- For the version in Plants vs. Zombies Heroes, see Hot Date.
Hot Date is a special-edition premium plant in Plants vs. Zombies 2, tied to the 2017 Valenbrainz event in the 5.8.1 update. If a zombie one lane above or below gets close enough to a Hot Date, they will switch lanes to the lane the Hot Date is on, similar to the Sweet Potato. He will also explode like a Jalapeno once eaten.
In version 7.8.1, he became available as a seed-packet-obtainable plant on February 19, 2020. In version 7.9.1, when Penny's Pursuit was released, the first weekly event rewarded the player with Hot Date seed packets
Hot Date cannot attract the following zombies:
- Barrel Roller Zombie
- Barrel (including event types)
- Imp Cannon
- Zombie Parrot
- Jetpack Zombie/Disco Jetpack Zombie
- Zombie Hamsterball
- Zcorpion Zombie
In the Chinese version of Plants vs. Zombies 2, he is a Monthly special plant. Between v2.4.0 and v.2.50, he was instead a Renaissance Age plant.
Origins

Phoenix dactylifera
Hot Date is based on the fruit of the Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera,) a flowering plant species in the palm family Arecaceae that is cultivated for its edible sweet fruit (also called a date).
His name is a pun on the phrase "hot date," meaning an appealing person someone is dating, referring to both his almanac entry as well as his fire based abilities.
Almanac entry
Hot Date
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Hot Date
SUN COST: 175
RECHARGE: 25
TOUGHNESS: 2000
DAMAGE: 1000
RANGE: Multi-Lane
FAMILY: Pepper-mint
Hot Dates attract zombies from lanes above and below them, and then unleash a lane of flame when they're eaten.
Special: warms nearby plants
Hot Date's a charmer. He's polite, well-read, has lots of interesting opinions, and practices active listening. Zombies line up around the block to be incinerated by him.
Upgrades
Plant Food effect

Plant Food effect (animation)
Hot Date will regain all of his lost health and attract zombies to him in a 4x3 area, similar to Sweet Potato.
Pepper-mint effect
When boosted by Pepper-mint, Hot Date's explosion will do an additional 1800 DPS.
Level upgrades
Level | Seed Packets | Coins | Upgrades | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sun Cost | Recharge (Sluggish) |
Starting Recharge |
Toughness (Elevated) |
Damage (Massive) |
Range | |||
1 | 0 | 0 | 175 | 25 seconds | 15 seconds | 2000 dps | 1000 dps | Multi-Lane |
2 | 10 | 1,000 | 175 | 24 seconds | 14 seconds | 2200 dps | 1100 dps | |
3 | 25 | 2,500 | 175 | 23 seconds | 13 seconds | 2400 dps | 1200 dps | |
4 | 50 | 5,000 | 150 | 23 seconds | 13 seconds | 2600 dps | 1300 dps | |
5 | 100 | 10,000 | 150 | 22 seconds | 12 seconds | 2800 dps | 1400 dps | |
6 | 200 | 20,000 | 125 | 22 seconds | 12 seconds | 3000 dps | 1500 dps | |
7 | 400 | 30,000 | 125 | 21 seconds | 11 seconds | 3500 dps | 1600 dps | |
8 | 800 | 50,000 | 100 | 21 seconds | 11 seconds | 4000 dps | 1700 dps | |
9 | 1,200 | 75,000 | 100 | 20 seconds | 10 seconds | 4500 dps | 1800 dps | |
10 | 1,600 | 100,000 | 75 | 20 seconds | 10 seconds | 5000 dps | 1800 dps |
Mastery upgrades
- Chance to Boost
- Damage Pierce
Level upgrades (China only)
Costumed (China only)
When costumed, his Plant Food effect will also give him three seconds of invincibility after attracting zombies.
Strategies
Hot Date can be treated as a combination of Sweet Potato and Jalapeno. Unlike Jalapeno, he can pull zombies towards him, so as to boost his effectiveness even more.
It is a very bad idea to use this plant in levels where you cannot lose plants, because when the Hot Date explodes (even though it kills zombies when it explodes), it counts as losing a plant. Fortunately, it is immune to freezing wind effects and the Hunter Zombie's snowball attack in Frostbite Caves, since it is a thawing plant that can melt frozen plants.
It is also a very bad idea to use this against Wizard Zombies and Octo Zombies, since both of them can disable the Hot Date to make the level more challenging. It is a good idea to use this plant against Chicken Wrangler Zombies and Weasel Hoarders, because when released, multiple Zombie Chickens and Ice Weasels will arrive to the Hot Date and when multiple of them start eating it, it instantly explodes to destroy the zombies in its path.
Never use this plant against Explorer Zombies and Torchlight Zombies in Ancient Egypt and Modern Day levels (only when their torches are lit), because these zombies can easily burn this plant without eating it and causing it to explode.
Related achievement
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Gallery
Plants vs. Zombies Wiki has a gallery for Hot Date.
