Zyra is most effectively used as counter-engage against heavy engage compositions. She is also a strong pick if your team mid laner and top laner both pick physical damage champions, and your composition needs more magic damage.

Pros

+ High kill pressure + Strong zone control + High amount of CC + Good disengage/counter engage + Gains vision control from seeds and plants + Auto attack range is longer than average enemy support/ADC (575 vs 550) + High poke in lane

Cons

- Immobile - Squishy - Does not have sustain

(Recommended) Exhaust + Flash

Zyra is an extremely unsafe laner, so having Exhaust as somewhat of a defensive summoner helps her survive ganks. Flash is necessary for everyone.

0/9/21 is a fairly normal mastery setup for supports. It provides some tankiness from the 9 that will help you survive all ins during the laning phase. The 21 utility provides more for a support than any of the other trees.

(Magic Penetration Marks) Zyra is heavily enough magic damage that these are more effective than hybrid pen (even though you do auto attack quite a bit during laning phase).

(Health Seals) The most efficient tank runes for support, will help you survive laning phase.

(Magic Penetration Glyphs) Since Zyra is a pure damage champion (has no AP scaling with slows or shield or heals or anything) you want Mpen > flat AP.

(Armor Quintessences) These are the most efficient way to increase your tankyness, and this allows you to play more aggressively and put out more damage than AP quints provides.

(Passive) Rise of the Thorns

After you die, you shoot this out in a straight line in the direction of your cursor. It does a decent amount of true damage.

Be patient with this, if you spam it on death you will likely miss. Try to hit multiple enemies if possible. It has a bit of a charge up after you die before you can cast it.

Deadly Bloom

(Q) Deadly Bloom Cooldown: 7/6.5/6/5.5/5 seconds

Deadly Bloom is a ranged nuke that you should spam on enemies as much as possible. It is a long ranged harass ability. It has a short delay so try to put the enemy in the middle of your cursor before you cast Deadly Bloom, so they can't run out of the damage.

(W) Rampant Growth Cooldown: 0.25 seconds

Use this for vision control. Try to have this charge up to two charges before you do any all in fights. Generally you want to make these seeds into plants with Deadly Bloom during laning phase trading, as it outputs a ton of damage and is not easily outranged like the plants made with Grasping Roots.

You can make a little camp of these in a bush and wait for someone to come in and have 4 plants up at once.

(E) Grasping Roots Cooldown: 12 seconds

During laning phase I generally save this for disengage unless a kill opportunity presents itself. Post laning phase its used for catching / peeling. Don't spam it, patience is needed for good Grasping Roots. I also level this at level 1 if there is a opportunity to catch someone for a kill.

(R) Stranglethorns Cooldown: 130/120/110 seconds

Zyra's ultimate has two main uses: Counter Engage, and Follow up.

Counter Engage: If an enemy team is engaging upon you, throw this down on top of as many enemies as possible, or on your carries so the enemies have to run away from them or get knocked up.

Follow Up: If you land a good Grasping Roots on an enemy (or enemies) you can use this to keep them CC'ed for longer, and force a kill.

Rushing as much magic penetration as possible as fast as possible is the best way to get good results on Zyra.

Spellthief's Edge is extremely efficient and can be left at base for a while.
Sightstone is core for supports and should be rushed.
Sorcerer's Shoes + Haunting Guise is your core, and will make you do a large amount of damage very quickly.

Past the core, their are a lot of situational AP items that are all good on Zyra, such as finishing Haunting Guise into Liandry's Torment, Rylai's Crystal Scepter, Zhonya's Hourglass, Morellonomicon, Void Staff. Get the items as you need them.

(+2) Zyra is a strong counter to Annie. Your long range and harass can bully down Annie, just make sure you don't get all in'ed. One or two plants will be able to damage her enough to keep her from engaging upon you. Annie can flash on you and kill you, so be very wary of this. Post laning phase you have strong counter-engage to her engage, you just need to make sure not to be caught in her initial stun.

(-4) This matchup is basically even, and very skill based. Early game you will be able to bully her, but at level 2-4 she will attempt to all in you, make sure you are ready. Just as with Thresh: You should only use Grasping Roots to counter engage, and try to keep 1-2 plants available at all times for the counter engage. Use auto attacks and Deadly Bloom+1 plant to harass them down before the engage.

(-1) Sona is a strong harass / heal champion, and she will win if you only save your Grasping Roots for counter engagements. So instead you should save up two plants and then attempt to all in her with a good Grasping Roots catch.

(+1) Zyra used to be a strong counter to Thresh, but the nerfs to her have left her a bit weaker. You should only use E to counter engage, and try to keep 1-2 plants available at all times for the counter engage. Use auto attacks and Q+1 plant to harass them down before the engage.

(-2) It's quite difficult to harass down braum effectively without putting yourself at risk of dying to ganks, so make sure you prioritize wards heavily. Save your E and throw it if braum ever lands a Q on you.

(+3) You can stand behind creeps and destroy Morgana with Q+Plant combo and auto attacks. You out range her very effectively, and her shield will not be able to mitigate enough poke. You are at risk of dying to ganks, so make sure to prioritize wards heavily, even going as far as starting one green ward at lvl 1.

Against any all in champions (such as Leona) you should only use E to counter engage, and try to keep 1-2 plants available at all times for the counter engage. Use auto attacks and Q+1 plant to harass them down before the engage. Against poke heavy champions such as Sona you can aggressively attempt to fight/kill them with full combo if you are able to land a snare. Only go all in if you know you are safe from the jungler coming and ruining your fun.

At level 1 try to push the lane as much as possible so you can get an early level 2. At level 2 use Q+W to bully out the enemys.

Zyra is a somewhat effective ganker, but she is mostly a peeler. Her lack of mobility and squishy nature makes it somewhat dangerous to make too many aggressive ganks. If you see any easy ganks you should definitely go and take advantage, but mostly you should be staying with your ADC and peeling for him so he can farm. Try to push down the turret bot lane and harass them under turret with Q + plant.

Stay with your team peeling as much as possible. Take control of the map and camp brushes, if an enemy team walks straight into you will certainly destroy them with your full combo.

You should mostly be staying in the back line and peeling. Throw your E + 2 plants on to anyone trying to dive your ADC, as the slowing plants completely destroy any melee champs. Try to hit as many enemies as possible with your Ult. Spam your Q as much as possible.

THANK YOU FOR READING MY ZYRA GUIDE.