Grass Block

A grass block is a natural block that generates abundantly across the surface of the Overworld in most biomes.

Obtaining[]

A grass block can be obtained by mining it using a tool enchanted with Silk Touch. Otherwise, it drops dirt. It can also be obtained by killing an enderman that is holding a grass block.

Block	Grass Block
Hardness	0.6
Tool
Breaking time^[A]
Default	0.9
Wooden	0.45
Stone	0.25
Iron	0.15
Diamond	0.15
Netherite	0.1
Golden	0.1

↑ Times are for unenchanted tools as wielded by players with no status effects, measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.

Natural generation[]

Grass blocks generate naturally on the surface of most biomes in the Overworld, and as part of villages and ancient cities.

Spread[]

Grass can spread to nearby dirt blocks, but not coarse dirt or rooted dirt. Grass spreading without player intervention depends heavily on the time of day.‌^{[Java Edition only]} For a dirt block to accept grass from a nearby grass block, the following requirements must be met:

The dirt block receiving grass must be within a 3×5×3 range of the source grass block where the source block is in the center of the second topmost layer of that range.
The source grass block must have a light level of 9 or brighter directly above it.‌^{[Java Edition only]}
The block directly above the dirt block must allow light to pass through it and hit the dirt block, even though the actual light level does not matter. That means blocks that partially let light through such as stairs and slabs must not have their light-blocking side(s)‌^{[Java Edition only]} facing the dirt block.
The block directly above the dirt block must not be lava, water, or a waterlogged variant of a block.

When grass is random ticked, it spreads by checking 4 blocks within range and converts any dirt blocks selected into grass.

Though water and lava are both light-filtering blocks (meaning they decrease skylight by 1 level but do not affect block light), other light-filtering blocks such as ice and slime blocks do not block grass from spreading to the dirt block. Grass blocks can grow under all other transparent blocks like glass, fences, or torches. Grass jumps directly from one block to a neighbor and is not affected by gaps or other blocks being "in the way." Grass blocks spread at random intervals and have an equal chance of spreading to any suitable dirt blocks that are in range. Because grass can spread as much as 3 levels downward, it tends to spread down slopes much faster than it spreads up them.

Mob loot[]

Endermen can pick up grass blocks, and drop the blocks they are holding if killed, making it the only way to obtain grass blocks without the use of Silk Touch.

Appearance[]

JFgrass — Plains (left) and forest (right) grass colors.

The coloration of grass blocks is dependent on the biome they are in. A grass block always uses the color set to its location, regardless of how it was placed or of its source. This affects the side and top of the block.

In Bedrock Edition, biome colors also appear on maps.^[1]

Color[]

Item[]

in Java Edition, item of grass block uses biome color with temperature 0.5, downfall 1.0, and as result is colored
#7cbd6b.

Biome colors[]

These values are generated by the biome dyeing algorithm. See Biome colors for more information.

