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Treeguards & Poison Birchnut Trees | Don’t Starve & DST Guide

Last Updated January 4, 2021 By Johnny Salib / FlamingGaymer Leave a Comment

It can be shocking when you’re chopping down trees and all of a sudden that Tree comes to life.

While folks may not experience this phenomenon in real life, players of Don’t Starve and Don’t Starve Together will experience the reality where any tree can come to life and begin attacking them, whether or not the tree is an Evergreen or a Birchnut Tree.

There are two different types of Treeguards, though the word Treeguard is most commonly used to classify Evergreens that come to life, though in all versions of Don’t Starve there is also an alternative type of Treeguard called the Poison Birchnut Tree which acts in a very different fashion, though can be equally, if not more deadly.

The following is a guide that covers both forms of Treeguards, how players are able to spawn them, why players may find them resourceful as well as how to deal with these quite annoying mobs.

CLASSIC TREEGUARDS

As mentioned, classic Treeguards are spawned from Evergreen trees that are chopped down, taking aggression towards the player who was chopping down the tree.

Treeguards have two visual forms, being the Normal Treeguard and the Lumpy Treeguard, depending on which Evergreen is cut down.

Not only do Treeguards have two visual forms, they also have three different sizes, depending on where in the life cycle the original tree was in before being chopped down.

As a player can assume, Treeguards will have higher stats if they are of the larger varient, dealing more damage, having more health and even being able to move faster and attack further. 

Players will rejoice in knowing that they will not be able to summon a Treeguard for the first 3 days of playing in a new world, though starting Day 4, players will have a 1.33% chance to spawn a Treeguard from any Evergreen that is within 15 units of a tree they chop down.

A player’s chance to spawn a Treeguard will increase by Day 80, now being able to spawn a maximum of 3 Treeguards at a time. 

There is, however, a Set Piece called the Living Forest that contains a maximum of 10 Treeguards which can be spawned from Day 1, so if you’re someone who’s run into this scary set piece and is blaming me for their death… I just warned you!

The following are all the stats a Treeguard can have in both Don’t Starve and Don’t Starve Together.

SHORT TREEGUARD’S STATS IN SINGLE PLAYER DON’T STARVE

HEALTH

1,400 HP

DAMAGE

35 damage to players

105 damage to mobs

ATTACK PERIOD

3

ATTACK RANGE

2.1

WALKING SPEED

0.735

INSANITY AURA

-100 Sanity per minute when in combat

-40 Sanity per minute when in the area, but not in combat

REGULAR TREEGUARD’S STATS IN SINGLE PLAYER DON’T STARVE

HEALTH

2,000 HP

DAMAGE

50 damage to players

150 damage to mobs

ATTACK PERIOD

3

ATTACK RANGE

3.0

WALKING SPEED

1.5

INSANITY AURA

-100 Sanity per minute when in combat

-40 Sanity per minute when in the area, but not in combat

TALL TREEGUARD’S STATS IN SINGLE PLAYER DON’T STARVE

HEALTH

2,500 HP

DAMAGE

62 damage to players

186 damage to mobs

ATTACK PERIOD

3

ATTACK RANGE

3.75

WALKING SPEED

2.34375

INSANITY AURA

-100 Sanity per minute when in combat

-40 Sanity per minute when in the area, but not in combat

SHORT TREEGUARD’S STATS IN DON’T STARVE TOGETHER

HEALTH

2,100 HP

DAMAGE

34.65 damage to players

105 damage to mobs

ATTACK PERIOD

3

ATTACK RANGE

2.1

WALKING SPEED

0.735

INSANITY AURA

-100 Sanity per minute when in combat

-40 Sanity per minute when in the area, but not in combat

REGULAR TREEGUARD’S STATS IN DON’T STARVE TOGETHER

HEALTH

3,000 HP

DAMAGE

49.5 damage to players

105 damage to mobs

ATTACK PERIOD

3

ATTACK RANGE

3.0

WALKING SPEED

1.5

INSANITY AURA

-100 Sanity per minute when in combat

-40 Sanity per minute when in the area, but not in combat

TALL TREEGUARD’S STATS IN DON’T STARVE TOGETHER

HEALTH

3,750 HP

DAMAGE

61.875 damage to players

187.5 damage to mobs

ATTACK PERIOD

3

ATTACK RANGE

3.75

WALKING SPEED

2.34375

INSANITY AURA

-100 Sanity per minute when in combat

-40 Sanity per minute when in the area, but not in combat

REWARDS FOR KILLING A TREEGUARD

When it comes to killing a Treeguard, it doesn’t matter what size of Treeguard players kill, they will always receive the same amount of loot, being:

