The Grow a Garden Zen update brings a new currency, a special tree to grow, and an entirely new layer of gameplay. Zen is more than just a collectible — it’s your ticket to unlocking exclusive seeds, pets, and long-term garden upgrades. Here’s everything you need to know about earning Zen, trading it, and making the most of the Zen Tree.
What Is Zen?
Zen is a currency you earn by collecting Tranquil mutation fruits. These fruits can then be exchanged for Zen, which you can spend in the Zen Shop. Every time you trade in Tranquil plants, you’ll also grow your Zen Tree — a unique structure that changes appearance and unlocks better rewards as it levels up.
How to Get Zen
You can only earn Zen through Tranquil mutation fruits, which come from a few specific sources. The first is the Zen Aura event, which happens once every hour and lasts for ten minutes. During this time, crops have a much higher chance of mutating into Tranquil versions, so planting your best crops just before the event starts is the most efficient strategy.
The second method is using a pet with the Tranquil mutation. This pet can passively mutate nearby plants into Tranquil versions without any extra work on your part.
Finally, there’s the Tanchozuru feature. This pet or event also boosts your chances of getting Tranquil fruits, working automatically while you focus on other gardening tasks.
How to Trade for Zen
Once you’ve harvested your Tranquil plants, take them to Unk the Monk, the Zen NPC. Hold a Tranquil plant in your hand, press E to talk to him, and choose the option “Take all my Tranquil plants.” He’ll convert them into Zen instantly.
Zen Rewards by Crop Tier
The amount of Zen you earn depends on the tier of crop you trade in. Common crops give you just one Zen each, while Uncommon give two and Rare give three. As you move up through Legendary, Mythical, Divine, Prismatic, and finally Transcendent crops, the rewards increase all the way up to eight Zen per plant.
Growing the Zen Tree
Each time you hand in Tranquil plants, your Zen Tree grows and a progress bar shows how close you are to the next level. There are seven levels in total, each unlocking a unique reward in the Zen Shop.
Level one gives you the Zenflare Seed, while level two unlocks the Zen Crate. Level three adds the Soft Sunshine Seed, and level four rewards you with a decorative Koi. Reaching level five grants the Zen Gnome Crate, level six unlocks the Spiked Mango, and the final level seven gives you the powerful Pet Shard: Tranquil — a must-have for automating future Tranquil mutations.