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In other languages
Language | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
Hot Date | ||
热辣海枣 | lit. "Hot Phoenix Dactylifera" | |
Datte galante | ||
Heiße Dattel | ||
Appuntamento focoso | ||
Tâmaramante | ||
Cita ardiente |
Trivia
- There is a bug that, after his Plant Food is used while he is exploding, he will become invisible to zombies, and not be treated like he is on the field.
- This is probably due to the plant being both destroyed and not destroyed at the same time, confusing the game for the plant's current state, and eventually getting treated as destroyed.
- His pupils are larger in his seed packet image than they are in game.
- Hot Date also has a different eye color in this game than he does in Plants vs. Zombies Heroes.
- They also seem to be a different color than in-game, being dark blue instead of light blue.
- He reuses some of Boombox Zombie's textures, specifically the particles and hearts that float around him.
- The reason why he was released in the Valenbrainz event is that he is named Hot Date, and dates are commonly found during Valentines.
- There is a glitch where if Hot Date's Plant Food activates and a zombie behind Hot Date turns around, when that zombie gets hypnotized the hypnotized zombie will turn around and walk to your house. The hypnotized zombie will ignore lawn mowers and plants, eventually eating your brains, despite the fact that hypnosis effects are normally unable to change the direction of a zombie walking to the right.
- This is the second premium plant that can be unlocked with seed packets, the first was Blooming Heart.
- This was the first plant to be featured in Penny's Pursuit.
See also
V · T · E | L · G |
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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 · Giant Sunflower · Giant Marigold · Sprout · Tree of Wisdom |
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 (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 | 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 | Acidic Citrus · Lotuspot · Lily Pad · Bowling Bulb · Banana Launcher · Guacodile · Tangle Kelp · Homing Thistle |
Frostbite Caves | Hurrikale · Fire Peashooter · Hot Potato · Pepper-pult · Chard Guard · Stunion · Rafflesia · Tornacorn |
Sky City | Rotobaga · Cycloque · Aspiragus · Saucer Squash · Board Beans · Lantern Cherry · Ampthurium · Spinnapple |
Lost City | Lava Guava · Red Stinger · A.K.E.E. · Stallia · Gold Leaf · Toadstool · Jackfruit |
Neon Mixtape Tour | MC 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 · Dinonip · Thorns · Mastercane |
Modern Day | Shadow-shroom · Caulipower · Moonflower · Grimrose · Nightshade · Dusk Lobber · Blooming Heart |
Steam Ages | Gold Bloom · Flat-shroom · Passionflower · Lotus Root · Fanilla · Lily of Alchemy · Berry Blaster |
Renaissance Age |
Aloe · Kinnikannon · Wax Guard · Oil Olive · Ruby Red · Dartichoke |
Heian Age | Sumo Melon · Wasabi Whip · Auberninja · Dripphylleia · Splitting Stephania · Kunai Tupistra · Windbreak Dendrobium · Orchid Chef · Geisha Flower · Stickybomb Rice |
Fairytale Forest | Ents · Heath Seeker · Hat Mushroom |
Monthly special | Pyro-shroom · Carrotillery · Cryo-shroom · Dandelion · Aggro Brocco · Pomegunate · Chomper · Sweet Potato · Lord Bamboo · Sap-fling · Ghost Pepper · Chest-nut · Bambrook · Zorrose · Magic-shroom · Electric Blueberry · R.A.D Missiles · Endurian · Pumpkin Witch · Sunflower Singer · Snowy Cotton · Guerrequila · Monkeyfruit · Plumping Plummy · Dragonfruit · Angel Starfruit · Gatling Pea · Match Flower · Firebloom Queen · Cattail · Grapeshot · Cold Snapdragon · Shrinking Violet · Cob Cannon · Apple Mortar · Witch Hazel · Escape Root · Electric Currant · Explode-O-Nut · Parsnip · Missile Toe · Kiwibeast · Electric Peashooter · Hot Date · Icy Currant · Trump Tulip · Banana Dancer · Dual Pistol Pinecone · Narcissus · Alarm Arrowhead · Holly Barrier · Shadow Peashooter · Snap Pea · Frostbloom Queen · Sling Pea · Zapdragon · Electrici-tea · Imp Pear · Strawburst · Egrett Flower · Goo Peashooter · Bud-minton · Curling Corms · Pokra · Dollarweed Drummer · Ultomato · Shadow Fanilla · Bromel Blade · Gumnut · Olive Pit · Nuclear Earthstar · Headbutter Lettuce · Dazey Chain · Boom Balloon Flower · Soda Bottle Palm · Tiger Claw · Impaintiens · Turkey-pult · Hammerflower · Fishhook Grass · Mangosteen · Inferno · Tigerstool · Gardenergrass · Draftodil · Hocus Crocus |
Others | Potato Mine · Flower Pot · Tactical Cuke |
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-pult · 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 Cannon · 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 Anemone |
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 · Zorrose · Clivia · Sap-fling · Acidic Citrus · Magic-shroom · Ghost Pepper · Guacodile · Hurrikale · Plantern · Oak Archer · Homing Thistle · Pepper-pult · Radish · Toadstool · Blooming Heart · Red Stinger · Electric Blueberry · A.K.E.E. · Moonflower · Guerrequila · Aspiragus · 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 |