A sapling.
Various Saplings.
Saplings are an important resource obtained from leaves that allows trees to be grown.
In Survival mode, saplings are dropped with a random 1/20 chance when leaves wither. The withering behaviour of leaves is explained in detail in the leaves article. There are various saplings for each tree type as of Beta 1.5. Most tree canopies will drop at least one sapling block, though they may drop more, and large tree canopies should drop several if completely deleaved. When trees grow, it is possible for some leaves to be generated in an unsupported position, and as they wither they may drop saplings, allowing saplings to be found rarely below newly grown trees. It should be noted that saplings will generally not drop from a tree canopy that is consumed by fire, as the saplings are prone to landing on flaming blocks unless the canopy is lit from above.
In Creative mode, saplings function as a decoration block, and can be placed freely. Saplings will grow into a full tree after a few seconds if the server has "grow-trees" set to "true" in the "server.properties" file and if they are on a grass block. They will grow on a dirt block.
Growth
Saplings can be planted on any dirt or grass block, and will grow into a new tree if they are exposed to a light level of at least 9 in the block above the sapling, and have at least a certain number of empty blocks, depending on sapling type, above the dirt block it is placed on. Oak and birch saplings need 6 blocks above, while pine saplings need 7 blocks. However, they will grow slower if they have less than 10 blocks above the dirt. Saplings also will only grow if placed upon a dirt block that is not surrounded by water.
They will pop out of the ground if they are not exposed to a light level of at least 8, but will not pop out of the ground if they do not have enough headroom, provided they still have sufficient light. In this way they can be used as decoration in structures provided they don't have room to grow into full trees, or the block above is never exposed to a light level of 9 or more. This also applies to saplings in The Nether.
A light level of 9 (above sapling) may be provided by a nearby torch, so saplings can grow into trees underground with just one nearby torch. It should be noted that while moonlight has a brightness of 4, saplings will not pop out of the ground when exposed to moonlight - they will survive low light provided there are no blocks directly above them.
If they are right clicked on with Bone Meal, they will grow into a full tree instantly, allowing rapid collection of wood. This instant growth may fail, especially when space is restricted. The Bone Meal is consumed regardless of success. The sapling attempts a random tree form (big and branching, for example), but if it does not work due to lack of space, the growth aborts. Repeated application of Bone Meal may result in a successful tree except in extreme lack of space.
Four Jungle tree saplings will grow into a full size Jungle tree if placed in a 2x2 pattern for the width of the trunk to grow, although there can not be any block on the sides of the 2x2 square (the tree can still grow if there is a block diagonally).
Trivia
- If the player stands on the same block as a placed Sapling as it grows into a tree, wood blocks will grow on top of them, causing suffocation.
- It is possible to plant a sapling on any patch of dirt or grass. Whether or not it will grow into a tree depends on if it has enough space and light.
- The sapling requires 6 blocks above it in order to grow, either from Bone Meal or after some time. Using Bone Meal usually grows a small tree though.
- Saplings can grow without the required amount of light if bone meal is used, provided that there is enough space above the sapling.
- Since Beta 1.5, birch, pine, and apple trees drop birch, pine, and oak saplings, respectively. Pre-Beta 1.5, trees only ever dropped apple saplings, regardless of tree type.
- When the Beta 1.5 update occurred, all planted saplings were randomly turned into a birch or spruce/pine sapling.
- When a sapling is placed near the sky void, it will grow, but it'll be cut off at whatever level the sky void is at, sometimes resulting in only a trunk, or a flat layer of branches.
- Since Beta 1.6 Dead Shrubs, which look like dead saplings can be generated in desert biomes.
- As of Beta 1.5, all Saplings can be used in furnaces, having the same duration as sticks.
- The texture for saplings was changed in Minecraft 1.2.
References