How to Dig Up and Replant Trees in Animal Crossing: New Horizons: A Comprehensive Guide
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The ability to rearrange your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) is a core aspect of gameplay. One of the most impactful ways to customize your landscape is by strategically placing trees. But what if that perfect tree is just slightly out of place, or you want to move an entire grove to a different part of your island? Fortunately, ACNH allows you to dig up and replant trees with ease, provided you know the right technique.
How to Dig Up and Replant Trees in ACNH: A Step-by-Step Guide
The method for moving trees in ACNH is straightforward, but it does require a key ingredient: fruit. Here’s how to do it:
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Eat a Piece of Fruit: Before you can uproot any mature tree, you need to consume a piece of fruit. This could be any fruit you grow on your island, whether it’s apples, oranges, cherries, peaches, or pears. You’ll know you’re successful because your character will get a “fruit buff,” represented by a small icon in the upper-left corner of your screen. You can eat up to 10 pieces of fruit at once, storing up to 10 digs.
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Equip Your Shovel: Select your shovel from your tool wheel. Ensure you have an active shovel, as you won’t be able to move trees with other tools.
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Dig Up the Tree: With the fruit buff active and your shovel equipped, approach the tree you wish to move. Stand directly in front of it and press the “A” button. Instead of chopping it down, you’ll see your character pull the whole tree out of the ground, complete with its root ball.
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The Tree is Now in Your Inventory: The entire tree will be placed inside your inventory, as if it were any other item.
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Choose Your New Location: Walk to the area where you want to replant the tree. Make sure there is enough space around the area you are going to dig to have the tree grow properly.
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Replant the Tree: Open your inventory and select the tree you just uprooted. Choose the “Plant” option. Your character will plant the tree in the new location, creating a new hole in the ground as it takes root.
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The process is complete: You have now successfully moved your tree to a new location.
That’s all there is to it! You can use this method to move multiple trees at a time, making changes to your island’s landscaping quick and efficient.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do all trees need fruit to be moved?
No, small trees (saplings), recently planted trees, or trees that are only 1-2 days old, do not require you to eat a fruit before digging them up.
2. Can I dig up a tree stump?
No, you cannot dig up a tree stump, but you can remove it by using a shovel to dig it out. Once the stump is removed, the spot where it stood will be empty, and you can plant a new tree there.
3. Why can’t I dig up a tree, even after eating fruit?
If you’ve eaten fruit but still can’t dig up a tree, it may be in a glitched spot. Try chopping down the tree, and then plant a new one to see if you can move it after it has grown. This is usually a rare occurrence.
4. What happens if I accidentally chop down a tree?
Don’t panic! If you chop down a tree by mistake, you can remove the stump, and then plant a new tree in its place. New saplings can be purchased from Nook’s Cranny.
5. Can I move a tree onto the beach?
No. You can only plant trees on grass or dirt areas. You cannot plant trees on the sand part of your beach.
6. Is there a limit to how many trees I can have on my island?
Yes. The tree limit in ACNH is 220. This includes hardwood trees, cedar trees, fruit trees (including coconut trees), and bamboo. However, baby/non-adult trees don’t count toward this limit.
7. What about money trees? Can I move them?
Yes, money trees can be moved just like any other fruit-bearing tree. Simply eat a fruit and dig it up as you would a normal tree.
8. What is a perfect fruit and can I move that tree?
Perfect fruit has a glossy shine and sells for more bells. These trees also count towards the limit of 220 but can be moved just like a normal tree, after you eat fruit.
9. What is the point of chopping down trees?
Chopping down trees in ACNH is a great way to get **building supplies** like wood, and is also a way to clear space if you are trying to redesign your island.
10. What should I do with the shiny spots on the ground?
Shiny spots indicate that there is **buried treasure** waiting for you. Dig up the spot to find a bag of bells. You can also bury bells in a shiny spot to grow a **money tree**.
11. How do I grow a money tree and how does it work?
To grow a money tree, bury a **bag of bells** in a glowing spot. You will get 3 times the amount of bells that you buried in return. However, money trees are capped at 30,000 bells. This means that no matter how much you bury, you will only receive a return of 30,000 bells. The money tree will only bear bells once, and then return to being a normal tree.
12. Is it worth it to bury more than 10,000 bells for a money tree?
It’s generally not recommended. While there is a chance you will get 3x the bells you buried if you bury 99,000 bells, there is also a 70% chance you will only receive 30,000 bells. The game will decide **at the time of burying** whether you will get the 30,000 bells, or the 3x bells.
13. Why does my villager keep cutting down trees?
Villagers may occasionally interact with trees but do not cut them down. If you’re finding that your trees are chopped down, it is most likely you or another player.
14. Can I dig up flowers to rearrange them?
Yes. Flowers can be dug up with a shovel just like a tree. You don’t need to eat any fruit before hand. After they have been dug up, you can plant them wherever you want on your island.
15. How do I get a golden shovel?
The golden shovel is a special tool that you can obtain by completing Gulliver’s sidequest 30 times. After that, he will send you the recipe for the golden shovel in the mail. It takes one regular shovel, and one gold nugget to craft.
Conclusion
Moving trees in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an easy way to customize your island to perfection. By eating fruit and using your shovel, you can rearrange your entire island with no difficulty. With the knowledge provided in this guide, you’ll be equipped to redesign your island’s greenery to your heart’s content! Happy landscaping!