Tree

Trees are composed of log and leaf blocks.

In a standard Alpha map, they can frequently be found in groups forming a forest. Tree generation was added in version 0.0.14a. Players in Creative Mode can build their own ersatz trees.

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. Leaves can also be destroyed by hand, though they do not yield a collectable block. Rather, they have a small chance of dropping a sapling, which can be planted to grow a new tree.

Logs can be harvested more quickly using an axe. Axes lose durability at the normal rate when removing logs and leaves, but do not provide a speed increase when removing leaves. Using any other basic tool to remove leaves causes that tool to lose durability at double the normal rate, though swords do provide a speed bonus when removing leaves. The hoe does not lose durability, as it is only "used" by right clicking, but is no more effective at removing leaves than your bare hands or any other object that is not affected by durability.

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 behaviour is explained in detail in the article on leaves. Many players opt to burn their floating canopies using a Flint and Steel to remove them, though if trees are correctly harvested this is not necessary. Remember: Only YOU can prevent forest fires!

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 4 squares of headroom above the sapling "block" itself.
 * Be exposed to enough light.

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 5 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 lower 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 maximise their efficiency when harvesting logs. For further information and optimal designs, see the article on tree farming.

Notes on tree growth



 * Trees will grow if saplings are planted 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 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.


 * Saplings will grow if they have one adjacent torch and no other source of light.


 * If a sapling has adjacent blocks that are two or three blocks high, a sapling will not grow into a "small" tree; it will only grow into a larger tree. This may take longer than growing a smaller tree.


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


 * 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.

Sapling growth was added to Creative Mode in version 0.28_01. Due to griefer-friendly applications ("treespam"), a grow-trees flag was added to server.properties of the server files.