Fast Leaf Decay
by Vanilla Tweaks
Leaves decay much faster after their tree trunk is removed. Reduces the floating leaf blocks left behind after logging.
Overview
Fast Leaf Decay from Vanilla Tweaks runs a function that checks for leaf blocks whose supporting trunk has been chopped away and speeds their disappearance so you stop waiting on the slow vanilla timer. Felling a tree no longer leaves a hanging canopy of floating leaves drifting above the ground. The pack works across every tree species, from oak and birch to jungle and mangrove. Saplings and apples still drop at their normal vanilla rates, so nothing about your loot changes.
It suits survival and SMP players who clear trees often and want clean terrain without manually punching every leftover leaf block. It comes from Vanilla Tweaks, sits in the Quality of Life category, and is rated a simple, drop-in pack to run. Everything happens through vanilla data pack functions, so no mod loader such as Fabric or Forge is required to use it on Minecraft 1.20 through 1.21.4.
Features
- Accelerated leaf decay
- Works with all tree types
- Saplings still drop normally
- Apple drops unaffected
How It Works
Under the hood, Fast Leaf Decay relies on plain data pack mechanics rather than any client mod. Here is what happens in-game once it is loaded:
- 1A repeating function scans for leaves no longer connected to a log within range.
- 2Detached leaf blocks are flagged and removed far quicker than the vanilla decay tick.
- 3Sapling and apple drop rolls fire from the same decay event as in vanilla.
- 4Logged trunks trigger the cascade so the whole canopy clears after felling.
Supported Versions
Compatibility
Compatible with all data packs including Timber.
- Pairs cleanly with Timber so one chop fells the trunk and the leaves then vanish fast.
- Stacks with other Vanilla Tweaks packs without overwriting leaf behaviour.
- Does not alter sapling or apple drop chances, so loot-focused packs stay unaffected.
Fast Leaf Decay is a pure data pack and does not ship a resource pack, so it changes server-side behaviour without altering textures, models or sounds on the client.
Tags
How to Install
Fast Leaf Decay installs as a standard Java Edition data pack and runs on both singleplayer worlds and multiplayer servers. Recent 1.21 releases bumped the data pack format, so keep the pack's pack.mcmeta in step with your server version.
- 1.Download the Fast Leaf Decay pack as a .zip and keep it zipped.
- 2.Open the target world folder — a singleplayer save under .minecraft/saves, or the world folder on your server.
- 3.Drop the .zip into that world's datapacks folder, creating the folder if it does not exist.
- 4.Load the world (or run /reload if it is already open) and run /datapack list to confirm it is enabled.
The pack is built for Minecraft 1.20 through 1.21.4, so it loads on vanilla Java without Fabric, Forge or any other mod loader. Drop it into the world datapacks folder or load it server-side, and accelerated decay applies the next time you chop a tree.
View full install guideFrequently Asked Questions
Which Minecraft versions does Fast Leaf Decay support?
It targets Java Edition 1.20, 1.20.1, 1.20.4, 1.21, and 1.21.4.
Do I need any mods or a loader to run it?
No, it is a vanilla data pack and needs no Fabric or Forge, only base Minecraft Java.
Will I still get saplings and apples from leaves?
Yes, saplings and apple drops are untouched and roll exactly as they do in unmodified Minecraft.
Does it work on every kind of tree?
Yes, the faster decay applies to all tree types once their trunk has been removed.
Can I use it together with Timber?
Yes, Timber drops the whole trunk and Fast Leaf Decay then clears the orphaned leaves quickly, so they complement each other.
Related Data Packs
Timber!Vanilla Tweaks
Chop down entire trees by breaking the bottom log. All connected logs break at once while sneaking with an axe.
Anti Enderman GriefVanilla Tweaks
Prevents Endermen from picking up and placing blocks. Stops the random terrain damage they cause.
Anti Creeper GriefVanilla Tweaks
Creepers still explode and deal damage but no longer destroy blocks. Protects your builds while keeping the danger.
Unlock All RecipesVanilla Tweaks
Automatically unlocks all crafting recipes in the recipe book when joining the world. No manual unlocking required.
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