Nightshade

*Nightshades are shadow plants that smack zombies with slappy leaves.*

**For Nightshade, smacking is a duty and a privilege. He comes from a long line of ardent smackers, and his family counts three kings, four ambassadors and a president as among those proudly slapped around.**

**Nightshade** is a plant in *Plants vs. Zombies 2: Reflourished* and the second plant obtained in Modern Day. He is unlocked at Modern Day - Day 4.

Nightshade will slap any zombies in front of him with his leaves every 4 seconds but can only do this three times and can only do so at close range. While powered by either Moonflower, Gloom Vine, or Noctarine, his leaves can be launched as a projectile, as well as growing back said leaves every 5 seconds, effectively turning him into a long-ranged offensive plant instead of a limited-use melee plant. However, thrown leaves do less damage compared to leaves slapping a zombie.

## Almanac entry

**Nightshade**

Nightshades are shadow plants that smack zombies with slappy leaves.

Special: hurls and regrows leaves when powered

For Nightshade, smacking is a duty and a privilege. He comes from a long line of ardent smackers, and his family counts three kings, four ambassadors and a president as among those proudly slapped around.

## Plant Food effect

When fed with Plant Food, Nightshade will regrow all of his leaves, then hurl three large leaves at zombies. Each large leaf deals 600 damage, similar to the large pea Repeater shoots at the end of his Plant Food effect.

After the Plant Food effect, Nightshade's leaves are permanently boosted, causing leaves he throws to deal 200 damage and his melee attack to do 1000 damage.

## Strategies

Nightshade's drastically improved melee damage compared to his vanilla counterpart makes him considerably stronger for use in unpowered form. Planting him near tough zombies allows him to be used as a fast-recharging, limited-use plant, dealing heavy damage that is capable of taking down up to a Conehead Zombie with each leaf. Remember to utilise any Shovel upgrades you have by digging up Nightshades that have run out of leaves, as this can greatly reduce the overall cost of using Nightshade as a limited-use plant.

Once powered, both Nightshade's ranged and melee forms allow him to be used to great effect as an offensive plant. His ranged damage can even outshine a Red Stinger for as long as his leaves are grown, and remains on par when leaf reserves run dry. Planting Nightshades near the front line also allows him to make use of his melee attack when zombies get too close, or he can be planted further back to catch intruders like Prospector Zombie or a Gargantuar's Imp.

While powered, Nightshade's leaves regenerate slower than he can fire them, so note that extended firing without rest will lead to a slower firing rate. Also keep in mind that Nightshade's ranged attack will leave Basic Zombies low on health, but cannot one-shot them. Using Nightshade in tandem with other offensive plants, including other shadow plants such as Shadow Peashooter or Dusk Lobber, is recommended to prevent leaves from being wasted on low health targets.

## Balance changes

### Initial launch

* ▲ +400 damage in melee form
* ▲ +50 damage to projectile
* ▼ +75 sun

## See also

### Shadow plants

* Moonflower
* Shadow-shroom
* Dusk Lobber
* Grimrose
* Noctarine
* Murkadamia Nut
* Shadow Peashooter
* Gloom Vine