In Grow a Garden, one of the most enjoyable things to do is level up pets and mutate them using the Mutation Machine or the Headless Horseman. Not only is it exciting to see what random mutation your pet gets, but certain mutations can also increase the pet's value.
To level up a pet, simply place it in your garden and make sure to feed it when it gets hungry. Over time, it will accumulate enough experience points (XP) to grow in age. Pets continue gaining XP even while you're offline, but it can still take quite a while to reach higher levels. The good news is that several pets in the game have abilities that grant XP to other pets, making the leveling process much faster. In this article, I've listed the best ones.
1. Rainbow Hatched Dilophosaurus 🌈🦖
The Rainbow Hatched Dilophosaurus is a rare and upgraded version of the normal Dilophosaurus, and it stands as the undisputed king when it comes to providing XP in Grow a Garden. This pet is one of the most expensive and in-demand pets in the game, and for good reason.
A Rainbow Hatched Dilophosaurus with 1 kg at age 1 opens its frills and spits venom every 10 minutes and 36 seconds. The venom spreads to around 3.20 random pets, advancing cooldowns by 81 seconds or granting a massive 1080 XP. This is double the XP output of the regular Dilophosaurus, making it an absolute powerhouse for leveling pets quickly.
2. French Fry Ferret 🦦
Unlike all the other pets on this list, the French Fry Ferret doesn't give XP, it does something even better. It levels up a pet by one whole level instantly. While the Rainbow Hatched Dilophosaurus is the number one pet for giving XP, even it takes a considerable amount of time to level up pets from age 50 to 100. That's where the French Fry Ferret comes in.
A French Fry Ferret with 1 kg at age 1 increases a random pet's level by 1 every 59 minutes and 56 seconds. This makes it the best pet for pushing your pets through the later levels, especially from age 50 all the way to age 100. If you're serious about maxing out your pets, the French Fry Ferret is an essential addition to your garden.
3. Red Nosed Reindeer 🦌
The Red Nosed Reindeer is what players call a "secret" pet from the Christmas Harvest Event. It can only be obtained by merging 8 age 100 Reindeers with the Sleigh, making it a rare pet to own. Once you have it, though, it gives an impressive amount of XP.
A Red Nosed Reindeer with 1 kg at age 1 grants 2020 XP to a random non-Reindeer pet in your garden every 4 minutes and 57 seconds, for every Reindeer in your garden. This means the more Reindeers you have, the more XP you'll be generating. As a bonus, the Red Nosed Reindeer also gives the Ornamented mutation to crops, making it a versatile addition to your garden.
4. Golden Piggy 🐷
The Golden Piggy is a slightly better version of the Capybara and features an equally adorable design. What makes the Golden Piggy special is that its XP output scales with the number of Gold Ingot cosmetics in your garden.
At age 1 with 1 kg, all nearby pets within 30.15 studs will gain an additional 0.11 XP per second for every Gold Ingot cosmetic in your garden. If you have 10 Gold Ingots, that's 1.1 XP per second to all nearby pets—a constant and reliable stream of XP. The Golden Piggy's consistent passive XP generation makes it more effective than the Capybara for players willing to invest in Gold Ingot cosmetics.
5. Dilophosaurus 🦖
The Dilophosaurus is a fan favorite and one of the best dino pets in the game. Its ability allows it to open its frills and spit venom that spreads to other random pets, advancing cooldowns or granting XP.
A Dilophosaurus with 1 kg at age 1 opens its frills and spits venom every 13 minutes and 57 seconds. The venom spreads to around 3.20 random pets, advancing cooldowns by 40.25 seconds or granting 540 XP. While it's not as powerful as its Rainbow Hatched cousin, the regular Dilophosaurus is still a solid choice for XP farming, especially if you're working with a budget.
6. Capybara 🐹
The Capybara is one of the most widely used pets for XP farming. It's not only incredibly useful but also one of the most adorable pets in the game.
The Capybara's ability makes all nearby pets stop losing hunger and gain a certain amount of XP every second. A Capybara with a weight of 1 kg at age 1 gives 3.3 XP per second to all pets within 14.75 studs. While it doesn't output as much XP as the Golden Piggy or other pets higher on this list, it's still a great starter pet for XP farming and extremely accessible to new players.
Final Thoughts
These six pets make XP farming much easier in Grow a Garden, whether you're grinding actively or leveling passively while offline. The Rainbow Hatched Dilophosaurus reigns supreme for raw XP output, while the French Fry Ferret is unmatched for pushing pets through those final levels from 50 to 100. The Red Nose Reindeer offers incredible scaling if you build around it, and the Golden Piggy provides consistent passive gains with the right setup.
Even the more accessible options like the regular Dilophosaurus and Capybara are solid investments for any player looking to speed up their pet leveling journey. Choose the pets that fit your playstyle and budget, and watch your garden flourish!