Growing-shroom

The Growing-shroom is an attacking mushroom plant in Plants vs. Zombies: The Final Showdown, which at first only shoots spores with power equal to a Peashooter, despite costing 25 more than a Peashooter or 100 more than a Scaredy-shroom.

However, after a minute, it will grow in size and shoot larger spores which deal twice as much damage (40DPS). After another minute, it will grow to its maximum size and shoot spores which deal 60DPS, making it essentially three times as strong as a Peashooter.

It can be seen as the cheaper, weaker, mushroom alternative to Pea Pod in this game, as Pea Pod was reworked to grow a head every minute and cost 300 sun.

It is unlocked after beating Night 6 in The Great Graveyard.

Made by Milesprower2.

Origin
Its name is a portmanteau of "growing", referring to its ability to grow in size over time, and "mushroom", the type of plant this plant is based on.

Appearance
A mushroom somewhat similar in shape to a Scaredy-shroom, although it fires spores from the cap, not the stalk, and the cap is a bluish purple colour with reddish spots. At its base size, it's only slightly bigger than a Puff-shroom, but at max size it's slightly larger than a Scaredy-shroom.

Almanac Entry
Growing-shroom

Grows over time, shooting bigger, stronger spores.

Damage: average, then double, then heavy

Range: long

Firing speed: average

Special: grows every minute until it reaches maximum size

Plant Food effect: shoots ten spores a second for three seconds

Sleeps during the day

"When did I change?" asks Growing-shroom, "when did I become so totally different? Someplant tell me!"

Cost: 125

Recharge: very fast

Plant Food
Shoots ten spores a second for three seconds. The size of the spores depends on its stage of growth.

Strategies
Growing-shroom is a cost-effective plant for medium-length levels. It allows you to set up defences that will gradually improve and if you get them in place early enough, they will easily be fully-grown long before the second flag (sometimes even before the first flag).

However, their high cost for a mushroom means that spamming Scaredy-shrooms or Fume-shrooms can be much easier, and additionally they lack AoE for long-term survival, as unlike Pea Pods, they don't combo with Torchwoods.

In daytime levels, for a cost of 200 sun, they could potentially be considered as they are still cost-effective once fully grown, though you'd usually be better off getting Pea Pods instead.