Trees in the Super Mario franchise are large plants that are used mostly as decorative elements, and occasionally as obstacles for obstructing enemies or being physical barriers. However, they are usually climbable and may hide items, especially in the three-dimensional games of the Super Mario series.
History of trees as climbable objects
Donkey Kong Jr. (New Wide Screen)
Donkey Kong Jr. for the Game & Watch and its Modern variants in the Game & Watch Gallery series involve Donkey Kong Jr.'s navigating through a tree to rescue Donkey Kong from Mario. The tree provides vines for Donkey Kong Jr. to swing from and avoid enemies. He can also drop fruits to defeat enemies for bonus points.
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros. 2
In Super Mario Bros. 2, palm trees are common throughout Subcon, with their leaves being shared with those on the tops of vines. While the player cannot interact with them directly, Hoopsters are able to climb on them as though they were vines.
Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
In Super Mario 64, Mario can climb on top of trees in the same manner as poles. In different areas, trees take on different appearances, with the castle's back courtyard and the snowy areas having a star-shaped conifer appearance. In some cases, climbing to the top causes a 1-Up Mushroom to spawn. If Mario long-jumps onto the tree's trunk, he will swing around it briefly. In the Shindou re-release of the game, he will still swing but not as far.
In Whomp's Fortress, a tree contains Hoot in later missions. In Super Mario 64 DS, Hoot appears in trees in other levels as well. The remake also adds Super Mario Sunshine-style palm trees in the new course, Sunshine Isles.
Super Mario Sunshine
Trees[1] appear throughout Super Mario Sunshine. They are occasionally covered in goop and will sprout up when it is cleared away, although some in Gelato Beach are simply spawned from spraying in certain areas without the addition of goop. Some trees have a harmless spiky area near the leaves preventing Mario from climbing all the way up one.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Mario can climb broad-leaf, conifer, and palm trees in Super Mario Galaxy 2. They are seen in locations such as Starship Mario and the Fluffy Bluff Galaxy.
Super Mario 3D Land
In Super Mario 3D Land, trees are common in grass-themed levels, like World 1-1. The crowns of the trees in this game have a globe-like shape with several layers of leaves. Mario or Luigi can climb them like in Super Mario 64 and will cause them to shake softly upon doing so. Usually, climbing to the top of a tree will reveal an item, such as a Coin, Super Leaf or 1-Up Mushroom.
Trees with this specific design also appear as background elements in New Super Mario Bros. 2, two Super Mario stages in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (3D Land and Golden Plains) and in Super Mario Maker 2's Story Mode hub.
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Trees appear in various levels in Super Mario 3D World, occasionally releasing coins or Mini Goombas when the player climbs to the top. A unique type of tree with a white trunk and a yellow and orange-striped crown of leaves in the shape of a Super Bell also makes multiple appearances throughout the game, primarily in World 1. They appear in varying heights, ranging from short to extremely tall, even taller than Mega Mario at their tallest. Unlike the other tree types, if the player climbs to the top, a Super Bell will often appear and fall to the ground. When climbed on, these trees emit a bell jingling sound (the same happens when the player touches one with the Wii U GamePad). Trees can be destroyed by walking into them while under the effects of a Mega Mushroom.
Trees return in the Bowser's Fury campaign of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, where the trees' bushes have cat-like ears on the top. In the Lakeside region, they are green; in the Ruins region, they are light blue; and in the Wasteland region, they are red. If Mario rolls into a tree, the player earns a single coin.
Super Mario Odyssey
In Super Mario Odyssey, several climbable trees with designs based on those of the trees in Super Mario 64 appear throughout the Mushroom Kingdom.
Super Mario Maker 2
The Super Bell tree in
Super Mario Maker 2Trees reappear as a course element in Super Mario Maker 2 in the Super Mario 3D World style, where their height can be altered in a manner similar to pipes. Their designs vary between level themes, with most themes' trees taking the form of the Super Bell trees seen in the original game. In the Desert theme, they resemble palm trees; in the Underwater theme, they take on a puffed pink appearance; in the Forest theme, they take on a more generic appearance and spherical shape; and in the Snow theme, they resemble snow-covered conifers with a similar shape to the capturable tree in Super Mario Odyssey. Items can also be placed inside of them, and if the player climbs to the top, the item will pop out of it.