6 Living Logs

1 Monster Meat

HOW TO PACIFY A TREEGUARD

When it comes to dealing with a Treeguard, players have a few options.

The first option is to pacify the Treeguard by planting Pine Cones within 5-16 units of them. 

Players will have a 15% chance to pacify a Treeguard if they place a Pine Cone within 16 units of them, though the chance is increased by over double (33%) when within 5 units of the Treeguard. 

Players can tell whether or not they have placed a Pine Cone close enough to a Treeguard if it growls when they place the Pine Cone, it should be noted that sometimes Treeguards won’t growl when they re angry and attacking a player.

Players cannot pacify a Treeguard before it spawns by placing Pine Cones around a sleeping Treeguard.

As soon as a Treeguard is passified it will retreat into the ground appearing to look like a regular Evergreen or Lumpy Evergreen Tree. 

Treeguards will also fall asleep at night, as long as they do not have aggro against a player. The Treeguard will sleep until morning, when they will begin roaming around The Constant until they are either killed or pacified with Pine Cones.

TIPS TO KILL A TREEGUARD

When it comes to killing a Treeguard, it’s actually much easier than a player would expect, especially as a Treeguard attacks players slowly and has a relatively small attack range.

After a Treeguard takes a swing at a player, players will have the chance to swing at them between 3-4 times before needing to dodge. 

If players are uncomfrotable with battling Treeguards, they can damage the Treeguard 2 times before backing out.

As Treeguards will follow players, players can lead one to a path so they can dodge the Treeguard much easier.

Players can alternatively use mobs that are hostile in order to take down a Treeguard, some of these mobs include Pigs, who attack Treeguards on sight or a Beefalo herd that is in heat, which most frequently happens in Spring.

Pigs are usually the better option as they are considered safe round players, as long as they are not a monster like Webber, Wurt or Wortox, though if players are ready to be more aggressive, they can simply use Tentacles as they deal more damage to Treeguards at a more rapid pace.

Alternatively, players can locate a Hound Mound as a hoard of Hounds will completely obliterate a Treeguard.

If players wish to use Spiders to kill Treeguards, they must first kill the Spider Queen in order to obtain a Spiderhat as Spiders will not act aggressively towards Treeguards unless players somehow manage to control them.

Players can also choose to pacify the Treeguard and then set it on fire until it dies. Players can either do this by directly setting it on fire with a Torch or by forcing it to walk through a Campfire, though this method is less desireable as it will result in the loot burning to Ashes.

HOW TO TELL IF A TREEGUARD IS AROUND

Players have a few ways to tell whether or not there is a Treeguard in the area, one being the fact that Treeguards growl anytime players plant a Pine Cone nearby.

Players can also take a close look at the base of Trees in the area, as a pacified Treeguard does not wave in the wind, as other trees do, and will not have a trunk.

Alternatively, players can check their map, or mini-map if they have a mod as Treeguards do not appear on maps, unlike other trees.

For players who are currently playing in the Winter, telling a Treeguard apart from other trees is fairly clear as Treeguards do not collect snow on them, often being jarring to the player’s eye.

Players will also see an “Attack” prompt when they hover over a pacified Treeguard.

WEAPONS TO USE AGAINST A TREEGUARD

When it comes to battling a Treeguard, it’s really not a big deal what weapon you use as chances are you’re going to battle a Treeguard fairly early on into the game. 

Players should at least be using a Spear (2 Sticks, 1 Rope and 1 Flint), though if players have access to a Ham Bat (2 Meat, 2 Sticks and 1 Pig Skin), they should use one fr the higher damage yield.