Biome	Temperature	Downfall	Foliage Color
(Default values) The Void River Warm Ocean Lukewarm Ocean Deep Lukewarm Ocean Ocean Deep Ocean Cold Ocean Deep Cold Ocean Deep Frozen Ocean Lush Caves‌^{[JE only]} The End End Highlands End Midlands Small End Islands End Barrens	0.5	0.5	#8eb971
Lush Caves‌^{[BE only]}	0.9	0.0	#b9b75b
Plains Beach Sunflower Plains Dripstone Caves‌^{[JE only]} Deep Dark	0.8	0.4	#91bd59
Dripstone Caves‌^{[BE only]}	0.2	0.0	#8bd58a
Snowy Plains Ice Spikes Snowy Taiga Frozen Ocean Frozen River	0.0	0.5	#80b497
Grove	-0.2	0.8
Snowy Slopes	-0.3	0.9
Frozen Peaks Jagged Peaks	-0.7	0.9
Desert Savanna‌^{[JE only]} Savanna Plateau‌^{[JE only]} Windswept Savanna Nether Wastes Warped Forest Crimson Forest Soul Sand Valley Basalt Deltas	2.0	0.0	#bfb755
Savanna‌^{[BE only]}	1.2	0.0
Savanna Plateau‌^{[BE only]}	1.0	0.0
Badlands Wooded Badlands Eroded Badlands	2.0	0.0	#90814d^{[n 1]}
Swamp Mangrove Swamp	0.8	0.9	#6a7039^{[n 2]} #4c763c^{[n 3]}
Forest Flower Forest	0.7	0.8	#79c05a
Dark Forest	0.7	0.8	#507a32^{[n 1]}
Birch Forest Old Growth Birch Forest	0.6	0.6	#88bb67
Taiga Old Growth Spruce Taiga	0.25	0.8	#86b783
Old Growth Pine Taiga	0.3	0.8	#86b87f
Windswept Hills Windswept Gravelly Hills Windswept Forest Stony Shore	0.2	0.3	#8ab689
Jungle Bamboo Jungle	0.95	0.9	#59c93c
Sparse Jungle	0.95	0.8	#64c73f
Meadow	0.5	0.8	#83bb6d
Cherry Grove	0.5	0.8	#b6db61^{[n 1]}
Stony Peaks	1.0	0.3	#9abe4b
Snowy Beach	0.05	0.3	#83b593
Mushroom Fields	0.9	1.0	#55c93f

Unused biomes in Bedrock Edition.

Biome	Temperature	Downfall	Foliage Color
(Default values) Deep Warm Ocean	0.5	0.5	#71a74d
Snowy Mountains Legacy Frozen Ocean	0.0	0.5	#60a17b
Snowy Taiga Hills Snowy Taiga Mountains	-0.5	0.4	#60a17b
Taiga Hills Taiga Mountains	0.25	0.8	#86b783
Desert Hills Desert Lakes	2.0	0.0	#bfb755
Badlands Plateau Modified Badlands Plateau Modified Wooded Badlands Plateau	2.0	0.0	#90814d^{[n 1]}
Shattered Savanna Plateau	1.0	0.5	#82c245
Swamp Hills	0.8	0.5	#6a7039^{[n 2]} #4c763c^{[n 3]}
Wooded Hills Tall Birch Hills	0.7	0.8	#79c05a
Dark Forest Hills	0.7	0.8	#507a32
Birch Forest Hills	0.6	0.6	#88bb67
Giant Tree Taiga Hills Giant Spruce Taiga Hills	0.3	0.8	#86b87f
Gravelly Mountains+ Mountain Edge	0.2	0.3	#8ab689
Jungle Hills Modified Jungle Bamboo Jungle Hills	0.95	0.9	#59c93c
Modified Jungle Edge	0.95	0.8	#64c73f
Mushroom Field Shore	0.9	1.0	#55c93f

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Color is preset
↑ ^a ^b Above -0.1 temperature.
↑ ^a ^b Below -0.1 temperature.

Usage[]

Using bone meal on grass blocks causes grass, tall grass, ferns,‌^{[Bedrock Edition only]} large ferns,‌^{[Bedrock Edition only]} and flowers to grow.

Passive mobs tend to wander toward grass blocks. They also wander toward light.

When a sheep eats a grass block, the block becomes dirt, and a sheared sheep regrows its wool.

Tilling a grass block with a hoe converts it to a farmland block.

Dirt paths can be created by using any type of shovel on the side or top of a grass block with air above it. The shovel loses 1 durability for each dirt path block created.

Death[]

Grass dies and changes to dirt a random time (when a random tick lands on the block) after it has been covered by any opaque blocks. Transparent blocks can kill grass in a similar manner if they cause the light level above the grass block to be four or below (like water does), and the surrounding area is not otherwise sufficiently illuminated.

Spawning[]

In Java Edition, animals occasionally spawn on grass blocks that have light level 9 or brighter in the space directly above. This is quite rare and requires that there be few other animals nearby or in the spawn chunks. Most animals are instead created along with the terrain.

