- For the version in Plants vs. Zombies Heroes, see Sap-Fling.
Sap-fling is a special-edition premium lobber plant in Plants vs. Zombies 2. It was added in the 3.1.1 update, and was available to purchase from December 4, 2014, to January 13, 2015. Sap-fling and the other special-edition plants returned in the Luck O' the Zombie event, lasting from March 11, 2015, to March 24, 2015.
It once again reappeared in the stores from July 7, 2015, along with the new Piñata Parties (codenamed "unvault") advertising the availability of all the limited plants for a limited time. Sap-fling yet again returned on December 16, 2015, as a premium plant sponsoring the third Feastivus event. As of the Feastivus 2017 event, Sap-fling is no longer money-based to be purchase, but rather gems.
Sap-fling creates a puddle of sap on the square nearest to the first zombie by throwing its sap-covered pinecone, which can not be blocked or reflected by any means. The sap puddle does not deal any damage to zombies and disappears after 7 seconds, but will slow all grounded zombies on it by 50%. Sap-fling's slowing effect does not stack with other slowing effects, such as the chilling effect from Winter Melon, or Red Stinger's Plant Food ability. The sap tile does not affect flying zombies, nor can it be laid on Pirate Seas' ocean or Big Wave Beach's water tiles.
Origins

It is based on the conifer tree, commonly known as the pine tree, a cone-bearing seed plant in the division Pinophyta and the class Pinopsida that is commonly used for Christmas trees (explaining Sap-fling's appearance, time of availability, and even its costume: a bauble ornament hanging on its branch); as well as the conifer cone, an organ grown on conifer trees which contains reproductive structures.
Sap-fling's name is a portmanteau of "sap," referring to the orange sap on the pinecone that it throws at the zombies, "sapling," the type of plant this plant is based (and its sapling) on, and "fling," referring to the fact that it is a lobber plant.
Almanac entry
Sap-fling
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Sap-fling
SUN COST: 75
RECHARGE: 5
TOUGHNESS: 300
FIRING RATE: 3
RANGE: Lobbed
FAMILY: Contain-mint
Sap-flings create zombie-slowing puddles of sap.
Damage Details: does no damage on impact, but creates sap puddle
Special: slows zombies who walk in puddle
You've gotta see Sap-fling's throwing arm to believe it. He may be young, but everyone agrees ... the kid's got TALENT. Scouts from some of the biggest Pinecone Ball teams have been keeping a close eye on him. He could be headed to the majors. Oh sure, some knock him for his incredibly sticky spitball. But he only uses all-natural sap, so it's entirely legal.
Upgrades
Plant Food effect

Plant Food ability (animated)
When fed with Plant Food, Sap-fling throws 20 pinecones randomly on the lawn, turning into sap puddles which will stay for 15 seconds.
Contain-mint effect
When boosted by Contain-mint, Sap-fling's firing rate is reduced to 1 - 1.5 seconds. If Sap-fling is already at level 9 or higher, Contain-mint will have no effect.
Costumed (China only)
When fed with Plant Food, it releases a large amount of sap in an area, which has a 100% chance to immobilize zombies in amber.
Level upgrade
Level | Seed packets | Coins | Upgrades | |||||
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Sun Cost | Recharge (Fast) |
Toughness (Elevated) |
Firing Rate (Mediocre) |
Projectile Velocity |
Range | |||
1 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 5 seconds | 300 dps | 2.85 - 3 seconds | Normal | Lobbed |
2 | 10 | 1,000 | 75 | 5 seconds | 400 dps | 2.75 - 3 seconds | ||
3 | 25 | 2,500 | 75 | 4.5 seconds | 600 dps | 2.5 - 3 seconds | + 1.3x | |
4 | 50 | 5,000 | 75 | 4.5 seconds | 800 dps | 2.25 - 3 seconds | ||
5 | 100 | 10,000 | 75 | 4.5 seconds | 1000 dps | 2 - 2.5 seconds | ||
6 | 200 | 20,000 | 75 | 4 seconds | 1200 dps | 1.75 - 2.5 seconds | ||
7 | 400 | 30,000 | 50 | 4 seconds | 1400 dps | 1.5 - 2 seconds | + 1.6x | |
8 | 800 | 50,000 | 50 | 3.5 seconds | 1600 dps | 1.25 - 2 seconds | ||
9 | 1,200 | 75,000 | 50 | 3.5 seconds | 1800 dps | 1 - 1.5 seconds | ||
10 | 1,600 | 100,000 | 50 | 3 seconds | 2000 dps | 1 - 1.5 seconds |
Mastery upgrades
- Chance to Boost
- Damage Pierce
Level upgrade (China only)
Strategies
As a plant with slowing down effect for an entire tile, Sap-fling can be used as a substitute for other ice-based plants such as Winter Melon for suppressing the crowd. While Sap-fling does not deal any damage to enemies, its relatively low cost and synergy with fire-based plants like Pepper-pult, Fire Peashooter, and Snapdragon make Sap-fling a more practical choice in normal levels.