ARMOUR TO USE AGAINST A TREEGUARD

Similar to weapons, players are not usually going to have access to many pieces of armour before they experience their first Treeguard.

I would strongly recommend at least building yourself a Log Suit (8 Logs and 2 Rope) as this will mitigate the majority of the Treeguard’s damage, though realistically battling a Treeguard with no armour is not unheard of, especially once players have a decent hang of the kiting pattern required to avoid all damage.

Truthfully, I fight Treeguards with no armour for the most part these days, again, simply because of how small their range and slow their attack speed is.

HOW TO MANAGE SANITY AGAINST TREEGUARDS

If players are swift at killing a Treeguard, they really should have no worry for Sanity, as the -100 Sanity per minute modifier is not that drastic.

I would still recommend having some Jerky on hand, especially if you were already a bit low on Sanity as you don’t want to deal with both Shadow Creatures and Treeguards at the same time, as that’s a real recipe for disaster.

Players can also use clothes that provide Sanity gain as they can greatly reduce the amount of Sanity loss players receive from the Treeguard, though it should be noted there is no way to fully stop the Sanity loss using clothing.

USES OF TREEGUARDS

Treeguards are a very interesting mob to come into contact with as players are actually able to use Treeguards to help them battle a series of mobs, including bosses as tough as the Deerclops.

It is recommended that players pacify a few Treeguards before Winter, so that by the time the Deerclops rolls around, they can simply walk the Deerclops through the forest of Treeguards in hopes of taking the Deerclops down quickly and effectively.

Even with a single Treeguard, players have a good chance of taking down the Deerclops, which is often difficult for newer players to defeat in their first Winter.

Players will be able to do the same in the Spring when fighting the Moose/Goose or most notably in their second Autumn when dealing with the Bearger, though players should definitely check out my Bearger guide as I cover how he is one of the best ways to also chop down trees, essentially also having the chance to spawn Treeguards for the player, instead of having to pacify one in advance.

If players hope to kill a seasonal giant, I recommend using at least 2 Treeguards, that way you can make sure that it will destroy the seasonal giant without dying first, though in reality a Tall Treeguard tends to have enough health and damage to deal with the seasonal giant on its own.

As mentioned earlier, players can also use the Treeguard to wipe out Hound waves or Tentacles in the Marsh.

As for the rewards of the Treeguard, players should use these to build magic related Weapons and Armor.

HOW TO GET MORE TREEGUARDS

Although there isn’t really a way players can force Treeguards to spawn without the use of a console command, players can call upon the help of Woodie who has a 50% increase in spawn rates for Treeguards.

Not only does Woodie have an increased chance in spawning Treeguards, but if he is in his Werebeaver form, he will be able to chop down trees much faster and able to kill Treeguards faster without the worry of losing Sanity, as he is not affected by Sanity loss during his transformation.

Alternatively, players can use Maxwell and his Shadow Puppets in order to chop down trees quickly, effectively raising the amount of chance players have to spawn a Treeguard, though unfortunately Maxwell does not have any other modifiers that make it easier to spawn Treeguards.

If Maxwell or Woodie aren’t on your top tier of characters to play in Don’t Starve or Don’t Starve Together, players can simply train an army of Pigs to do their bidding as feeding a Pig will allow players to employ them in chopping down trees when the player is also chopping down trees.

POISON BIRCHNUT TREES

Considered the more difficult and annoying of the two, Poison Birchnut Trees spawn from chopping down Birchnut Trees in the area.

Poison Birchnut Trees are so annoying that my husband won’t even touch them with a ten foot pole, often complaining when I plant them near our base in order to cook Crockpot recipes like Trail Mix.

Unlike Treeguards, players are able to spawn Poison Birchnut Trees as early as day 3, having a 3% chance to spawn until day 70 when their spawn rate drastically grows to 33%.

Also unlike Treeguards, Poison Birchnut Trees will calm themselves after being active for a minimum of 1 day, though players can also pacify them by planting a Birchnuts beside them.

Poison Birchnut Trees are Immobile, though are still deadly as they spawn up to 5 Birchnutters at a time that will chase and attack players or mobs that are nearby. They act very much like baby Zombies in Minecraft, having quick movement speed and damage players rapidly, often killing them. 