In Bedrock Edition, most animals require surface grass blocks (grass blocks with no solid block anywhere above them at the same x, z coordinate) to spawn. Animals regularly spawn in most Overworld biomes on surface grass blocks that have light level 7 or brighter in the space directly above.

Snowy Grass Block[]

Grass blocks turn into a snowy grass block if a snow or a snow block is placed on top of the block. Removing the snow layer will turn the block into a normal grass block.

Composting[]

Placing grass blocks into a composter has a 30% chance of raising the compost level by 1.‌^{[Bedrock Edition only]}

Sounds[]

Generic[]

Java Edition:

Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	`block.grass.break`	`subtitles.block.generic.break`	1.0	0.8	16
Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	`block.grass.place`	`subtitles.block.generic.place`	1.0	0.8	16
Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`block.grass.hit`	`subtitles.block.generic.hit`	0.25	0.5	16
None^{[sound 1]}	Entity-Dependent	Falling on the block with fall damage	`block.grass.fall`	None^{[sound 1]}	0.5	0.75	16
Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	`block.grass.step`	`subtitles.block.generic.footsteps`	0.15	1.0	16

↑ ^a ^b MC-177082

Bedrock Edition:

Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
Blocks	Once the block has broken	`dig.grass`	0.7	0.8-1.0
Blocks	When the block is placed	`dig.grass`	0.8	0.8-1.0
Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`hit.grass`	0.3	0.5
Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	`fall.grass`	0.4	1.0
Players	Walking on the block	`step.grass`	0.3	1.0
Players	Jumping from the block	`jump.grass`	0.11	1.0
Players	Falling on the block without fall damage	`land.grass`	0.21	1.0

Unique[]

Java Edition:

Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Shovel flattens	Blocks	When a shovel creates a dirt path	`item.shovel.flatten`	`subtitles.item.shovel.flatten`	1.0	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	When a shovel creates a dirt path ^{[sound 1]}	`use.grass`	1.0	0.8

↑ MCPE-114390

Data values[]

ID[]

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Block tags	Translation key
Grass Block	`grass_block`	Block & Item	`animals_spawnable_on` `bamboo_plantable_on` `enderman_holdable` `valid_spawn` `moss_replaceable` `lush_ground_replaceable` `mineable/shovel` `dirt` `sniffer_diggable_block`	`block.minecraft.grass_block`

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID^{[i 1]}	Translation key
Grass Block	`grass_block`	`2`	Block & Giveable Item^{[i 2]}	Identical^{[i 3]}	`tile.grass_block.name`

↑ ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.
↑ Available with /give command.
↑ The block's direct item form has the same id as the block.

Block states[]

Java Edition:

Name	Default value	Allowed values	Description
snowy	`false`	`false` `true`	If true, the block uses a snowy side and top texture. In-game, this is true when a snow block or snow is on top.

History[]

