How To Grow Mangrove Trees in Minecraft

4 min. readlast update: 09.12.2025

Mangrove trees are one of the standout additions from the 1.19 The Wild Update, which introduced new resources, blocks, and biomes to explore. These trees are found in the mangrove swamp biome and are different from most other trees in Minecraft in more ways than one. 

In this guide, you will learn how to find mangrove trees, how to grow them yourself, the best ways to harvest their resources, and the different items they can provide.

Finding A Mangrove Swamp

If you don’t start in or near a mangrove swamp biome, you’ll need to know where to locate one. Mangrove swamps are a warm variant of the standard swamp biome and often appear near jungles or deserts.

Mangrove swamps are mostly covered in mud, with occasional patches of grass or dirt. The grass resembles that of a normal swamp, but the leaves and vines are a brighter green, and the water has a distinctive teal hue. Seagrass grows along the bottoms of flooded areas. The biome is home to passive mobs such as frogs, tropical fish, glow squids, chickens, bats, sheep, pigs, and cows.

If you have commands enabled in your world, you can use the following command to locate a mangrove swamp: /locate biome mangrove_swamp

After running the command, a message will appear in your chat showing the nearest mangrove swamp coordinates. The easiest way to travel there is to click on the green coordinates in the message.

Mangrove Trees

Mangrove trees are unique trees that can grow on both land and water. They have large canopies and aerial root systems, with roots that always reach the ground, even when planted in midair. Their wood has a vermillion color, and as they grow, any mud beneath their roots turns into muddy mangrove roots. Mangrove trees can also appear as decorative displays in certain Trial Chamber entrance rooms.

Mangrove trees can provide a variety of resources such as:

  • Mangrove Leaves – Harvest with shears
  • Mangrove Log – Harvest with hands or any tool
  • Stripped Mangrove Log – Use an axe on a Mangrove Log
  • Mangrove Planks – Craft from Mangrove Logs
  • Mangrove Propagule – Drops from fully grown trees or leaves
  • Mangrove Roots – Harvest with hands or any tool
  • Muddy Mangrove Roots – Harvest with hands or any tool
  • Vines – Harvest with shears
  • Moss Carpet – Harvest with hands or any tool
  • Bee Nest – Found naturally on the tree
  • Sticks – May drop when blocks are broken

Growing a Mangrove Tree

Step 1: Obtain a Mangrove Propagule

1. Find a Propagule grown on a  fully grown mangrove tree, or trade with a Wandering Trader.

Step 2: Choosing a Planting Spot

First, it's important to know what Mangrove propagules can grow on:

  • Dirt,
  • Grass Block
  • Coarse Dirt
  • Podzol
  • Mycelium
  • Rooted Dirt
  • Moss Block
  • Farmland
  • Mud
  • Muddy Mangrove Roots
  • Clay

Next, Pick a location with enough space and suitable blocks.

  • Minimum recommended space: 5×5 blocks
  • Trees can grow in small spaces (as little as 1×1) if walls are less than or equal to 10 blocks above the planting block. In these cases, the tree grows on top of the confined space.
  • Smallest viable planting box: 5×5×5 blocks
  • Maximum tree size: 13×13×18 blocks

The image below shows a 5x5 setup.

Step 4: Planting the Propagule

Once you have your location figured out. Place the propagule on the chosen block.

Ensure there is at least 5 blocks of vertical space above it.

Step 5: Watch the Tree Grow

Wait for one in-game day, or use a few bone meal to grow it instantly.

The tree will develop:

  • Large canopy
  • Aerial roots (mud under roots turns into muddy mangrove roots)
  • Vines along branches
  • Propagules growing from leaves
  • There is a 1% chance a bee nest will appear.

The image below shows a Mangrove tree grown in a 13x13x18 cofined location. 

With these tips, you’re ready to grow your own mangroves and make the most of their unique resources in Minecraft.

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