plants vs. Zombies | |
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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: Social Edition | |
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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 | |
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>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 |
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Others | Marigold |
Plants vs. Zombies 2 (Chinese version) | |
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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 · 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 | Acidic 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 Thorn · 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 · Pomegranate Jeweler · 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 · Sumo Melon · 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 · 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 · Dracaena · Bamboo Spartan · Shine Vine · Sunshine Leek · Nightcap · Pyre Vine · Gluttonous Snapdragon · Bun Chi · Heliconia Gunner · Electric Peel · Thorn Wizard · Sawblade Sundew · Cactus Mistletoe · Dragon Bruit · Gloom Vine · Electric Tailgrape · Gramophone Datura · Crazy Flamevine · Rhubarbarian · Aqua Vine · Lunisolar Honeysuckle · Frost Rambutan · Electric Heartbreak · Bubble Cholla · Pocket Paph · Nüwa Ophiuros |
Others | Potato Mine · Flower Pot · 8-Bit Peashooter · Chilly Pepper · Ice Bloom · Tactical Cuke |
Hero Plants | P-Mech Assembler - Flamestar |
Removed | Rotten Red |
Plants vs. Zombies Online | |
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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 | |
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Dave's House | Peashooter · Sunflower · Squash · Wall-Nut · Potato Mine · Bamboo Shoots · Bonk Choy · Cabbage-Pult |
Campground | Lily Pad · Snow Pea · Plantern · Lightning Reed · Tangle Kelp · Sun-Shroom |
Begonia Boulevard | Umbrella Leaf · Puff-Shroom · Lychee |
Power-Ups | Grapes of Wrath · Chilly Pepper · Jalapeño · Cherry Bomb · Blover |
Others | Threepeater |
Sep Version | Chili Bean · Silversword |
Pre-2021 | Buttercup · Garlic · Pushywillow · Chard Guard · Spikeweed · Kernel-Pult · Caramel Popcorn · Melon-Pult · Shuffle Truffle · Blockbuster · Butternut Squash · Ragweed · Sawgrass · Fire Peashooter · Pine Needler · 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 |