The Story Mode levels Treetop Fireballs and Master of the Trees have a clear condition of doing a handstand on all trees, but the condition is otherwise unavailable in Course Maker.
Donkey Kong 64
Climbable palm trees appear in Jungle Japes, Angry Aztec, and around DK's Tree House in Donkey Kong 64.
History of trees as stationary obstacles
Mario Golf series
Trees are common obstacles throughout golf courses in the Mario Golf series, starting with Golf: Japan Course; in the prior Golf, they merely act as out-of-bounds areas, a role which returns for dense trees in many later games. Trees interfere with the paths of balls, such as having balls bounce off trunks, or the leaves slow, if not stop their trajectory. In Mario Golf: World Tour, Fire Flower-powered shots can burn through tree cover, and Special Shots in Mario Golf: Super Rush can pierce through foliage (since version 2.0.0). If golf balls are stuck in trees, or if they land too close to a tree, making them unplayable, players take a hazard penalty and add one stroke to their score.
Mario Kart series
In the Mario Kart series, trees appear as obstacles starting in Mario Kart 64. Often, they have a different design in each course. In the original version of Royal Raceway, the climbable trees from Super Mario 64 return as obstacles as well.
Diddy Kong Racing
Various types of trees serve as hazards in Diddy Kong Racing and its remake Diddy Kong Racing DS. Their appearance varies on the location, with temperate areas featuring broad-leaved trees, tropical areas featuring palms (Spacedust Alley, however, contains palm trees), and mountain and snow areas with conifers. When racers hit trees, they lose speed or even stop, and the tree makes a cartoonish wobbling noise. Some other trees are more simple obstacles, such as the large palms supporting the race banner in Whale Bay.
History of trees as platforms
Super Mario series
Super Mario Sunshine
In Super Mario Sunshine, the same palm trees that can be climbed can also be stood upon as platforms. Pianta Village is centered around a particularly large tree.
New Super Mario Bros.
In New Super Mario Bros., palm trees, found in beach levels and having various heights, act as platforms for the player.
Super Mario 64 DS
While no platform trees appear in the original Super Mario 64, the remake Super Mario 64 DS features palm trees that can be stood upon in Sunshine Isles, a new small course. Additionally, another new area, Goomboss Battle, is built atop giant sawed-off trees.
Super Mario Galaxy
In Super Mario Galaxy, palm trees once again have fronds that Mario can stand on, though he can no longer climb them directly. An enormous mangrove is also used as a large series of platforms in the Sea Slide Galaxy. Trees elsewhere can also be stood upon, including in the Honeyhive Galaxy and the Gold Leaf Galaxy, and sometimes contain items or characters.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, palm trees return with their previous role as platforms. Some bear fruit for Yoshi to eat.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2 features a giant tree in the Tall Trunk Galaxy. Mario can scale this tree depending on the design of the mission he is in. For The Flotacious Blimp Fruit, he requires Blimp Yoshi. In Tall Trunk's Big Slide, he instead jumps through swings.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
In New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, trees appear in various levels in the game, mostly levels in Layer-Cake Desert and Sparkling Waters. In these levels, they act as platforms that can be stood on. Waddlewings can also cling onto trees. Some trees release coins if the player performs a Ground Pound on their leaves or performs a Spin Jump into the leaves from below.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, trees primarily appear as Semisolid Platforms. They player characters can stand on their canopies, and the species of tree depends on the theme of the course. Special trees called Hip Trees appear in Bulrush Coming Through! and Sproings in the Twilight Forest. Players can identify them when the trees buckle slightly under them. When players Ground Pound on them, they can alter the elevation of these trees. One tree, indicated by vertical coins, leads the player to a Coin Heaven to find a 10-flower coin.
Donkey Kong franchise
Donkey Kong Country
In Donkey Kong Country, palm trees are common platforms in jungle stages. Many are spaced far apart and can only be reached by performing very out-of-the-way sequences of jumps, usually leading to a reward.