However, be aware that Sap-fling will not function well in several levels like Big Wave Beach as it poses a particularly great threat to Sap-fling, as most of the tiles are usually flooded and it does not allow sap tiles to be placed, and its firing rate is quite slow like other lobbed shot plants.
The slowing effect of the sap allows plants with limited range or one tile effect such as Bonk Choy, Ghost Pepper and Spikerock to deliver more damage against zombies as they move slower inside their shooting range. This effect is also very useful for plants with slow fire rates, like Laser Bean, Fume-shroom, Bloomerang, Dandelion, and other lobber plants as these plants can deliver more shots against zombies.
Sap-fling particularly shines in Frostbite Caves, with its ability to work with fire plants. Furthermore, ice floes can bottle the zombies up, so with a swift Hurrikale push or Chard Guard toss, all the zombies will be in one tile, allowing Sap-fling to slow all the zombies down and let splash damage plants do more damage, such as Pepper-pult and Dandelion.
Sap-fling also works well with slow attacking or charging plants such as Banana Launcher and Witch Hazel, as it gives them enough time to use their ability. Sap-fling also works well with Turkey-pult, as it slows down zombies, giving enough time for Turkey-pult to deploy more turkeys, also making turkeys deal more damage while zombies deal less damage to them.
Sap-Fling not only halves zombies walking speed, but also their attack speed, creating unique synergy with Garlic, or any defensive plant.
Avoid using Sap-fling against Breakdancer Zombie as he can kick the zombies past the sap. Using it with Lava Guava is a bad idea because it removes the sap puddle.
Balance changes
Update 5.5.1
- ▲ Sun cost decreased from 150 to 75.
Gallery
Plants vs. Zombies Wiki has a gallery for Sap-fling.
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In other languages
Language | Name | Description |
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Sap-fling | ||
树脂投手 | lit. "Resin-pult" | |
Lance-sève | ||
Saftling | ||
Lancialinfa | ||
Lança-seiva | ||
Lanzasavia |
Trivia
- Defeated zombies may also be affected by its puddle, unlike with freezing effects. Their dying animation will also be slowed down.
- It appears to have a cold, often sniffling and wiping its sap on the ground as if it was snot from a runny nose. In the Zen Garden, when watered, it will sneeze and some sap will be thrown to the ground as if it was snot.
- Sap-fling, Cold Snapdragon, Ginseng, and Chilly Pepper are the only plants that sneeze as if they had a cold.
- Coincidentally Sap-fling and Cold Snapdragon are both premiums, both cost 150 sun (less in the 5.5 version), both slow zombies, and both were released during December.
- Sap-fling, Cold Snapdragon, Ginseng, and Chilly Pepper are the only plants that sneeze as if they had a cold.
- Prior to the 3.2.1 update, zombies would turn orange if pinecones hit them. Along with that, when it lobbed projectiles, it made the sound of a tree creaking. However, these sounds have been suppressed after the 3.2.1 update.
- If the zombie was chilled while getting hit by pinecones, it would turn green.
- According to the concept art, it was originally going to fall over and crush zombies after they came near it. It was also originally much larger. The original idea was possibly scrapped because it resembled Squash's ability too much.
- In the Chinese version, it was going to be called 闷棍一扔, which translates to "sap fling".
- In the Chinese version, it cannot be used in Sky City levels. The same applies to E.M.Peach, Blover, Bamboo-shoot, and Cryo-shroom.
- The reason it can't be used is most likely because its attack involves covering tiles with puddles of sap, and only three columns of Sky City's lawn consists of ground tiles.
- Before the 4.1.1 update, it and Lava Guava could halt MC Zom-B from moving while MC Zom-B's jam is played, as MC Zom-B would blindly attack the sap or lava tile even if no plant was in his area of effect. Along with this, Troglobites in Frostbite Caves and Arcade Zombies in Neon Mixtape Tour could not push frozen blocks and arcade machines onto sap.
- It is the only plant that can attack zombies but cannot damage them.
- It is one of seven lobbed-shot premium plants, the others being Blooming Heart, Apple Mortar, Sling Pea, Blastberry Vine, Turkey-pult and Stickybomb Rice.
- Starting from the 5.5 update, it is the cheapest lobbed-shot plant in the game, costing 75 sun.
- It has an ambush called "Sap Spawn!" in Far Future - Day 29 where zombies rise up from all of the sap, similar to "Necromancy!" in Dark Ages.
- This is the only effect in the game where a plant can create zombies from its shots.
- Prior to the Feastivus 2017 event, it costed USD $3.99.
V · T · E | 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 · 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 · Energy Mangosteen · Inferno · Tigerstool · Gardenergrass · Draftodil |
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 | |
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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 |