Tree

In Alpha and Beta generated maps, trees can be found in abundance in forest related biomes. Trees are composed of log and leaf blocks.

Harvesting Trees
Tree harvesting is an essential first step for any player in Survival mode. Trunks and branches can be harvested for logs without any tools; one log may be crafted into four wood, from which tools can be made. Logs can be harvested more quickly using an axe.

Destroying leaves does not require a tool. When destroyed, they do not yield a collectible block, instead they have a small chance of dropping a sapling, which can be planted to grow a new tree. There is no tool for destroying leaves, although a sword provide some very negligible speed up. If all of the logs are removed from a tree, and the remaining leaves are not contacting any other block, they will wither away and die. This can take a very long time for larger canopies, and "floating" tree canopies will remain if there is even one log attached to the canopy, or if the canopy is in contact with another canopy or block. (Leaf behavior is explained in detail in the article on leaves.) Many players opt to burn their floating canopies using a flint and steel rather than harvesting them or waiting for decay.

As of Beta, leaf decay has been re-activated and drop a big amount of saplings when decaying.

Growing Trees
Trees can be grown from saplings which occasionally fall from leaf blocks when they are destroyed.

In order to grow into a tree, a sapling must:
 * Be planted on a dirt or grass block.
 * Have at least 5 blocks of space above the ground.
 * Be exposed to light level of 10 or more.
 * A sapling will uproot if the light level is 7 or lower. (exception: Saplings under open or only glass obstructed sky.)
 * Saplings will remain planted if exposed to light level 8 or 9, but will not grow.

A sapling does not require:
 * Tilled dirt.
 * A source of water.

After a random period of time, a sapling will "grow" into a tree. Note that a sapling grows only once; once it has grown into a tree the tree itself will not grow any further. Trees can vary greatly in height, with the smallest having 4 blocks of "trunk" with one block of "canopy" above that, for a total height of 5, while the largest have 13 blocks of trunk with 3 blocks of canopy, for a total height of 16. Trees can grow to any height in this range.

Any tree with a "trunk height" of 6 or more has a chance to grow "branches". Branches are log blocks connected horizontally, vertically or diagonally to the trunk or other branches. There may be anywhere from 1 - 6 branches, and each branch can be composed of 1 - 5 blocks. Combined with a maximum trunk height of 13, this gives a theoretical maximum of 43 blocks of wood per tree, though as most branches are about 3 blocks long, this is very unlikely. Branches support a much larger canopy than a tree with a single trunk.

The tree canopy is composed of leaf blocks, and is always between 1 and 3 blocks higher than the highest block in the main trunk at its highest point. The canopy may begin as low as 1 block off the ground (for a tree with a 4 block trunk) to 6 blocks off the ground (for the tallest trees). Tree canopies appear to be generated from roughly spherical clusters of leaves about 5-7 blocks across centred on sections of trunk or branches. When a tree grows from a sapling, it is entirely possible that some of the leaves are generated in such a way that they are unsupported, causing them to wither and disappear. This occasionally yields saplings that can be found underneath newly grown trees.

Many players opt to use tree farms to maximize efficiency of log harvesting.

Saplings can be placed on any snow-covered block. However, if it is not on a grass or dirt tile, it will break off by itself after a short time, and will be able to be picked up again. This also occurs with flowers.

Notes on tree growth



 * Saplings will grow into trees when directly adjacent to another block or adjacent to other trees.


 * Growing tree trunks will displace leaf blocks of adjacent trees.


 * Growing leaves will destroy fences and may destroy glass and torches if they attempt to grow horizontally in the same space.


 * If there is a ceiling above a sapling, this will limit the maximum height of the tree that can grow from that sapling.


 * If there are other blocks directly adjacent to a sapling, their total height will limit minimum height of the tree that can grow from that sapling.


 * Saplings will grow normally in The Nether, although dirt needs to be brought.


 * If a sapling is planted on a block directly above or adjacent to lava, it will automatically ignite the plant as soon as it turns into a tree.


 * Looking straight up and clearing blocks until you can no longer reach will clear more than enough height for a sapling planted at your feet to grow into a tree.


 * Trees will only grow if they are planted on a chunk of the map that is loaded into memory. If you plant saplings and then explore another more distant area of your world for a few Minecraft days, they will still be saplings when you return.


 * If you are standing on a sapling when it turns into a tree you will be trapped inside and begin to suffocate. You can escape by digging.

Tree growth was added to Alpha in version 0.0.14a and to Creative in 0.28_01.

Gallery
Baum (Aufbau)