Donkey Kong 64
In Donkey Kong 64, climbable palm trees have leaves that can be walked on. Some treetops contain items, such as Banana Bunches.
History of trees with miscellaneous roles
Mario's Bombs Away
In Mario's Bombs Away, palm trees hide Mario's enemies. While Mario is carrying a bomb, enemies emerge from the fronds to try to light it.
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros. 3
In Super Mario Bros. 3, palm trees appear as background objects in desert stages, with dancing ones appearing on the map in Desert Land. A particular one on the map acts as a space that can be stood upon after breaking a rock, leading to a hidden area to the east as well as preventing a Fire Bro in that area from leaving to the main portion of the map.
Super Mario World
Yoshi's House, which first appears in Super Mario World and Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, consists of a large tree with berries for Yoshi to lay an egg. The tree is also visible on the world map of Dinosaur Land, marking the level. In the Forest of Illusion, levels containing densely populated trees, also bearing fruit, can obscure the player, enemies, and items.
Super Mario Sunshine
In Super Mario Sunshine, a tree in Pianta Village contains one of every type of fruit in the game aside from peppers. A baobab-like tree is in Pinna Park and resembles a Pianta head, having some X Graffiti on the front and a papaya dangling from the nose.
New Super Mario Bros.
In World 5-1 from New Super Mario Bros., some trees have heavy snow on their branches. If Mario approaches them, the snow falls and can potentially trap him.
Super Mario Galaxy
In Super Mario Galaxy, small trees often contain Star Bits. The Bell on the Big Tree is a hidden mission in Gold Leaf Galaxy where Mario navigates in a bubble around a large tree.
Super Mario 3D Land
In Super Mario 3D Land, Tail Trees, a variant with tail-like branches that bears Super Leaves, make their first appearance.
Super Mario Odyssey
A fir tree that appears in the Deep Woods area of the Wooded Kingdom from Super Mario Odyssey can be captured with Cappy. This is indicated by a small, green orb on the top of it. If Mario captures the tree, he can move around by moving 
. This is required in order to obtain a Power Moon in a glowing spot that is hidden underneath the tree. Unlike the more realistic trees in the game, this tree's design greatly resembles that of Super Mario 3D World.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, pink shrubs in Maw-Maw Mouthful provide Goomba Mario cover to prevent Maw-Maws from eating him.
Yoshi's Story
- See also: Super Happy Tree
In Yoshi's Story, trees in some early levels contain fruit and even enemies, such as large groups of Shy Guys, which can be knocked out with a Ground Pound. The Super Happy Tree in Yoshi's Island is central to the plot. Including the central Heart Fruit, it grows all fruits on the island and provides happiness to the inhabitants.
Mario Party series
In Mario Party 2, Woody, a large friendly tree, first appears and sells minigames. Evil Woody, his blue counterpart, first appears in Mario Party 3. The Mario Party series has several tree-themed boards including Woody Woods and Towering Treetop that has sentient trees, including Woody and Evil Woody. In Towering Treetop, one of the ? Spaces lets a player cause the giant tree that the board is being played on to sneeze. Mega Wiggler's Tree Party takes place in an orchard.
Trees are also featured in several minigames. In Vine with Me, trees provide competitors vines to clear the course. Players drop coconuts from palm trees in Coconut Conk to defeat the solo player. Players shoot down fruits from a large tree in Berry Basket so their teammates can collect fruits. In Banana Shake, players shake trees to gain bananas while avoiding falling hammers. In Trick or Tree, dark sentient trees shuffle, and players must guess and choose the highest tree to win. In Something's Amist, trees (the same ones from Trick or Tree) look at the location of the hidden gem. A board-specific item minigame, Treasure Tree, can be played in Shy Guy's Jungle Jam in Mario Party 4. Players under the effects of the Mini Mushroom can receive one of the three items that are swinging from the tree.
