Leaves
Leaves are organic, partially transparent, flammable blocks which grow as part of Trees. There are five types of leaf blocks, one for each of the five types of trees (oak, birch, spruce, jungle and blood), which are identical except for their appearance and the different varieties of Saplings that have a chance to drop when they are broken. Other than blood leaves, they take on a different shade of green depending on the biome they are placed in. Leaf blocks are easily destroyed by hand, explosions, and fire.
The fastest tool for breaking leaves is with an Axe, and axes of diamond or higher will not take damage from breaking leaves. Alternatively, they can be broken with Shears, which will cause them to drop as a block and replaced elsewhere, though this is solely decorative.
When the wood for a tree is harvested, excluding stumps, unconnected leaves will eventually decay away over time, with the same chance of dropping a sapling as if they had been broken by a player.
Keep In Mind
- Mobs hiding under Leaves will not burn due to sunlight. This is a strategy often exploited by Skeletons, which will often seek shelter and snipe at players during the morning.
- Leaves that have been placed by a player will never decay.
- To harvest Saplings, it is often a good idea to chop the wood of a tree then return a few minutes later once the leaves have decayed by themselves, instead of breaking them manually.
