ARK Survival Ascended Plant Species X: What Are X-Plants & How To Protect Them

The expansive Island in ARK Survival Ascended hosts various perilous creatures that are likely to be your first adversaries. However, it's not just dinosaurs that pose a threat; certain plants can be both dangerous and beneficial. The Plant Species X embodies this concept.

If you're unfamiliar with Plant Species X or "X-Plants" and want to understand how they function or their purposes in the game, we've got you covered. In the following sections, we'll elucidate everything you need to know about Plant Species X, including their location, usage, and protection in ARK Survival Ascended.

What Are Plant Species X and How Are They Used?

Before delving into the overall usage and protection strategies for Plant Species X, it's essential to understand exactly what they are. In simple terms, these plants, often called "X-Plants" are defensive plants that operate similarly to auto-turrets, with controllable settings for range and targeting. They shoot glowing green spores that share damage characteristics with Dilophosaur spit, causing both slowing and blinding effects on the target.

In addition to their offensive capabilities, Plant Species X can intercept explosive projectiles, and when damaged, they regenerate 3HP every second. To set up one of these plants, you'll need the Plant Species X Seed. You can obtain it by killing the natural plant, harvesting mountain bushes resembling red sticks emerging from the ground (as a rare drop), gathering cattails along the swamp shores, or obtaining it as a common/guaranteed drop (when using a sickle) from a crop growing at the base of a flower-bearing vine plant in the redwood biome.

Once you have the seed, you'll need a proper setup for it to grow and function as a defensive plant. This involves placing the plant inside a large crop plot equipped with both fertilizer and a water source. Once fully grown, the plant acts as an auto turret, consuming 150 fertilizer units per shot during its attacks. It won't shoot if there's no water in the crop plot or if the fertilizer points are depleted.

Now that you understand what Plant Species X is and how to set it up as a turret to defend your base against enemies, the next crucial aspect is learning how to protect these plants. Let's explore that in the following section.

How To Protect Your Plant Species X 

Plant Species X has two primary vulnerabilities that require consideration: susceptibility to direct damage, whether from melee or ranged weapons, and the risk of players in PvP stealing all the fertilizer from their inventory when close enough, effectively shutting them down. Fortunately, addressing these weaknesses is a straightforward process.

Similar to our setups for armored turrets, we aim to establish a caged configuration for Plant Species X. To achieve this, we'll implement an approximately 180-degree cage, with a back wall serving as the placement for our plants. These plants will face the interior of the cage, placing them out of reach for players attempting to approach, while also protecting against ranged attacks.

While it's possible to completely enclose the back and side walls, allowing the plants to fire only in one direction slightly limits their range. However, if you install omnidirectional armored turrets on the structure's roof, the plants will be fully shielded. Naturally, there are always weaknesses in any structure in ARK Survival Ascended. Still, this method is widely regarded as the most effective way to set up Plant Species X for both protection and as a defensive barrier for your base.

In summary, this provides a quick breakdown of what Plant Species X entails in ARK Survival Ascended, how they are utilized, and the measures to protect them as they serve as a defensive line for your base. We acknowledge and credit the YouTube channel "Teachers Game Too" for the insights on protecting Plant Species X. For a more in-depth exploration of that topic, please refer to their video linked below.