Paper Mario series
Trees in Paper Mario and other games of the Paper Mario series are not climbed, but Mario can hit them with a hammer, potentially causing items to drop from them. In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Whammino Mountain features trees with no leaves that can be hammered to cause them to spin and fall over. Later in the level Mario can tip over one of these trees to start a long, destructive chain of events, similar to a Rube Goldberg machine, to eventually release the white gate scrap, so he can proceed with the level. In Paper Mario: The Origami King, hammering trees can cause them to drop infinite amounts of Confetti, which is mandatory to progress through the game.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Super Bell trees from Super Mario 3D World reappear in the Wii U version of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker in the same locations in Super Bell Hill, the first level of the Bonus episode.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, green bell-shaped trees, referencing the Super Bell trees from Super Mario 3D World, can be seen scattered throughout the Mushroom Kingdom, mainly around Peach's Castle in Toad Town.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership
- Main articles: Uni-Tree, Soli-Tree
In Mario & Luigi: Brothership, a Uni-Tree (a word play on the term "unity"), the mast and sail of the Shipshape Island, serves as a central plot point by connecting and unifying all districts in Concordia with the power of Connectar. It is planted on the island to help restore the lands after an older, larger Uni-Tree was destroyed and fractured them.
Profiles
Super Mario 3D Land
- Website description:
- English (United Kingdom):
Try climbing right to the very top...[2]
- Other languages:
- Dutch:
Probeer helemaal naar boven te klimmen...[3]
(Translation: Try climbing all the way to the top...)
- French (Europe):
Essayez de grimper tout en haut des arbres...[4]
- German:
Versuche, bis ganz nach oben zu klettern![5]
- Italian:
Cerca di salire fino alla cima...[6]
- Portuguese (Europe):
Experimenta subir até ao topo...[7]
- Spanish (Europe):
Intenta subir por ellos hasta la copa…[8]
(Translation: Try climbing them up to the top...)
Gallery
Artwork
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Sprites and models
Super Mario Bros. 3 (map decoration)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (map decoration)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (map decoration)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (map decoration)
Diddy Kong Racing (top of palm tree)
Diddy Kong Racing (top of palm tree)
Super Paper Mario (Disc Channel)
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Unused
Screenshots
Game & Watch Gallery 4 (Mario's Bombs Away)
Merchandise
Yoshis' Egg-cellent Forest from LEGO Super Mario
Goombas' Playground from LEGO Super Mario
Naming
Internal names
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|
| Japanese | 木
Ki | Tree | | [9] |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 树
Shù (Mandarin)
Syuh (Cantonese) | Tree | | [10] |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 樹
Shù (Mandarin)
Syuh (Cantonese) | | [11] |
| Czech | Strom | Tree | | [12] |
| Danish | Træ | Tree | | [13] |
| Dutch | Boom | Tree | | [3] |
| Estonian | Puu | Tree | | [14] |
| Finnish | Puu | Tree | | [15] |
| French (Canada) | Arbre | Tree | | [16] |
| French (Europe) | | [4] |
| German | Baum | Tree | | [5] |
| Hungarian | Fa | Tree | | [17] |
| Italian | Albero | Tree | | [6] |
| Korean | 나무
Namu | Tree | | [18] |
| Latvian | Koks | Tree | | [19] |
| Lithuanian | Medis | Tree | | [20] |
| Norwegian | Tre | Tree | | [21] |
| Polish | Drzewo | Tree | | [22] |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | Árvore | Tree | | [23] |
| Portuguese (Europe) | | [7] |
| Romanian | Pom | Tree | | [24] |
| Russian | Дерево
Derevo | Tree | | [?] |
| Slovak | Strom | Tree | | [25] |
| Spanish (Latin America) | Árbol | Tree | | [26] |
| Spanish (Europe) | | [8] |
| Swedish | Träd | Tree | | [27] |
| Turkish | Ağaç | Tree | | [28] |
| Ukrainian | Дерево
Derevo | Tree | | [29] |
See also
References
- ^ Averill, Alan, and Jennifer Villarreal (2002). Super Mario Sunshine: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide. Redmond, WA: Nintendo of America (English). ISBN 1-930206-23-2. Page 59.