Java Edition pre-Classic
Cave game tech test					Added grass blocks.
					Grass blocks are one of the first two blocks in Minecraft, along with Stone.^[2]
					Grass generation is randomized, but it generates only on fully lit tiles. The higher the Y level is, the greater the chance of grass generating. At the top of the map, grass generates on all fully lit tiles.
rd-20090515					The top texture and model of grass blocks have been changed.
					The model now uses new texture on the side faces and dirt texture on the bottom face.
					Grass now spreads to dirt under sunlight, allowing new grass blocks to be created.
					Due to the lack of dynamic lighting mode, grass in shadows eventually dies and changes to dirt.
Java Edition Classic
0.24 SURVIVAL TEST					Grass blocks now drop dirt when broken.
October 25, 2009					On Notch's blog, sheep were shown to eat grass to regrow wool on their bodies, reverting the block to dirt. Often, the grass would regrow just as quickly as sheep would eat it.
0.28					Sheep added, with the behavior described above.
0.30 (Creative)					Attempting to place grass blocks by means of hacking one's inventory in Classic Creative multiplayer now causes the server to automatically kick the player.
0.30 (Creative)					Grass blocks in the player's inventory, at this point, have the green top-texture on all sides of the block.
Java Edition Indev
0.31		20091223-2			With the introduction of dynamic lighting, grass is now able to grow in more dimly-lit areas, not having to be fully lit by the sun.
		20100124			Grass blocks are now available from the chests in the Indev House.
		20100124			Grass blocks are now placeable, although grass placed from the chest never reverts to dirt when in the shade. The only way to kill the grass is to break the block, so that it drops as dirt.
		20100129			Grass blocks are no longer available from the chests in The Indev House.
20100206					Grass can now be tilled with a hoe into farmland, and had a chance of dropping seeds.
Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.4					Added snowy grass blocks.
					Snowy grass blocks appear when the grass blocks are under snow.
					The model of snowy grass blocks without snow use grass top texture on the top face.
					The model of grass blocks in item form has been changed. The model now uses grass block side texture on all faces.
v1.0.5					Snowy grass blocks appear when the grass blocks are under snow blocks.
v1.2.0		preview			The top texture of grass blocks and snowy grass blocks has been changed. The texture are now grayscale and are affected by biome colors.
v1.2.0		preview			This change is not noticeable when snowy grass blocks under the snow layers or snow blocks.
Java Edition Beta
1.5					The model of grass blocks now uses an overlay texture on its side faces, which, like its top texture, is grayscale and is affected by biome colors. This overlay texture is exclusive to the "Fancy" graphics setting.
1.5					Grass blocks do not use the overlay on fast graphics.
1.6		Test Build 3			Seeds can no longer obtained by using a hoe on a grass block; tall grass instead occasionally drops seeds when broken.
1.6.6					Bone meal now causes tall grass to grow when applied to grass blocks.
1.7					The model of snow has been changed.
1.8		Pre-release 2 ;)			It was again possible to legitimately obtain grass blocks in one's inventory, with the introduction of Creative mode.
					The model of grass block in item form have been changed. Grass blocks now use grass block top texture on the top face and and dirt texture on the bottom face. The top face is now tinted with #7cbd6b.
					Name changed from Grass to Grass Block.
Java Edition
1.0.0		Beta 1.9 Prerelease			The swamp grass and foliage tints has been changed to hard-coded tints #5C694E and #496137.
		Beta 1.9 Prerelease 4			Grass blocks have become obtainable for the first time in survival mode through use of the Silk Touch enchantment, introduced with the new enchanting system.
		Beta 1.9 Prerelease 5			The top texture of grass blocks has been changed.
		Beta 1.9 Prerelease 5			This change is not noticeable when snowy grass blocks under the snow layers or snow blocks.
		Beta 1.9 Prerelease 6			The side texture of grass blocks has been changed.
		?			Slabs have now been changed so that they no longer revert grass blocks beneath them to dirt, allowing grass to spread to and from underneath.
1.1		11w49a			Grass blocks can now be eaten by sheep.
1.1		12w01a			Grass blocks are now generating in superflat world type.
1.2.1		12w07a			Player is now unable to till grass block with hoe when there is block on top of the grass block.
1.4.2		12w38a			New sounds were added for walking on grass blocks.
1.5		13w02a			Grass blocks do not use the overlay on fancy graphics.
1.5		13w02b			Grass blocks use the overlay on fancy graphics, once again.
1.7.2		13w36a			A "grassless" dirt variant, that grass would not spread to, has now been added.
