Ore Trees
Mining is the backbone of Minecraft, but there comes a point when you are tired of digging endless tunnels just to find a few diamonds. Ore Trees changes that routine completely. Instead of hunting for ore underground, you plant a sapling, wait for it to grow, and harvest resources right on the surface. It is a simple idea that reshapes how you gather materials in survival mode, and it works on both Forge and NeoForge depending on the version you play.
What Are Ore Trees?
This add-on introduces twelve custom trees, each one tied to a specific resource. Chop the logs, and you walk away with the ore or item that tree represents. The trees are organized into four tiers, so progression feels natural rather than instant.
- Tier 1: Laoc Tree (Coal), Suron Tree (Iron), Pocu Tree (Copper)
- Tier 2: Dlehm Tree (Gold), Rezul Tree (Lapis), Rohen Tree (Redstone)
- Tier 3: Mondia Tree (Diamond), Arzu Tree (Nether Quartz)
- Tier 4: Oband Tree (Obsidian), Aldo Tree (Emerald), Nerile Tree (Netherite), Lazek Tree (Blaze Powder)
That last tier is where things get serious. Netherite and blaze powder are normally locked behind dangerous trips to the Nether, but here they are part of a farming loop you can build at home.
Dirt Tiers and Growth Rules
You cannot simply plant a Nerile sapling on ordinary grass and expect results. Every tree needs dirt of an equal or higher tier to grow. Vanilla Dirt counts as Tier 1, Slightly Fertilized Dirt is Tier 2, Fertilized Dirt is Tier 3, and Extremely Fertilized Dirt is Tier 4. A Tier 3 tree will grow on Tier 3 or Tier 4 dirt, but never on plain dirt. This mechanic keeps early game balance intact while rewarding players who invest in better soil.
Getting Started with Fertilizer
Fertilizer items drop from the Automated Tree Farmer, and they are the key to upgrading your dirt. Place the farmer block, insert a vanilla or modded sapling into the left slot, and wait between one and five minutes. You receive a log, and with a 35 percent chance, a Fertilizer item as well. The machine does not consume the sapling, and hoppers can automate the whole process, which makes large-scale production very practical.
If you would rather skip the manual setup, the foxygame.net launcher offers a one-click install for Ore Trees, so the add-on lands in your mods folder without any file juggling. Its built-in catalog also tracks version compatibility, which matters here because the mod supports Minecraft 1.16 through 1.21 across Forge and NeoForge builds.
How to Install Ore Trees
Installation is straightforward, whether you use a launcher or do it yourself.
- Confirm your Minecraft version and loader, such as Forge 1.20.1 or NeoForge 1.21.
- Download Ore Trees for Minecraft from a trusted source.
- Place the jar file into your mods folder.
- Install JEI as well, since recipes rely on it for reference.
- Launch the game and check that the new saplings appear in the creative menu.
If you want to know how to install it alongside other add-ons, keep in mind that loaders must match. A Forge build will not run on Fabric, so always grab the correct file for your setup.
Automation and Modpack Use
The Automated Tree Farmer is the heart of any serious ore farm. Because it never consumes saplings and accepts hopper input and output, you can chain several machines together and let them run while you build elsewhere. Stack the right dirt tier underneath, feed in saplings, and your storage system fills itself with iron, gold, or even netherite over time.
The mod is modpack friendly, so pack authors are free to include it. It also ships with English, Spanish, and German translations, though the Spanish option is known to be broken and is best avoided for now.
Final Thoughts
Ore Trees is one of those add-ons that quietly removes a huge chunk of grind without breaking progression. The tiered dirt system keeps balance in check, the tree lineup covers nearly every resource you need, and automation turns a novelty into a genuine production line. Plant a few saplings, upgrade your soil, and watch your ore problems disappear.