- ^ Official website of Super Mario 3D Land (UK & Ireland) § The Game World. Nintendo of Europe. Archived February 13, 2026, 23:40:46 UTC from nintendo.co.uk via Megalodon, from an archive.today snapshot. Retrieved March 3, 2026. (Note: In the archive, relevant information is only accessible in the web page's source code.)
- ^ a b Official website of Super Mario 3D Land (Netherlands) § De spelwereld. Nintendo of Europe (Dutch). Archived February 13, 2026, 23:44:03 UTC from nintendo.nl via Megalodon, from an archive.today snapshot. Retrieved March 3, 2026. (Note: In the archive, relevant information is only accessible in the web page's source code.)
- ^ a b Official website of Super Mario 3D Land (France) § L'univers de jeu. Nintendo of Europe (French). Archived February 13, 2026, 23:45:03 UTC from nintendo.fr via Megalodon, from an archive.today snapshot. Retrieved March 3, 2026. (Note: In the archive, relevant information is only accessible in the web page's source code.)
- ^ a b Official website of Super Mario 3D Land (Germany) § Die Spielwelt. Nintendo of Europe (German). Archived February 13, 2026, 23:46:09 UTC from nintendo.de via Megalodon, from an archive.today snapshot. Retrieved March 3, 2026. (Note: In the archive, relevant information is only accessible in the web page's source code.)
- ^ a b Official website of Super Mario 3D Land (Italy) § Il Mondo di gioco. Nintendo of Europe (Italian). Archived February 13, 2026, 23:46:59 UTC from nintendo.it via Megalodon, from an archive.today snapshot. Retrieved March 3, 2026. (Note: In the archive, relevant information is only accessible in the web page's source code.)
- ^ a b Official website of Super Mario 3D Land (Portugal) § O mundo do jogo. Nintendo of Europe (Portuguese). Archived February 13, 2026, 23:47:42 UTC from nintendo.pt via Megalodon, from an archive.today snapshot. Retrieved March 3, 2026. (Note: In the archive, relevant information is only accessible in the web page's source code.)
- ^ a b Official website of Super Mario 3D Land (Spain) § Mundo del juego. Nintendo of Europe (Spanish). Archived February 13, 2026, 23:48:31 UTC from nintendo.es via Megalodon, from an archive.today snapshot. Retrieved March 3, 2026. (Note: In the archive, relevant information is only accessible in the web page's source code.)
- ^ 1997. 『スーパーマリオ64 振動パック対応バージョン 取扱説明書』 (PDF). Kyoto: Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese). Page 13.
- ^ 黄色耀西的水果树扩展关卡
- ^ 黃色耀西的果樹擴充版圖
- ^ Žlutý Yoshi a ovocný strom – rozšiřující set
- ^ Gul Yoshis frugttræ – udvidelsessæt
- ^ Kollase Yoshi viljapuu laienduskomplekt
- ^ Keltaisen Yoshin hedelmäpuu ‑laajennussarja
- ^ Ensemble d'extension L’arbre fruitier de Yoshi jaune
- ^ Sárga Yoshi gyümölcsfája kiegészítő szett
- ^ 노랑요시의 과일나무 확장팩
- ^ Dzeltenā Joši augļu koka paplašinājuma maršruts
- ^ Geltonojo Yoshi vaismedžio papildomas rinkinys
- ^ Ekstrabanesettet Yellow Yoshis frukttre
- ^ Drzewo Yellow Yoshiego — zestaw rozszerzający
- ^ Super Mario™ - Conjunto de Expansão - Árvore Frutífera do Yoshi Amarelo
- ^ Set de extindere Pomul fructifer al lui Yoshi Galben
- ^ Žltý Yoshi a ovocný strom – rozširujúci set
- ^ Set de Expansión: Árbol de frutas de Yoshi Amarillo
- ^ Yellow Yoshis fruktträd – Expansionsset
- ^ 30509 LEGO Super Mario Yellow Yoshi’nin Meyve Ağacı Ek Macera Seti
- ^ Додатковий набір «Фруктове дерево Жовтого Йоші»
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