6 Simple Steps to Find and Grow Mangrove Trees in Minecraft

Follow this easy guide to start sprouting mangroves in Minecraft

Written by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: February 25, 2025 Fact Checked

In June of 2022, Minecraft got "The Wild Update" which added a variety of new things to the game, including mangrove swamps^{[1]
X
Research source}. Mangrove swamps are a variant of the normal swamp biome in Minecraft, but prominently feature mangrove trees—a tree with a large canopy and an intricate aerial root system that act as homes for wildlife and protect shorelines from erosion and ocean storms.^{[2]
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Research source} If you're wondering how you can add mangrove trees to your Minecraft builds, we'll teach you where to find these trees as well as how to plant and grow them.

Things You Should Know

Mangrove swamps are near warm biomes, such as deserts and jungles, and feature light-green foliage and teal water.
To grow a mangrove you must take a mangrove propagule, which spawn under mangrove leaf blocks.
Mangroves can grow in many block types, even if they're submerged under water.

Steps

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Mangrove trees grow in mangrove swamp biomes. Mangrove swamps tend to generate in warm regions near jungles and deserts.^{[3]
X
Research source} You can tell a swamp is a mangrove swamp by the inclusion of mangrove trees, which have large canopies and aerial roots.^{[4]
X
Research source} You can also tell if a swamp is a mangrove swamp if the leaves and vines have a light-green tint and the water is teal.
Mangrove propagules are similar to saplings used to grow other trees. You can find mangrove propagules under the leaf blocks of mangrove trees in the mangrove swamp.^{[5]
X
Research source} Propagules look like bright green rods.

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Plant the propagule. Propagules have a few requirements to grow into a mangrove tree:
- It must be planted in dirt, grass blocks, coarse dirt, podzol, mycelium, rooted dirt, moss blocks, farmland, mud, muddy mangrove roots, or clay. You can plant a propagule in these blocks even if they're submerged underwater.
- It requires a light level of at least 9.
- There must be a 5x5 clear space to plant the propagule, and the tree requires at least 6 empty spaces above the propagule to grow.
- There must be at least one solid block in the 9x9x9 cube directly underneath the propagule and solid blocks to support the roots 11 or fewer blocks below the propagule in a 9x9 area. Note that mud doesn't count as a solid block.
Bone meal can progress the propagule forward by one growth stage, even if there isn't sufficient light to grow the propagule.^{[6]
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Research source}
Just like saplings, you or another player must stay near the mangrove propagule for it to grow.^{[7]
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Research source}
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Replant the mangrove propagule if it doesn't grow. If the propagule doesn't appear to be growing after one in-game day (20 minutes in real time), replant it in a more suitable area.
- Note that once your mangrove does grow, any mud block in the way of its roots will be turned into a muddy mangrove roots block.