1.8		14w10a			On new model the side overlay texture is removed and the side texture is now biome colored.^[3]
		14w10b			The changes in snapshot 14w10a have been fixed.
		14w25a			The top of snowy grass blocks is no longer biome-affected.
		14w25a			Grass blocks now always use the side overlay regardless of graphics setting.
		14w25b			The item form of grass blocks now has the same color on the side as the top.
		14w27b			The top texture of grass is now rotated randomly, due to the addition of arrays to the block model format.
1.9		15w31a			Grass blocks can now be turned into grass paths by right-clicking on them with a shovel.
1.9		15w31a			Grass blocks can now be obtained by killing an enderman that is holding the block.
1.14		18w48a			Grass blocks now generate in the updated plains villages.
		18w49a			Grass blocks now generate in the updated savanna villages and the new snowy tundra villages.
		18w50a			Grass blocks now generate in the updated desert and taiga villages.
		19w05a			Grass blocks are now renewable because wandering traders now offer to sell podzol.
		19w08a			The side texture of grass blocks has been changed.
		19w08a			The side texture of snowy grass blocks and the texture of snow have been changed.
1.17		21w11a			The side texture of snowy grass blocks has been changed.
1.17		21w16a			Grass blocks are now in the `dirt` tag.^[4]
1.18		experimental snapshot 3			Grass blocks are no longer able to generate underwater.
1.19		22w13a			Grass blocks now generate as part of ancient cities.
1.20 (Experimental)		23w07a			Sniffers can now dig grass block.
1.20		23w16a			The game's application icon has been changed from a crafting table to a grass block (for releases).
Pocket Edition Alpha
Pre-release					Added grass blocks tinted with #339933.
v0.1.0					Grass block has an item form. The model uses grass block side textures on all faces.
v0.2.0					The textures of grass blocks have been changed.
v0.4.0					Grass can now be tilled with a hoe into farmland, and has a chance of dropping seeds.
v0.5.0					The side texture of grass blocks for block and item form has been changed. The item form now uses a separate top texture for its top face.
v0.8.0		build 1			The side texture has been changed to the texture from before v0.5.0. The top texture for the block form is now tinted with #87cd49. The top texture for item form has been changed to the pre-tinted top texture, which is identical to the block form.
		build 3			Grass now has a chance to drop beetroot seeds, carrots, or potatoes when tilled.
		build 4			Tilling can no longer spawn carrots or potatoes.
v0.9.0		build 1			The top texture in block form now tinted with biome colors. The side texture has been changed to various pre-tinted textures dependent by biome.
v0.11.0		build 1			Grass now can be pressed into grass path blocks when tapped with a shovel.
v0.12.1		build 1			Grass blocks no longer drop beetroot seeds when a hoe is used.
		build 8			Grass blocks no longer drop wheat seeds when a hoe is used.
		build 10			The sound of grass blocks has now been changed to match up with grass sound from Java 1.4.2.
		?			Grass blocks can now be obtained using the Silk Touch enchantment.
v0.14.0		build 1			Grass blocks can now be obtained by killing an enderman that is holding the block.
v0.16.0		?			The biome-dependent colors of grass blocks now appear on maps.
Bedrock Edition
1.11.0		beta 1.11.0.1			Grass blocks can now be used to fill up composters.
		beta 1.11.0.5			The side texture of grass blocks has been changed.
		beta 1.11.0.5			The side texture of snowy grass blocks and texture of snow has been changed.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1	CU1	1.00	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added grass blocks.
TU3	CU1	1.00	Patch 1	1.0.1	Changed the texture of grass blocks.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0					Added grass blocks.

Data history[]

Java Edition
1.13	17w47a	The ID of grass blocks has been changed from `grass` to `grass_block`.
1.13	17w47a	Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 2.
Bedrock Edition
1.20.70		The ID of grass blocks has been changed from `grass` to `grass_block` matching Java Edition. The old name is still understood from commands and data.

Issues[]

Issues relating to "Grass Block" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia[]

Grass blocks and dirt blocks changing between each other is a common cause of chunk updates.
A grass block has become the favicon for minecraft.net, and is the icon for the Bedrock Edition and Java Edition app.
In MINECON's goodie-bags, grass, along with the creeper, diamond, and the player, were given as foldable decorations.
If the debug stick is used to create a grass block with the block state snowy=true, for example, but there is no other block on its top, its top is not biomarked and is therefore gray.