Sapling

A sapling is an item that can be grown into trees.

Obtaining
Saplings can be broken using any tool, and will always drop itself.

Leaves
When leaves are broken by any tool except shears, they will have a 5% chance of dropping a sapling. Jungle leaves instead have a 2.5% chance of dropping a sapling.

The Fortune enchantment increases the rate to 6.25% (2.78% for Jungle leaves) at level I, 8.33% (3.125% for Jungle leaves) at level II, and 10% (4.17% for Jungle leaves) at level III.

Natural generation
Oak saplings have a chance of spawning in village blacksmith chests.

Usage
Saplings come in six varieties, those being oak, birch, spruce, jungle, acacia, and dark oak.

Fuel
A sapling can be used as fuel in a furnace. It smelts for 5 seconds, or half an operation.

Growing trees
Saplings can grow into trees when placed on dirt, podzol or a grass block. Oak, birch, and (normal) spruce can also grow on farmland, and 2×2 trees only check for dirt or grass under the northwestern-most sapling. The sapling requires a light level of at least 9, and require a certain amount of space around the sapling, based on its type:
 * Oak needs at least 5 spaces above
 * Birch needs at least 6 spaces above
 * Spruce needs at least 7 spaces above when placing a single sapling
 * Giant spruce needs at least 16 spaces above when placed in a 2×2 square
 * Jungle needs at least 7 spaces above when placing a single sapling
 * Giant jungle needs at least 13 spaces above when placed in a 2×2 square
 * Acacia needs at least 7 spaces above
 * Dark Oak needs at least 7 spaces above and must be placed in a 2×2 square

Bone meal can be used to speed up the growth of the sapling, and to grow the tree without sufficient light.

Saplings have two growth stages (with no visible difference between them) before growing into trees. When a tree is to be grown, a height is chosen and then the ground and space are checked; if the ground is bad or there is not space for the chosen height, the tree will not grow.

Breaking blocks
Dark oak saplings may grow downwards if there are parts of a previously grown dark oak trees above. When they grow downwards, it will replace any blocks that are in the way including normally unbreakable blocks like bedrock. This mechanic is a little inconsistent, and is likely to be patched in the future.

Note that this no longer works 1.8.2.

Data values
A sapling has the ID name  and is further defined by its block data. A sapling also has a block state which is expected to replace the functionality of block data in a future version.

Trivia

 * If the player stands on the same block as a placed sapling, the tree will still grow over the player, which will cause suffocation as it pushed the player out of the block.
 * Saplings can grow without the required amount of light if bone meal is used.

Gallery
Setzling Brote Pousse d'arbre Facsemeték Arboscello 묘목 Kiemplant Sadzonka Саженец 树苗