Updated 23 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
How to Grow Trees from Saplings in Minecraft
Plant a sapling on dirt, grass or moss with enough open space above it and light level 9 or more, and it grows into a tree; bone meal makes it grow at once. Leaves drop saplings 5% of the time (2.5% for jungle leaves) when they decay or are broken. Dark oak and pale oak need four saplings in a 2x2 square, and spruce and jungle can grow giant trees the same way.
How do you grow a tree?
Place a sapling on any kind of dirt (not a dirt path) or a moss block. It needs a light level of at least 9 above it to grow on its own, passing two hidden growth stages before becoming a tree. Bone meal speeds it up, even in the dark. If the tree does not have room for the height it picks, it simply does not grow, so clear the space above. See light levels and crop farming.
How much space does each tree need?
| Sapling | Open space above |
|---|---|
| Oak | 5 blocks (3x3 column) |
| Birch | 6 blocks (3x3) |
| Spruce | 6 blocks (5x5) |
| Jungle | 5 blocks (3x3) |
| Acacia | 6 blocks (5x5) |
| Cherry | 8 blocks (5x5) |
| Dark oak / pale oak (2x2 only) | 7 blocks |
| Giant spruce (2x2) | 14 blocks |
| Giant jungle (2x2) | 11 blocks |
A spruce or jungle sapling that is part of a 2x2 square without room for a giant tree will not grow at all. Poplar saplings, added in Java 26.3, also grow into trees; minecraft.wiki does not yet list the space they need.
How do you get more saplings?
- Leaves that decay or are broken without shears or Silk Touch drop a sapling 5% of the time (jungle 2.5%); Fortune III raises it to 10% (jungle 4.17%).
- Wandering traders sell any sapling for 5 emeralds; see the wandering trader.
- The sapling farm room in woodland mansions has 58 dark oak saplings.
What else should you know?
Oak, birch and cherry trees grown within 2 blocks of a flower have a 5% chance of growing with a bee nest and 2-3 bees. Growing a tree on grass turns the block under it into dirt. Saplings smelt 0.5 items as furnace fuel and have a 30% chance to raise a composter. See bees and honey.
Does ArtemisPvP have custom blocks?
Frequently asked questions
Why won't my sapling grow?
It needs light level 9 or more and enough open space above; a spruce or jungle in a bad 2x2 square never grows.
What is the sapling drop chance from leaves?
5%, or 2.5% for jungle leaves.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.