In Don’t Starve Together players will not be able to spawn Poison Birchnut trees in Winter, similarly players will actually have differing spawn rates based on how long players have been active in their world and what season it is.

The following are the spawn chances for Poison Birchnut Trees in Don’t Starve Together.

AUTUMN

4-20 DAYS

3% chance

21-35 DAYS

7.5% chance

36-70 DAYS

15% chance

71+ DAYS

16.8% chance

WINTER

As mentioned, no Poison Birchnut Trees spawn in Winter.

SPRING

4-20 DAYS

1.6% chance

21-35 DAYS

4% chance

36-70 DAYS

8% chance

71+ DAYS

8.96% chance

SUMMER

4-20 DAYS

0.66% chance

21-35 DAYS

1.65% chance

36-70 DAYS

3.3% chance

71+ DAYS

3.696% chance

POISON BIRCHNUT TREE STATS

HEALTH

The Poison Birchnut Tree technically has no health as it must be chopped down using an axe or burned down with a Torch.

Players cannot use any weapons to kill a Poison Birchnut Tree.

DAMAGE

30 damage to players and mobs

ATTACK PERIOD

1.5 seconds

ATTACK RANGE

2

WALKING SPEED

Immobile

SPECIAL ABILITY

As mentioned the Poison Birchnut Tree can spawn a maximum of 5 Birchnutters, but also has a root ability that will immobilize players.

BIRCHNUTTER STATS

HEALTH

50 HP

DAMAGE

5 damage to all players and mobs

ATTACK PERIOD

2 seconds

ATTACK RANGE

2.5 for close range attack and 3 for the root attack

WALKING SPEED

3.5

HOW TO DEAL WITH POISON BIRCHNUT TREES AND BIRCHNUTTERS

As mentioned, the only ways to destroy a Poison Birchnut Tree is to chop it down by using an Axe or by lighting it on fire using a Torch.

While it might seem simple enough killing a Poison Birchnut Tree, it’s really the Birchnutters you have to be careful with as they will leap towards players and deal damage to them.

In clusters, Birchnutters are deadly as they can leave a player perma-stunned.

Players are recommended to deal with Birchnutters separately, taking them down individually, then head to the Poison Birchnut Tree to take a few swings before running away again to deal with the newly spawned Birchnutters.

It is highly recommended that players do not deal with Birchnutters near the Poison BIrchnut Tree as similar to not being able to deal with hoards of Birchnutters, the Poison Birchnut Tree will root players and leave them perma-stunned effectively leaving a player vulnerable to massive amounts of damage.

It must be noted that a Birchnutter’s damage is completely unavoidable, making armour essential if players want to survive and not have to resurrect themselves from inevitable death.

Players can choose to freeze Birchnutters using an Ice Staff (1 Spear and 1 Blue Gem) though they can also burn them to death by using a Fire Staff (2 Nightmare Fuel, 1 Spear and 1 Red Gem), being the fastest way to manage the hoard.

Players can also employ Pigs to chop down trees when trying to get some Birchnuts as as soon as a Poison Birchnut Tree is spawned the friended Pigs will begin trying to chop down the Poison Birchnut Tree, also attempting to kill any Birchnutters that spawn.

Players could also use the Bearger or Clockworks to chop down Poison Birchnut Trees, though both will be more difficult for players to use as Poison Birchnut Trees are immobile.

Players can alternatively use a Weather Pain (10 Down Feathers, 1 Volt Goat Horn and 1 Gears) to deal with the Poison Birchnut Tree from afar, as it technically chops down the tree.

While expensive, the Weather Pain is by far the easiest way to deal with Poison Birchnut Trees.

In general, I do agree with my husband that Poison Birch Trees are not worth the time.

LOOT FROM POISON BIRCHNUT TREES

Upon chopping down a Poison Birchnut Tree, players will receive the following drops

3 Birchnuts (generally more in Autumn)

1-2 Living Logs

20% chance to receive 1 Nightmare Fuel or an additional Living Log

Players can also dig up the trunk of the Poison Birchnut Tree to receive another Living Log.

LOOT FROM BIRCHNUTTERS

After killing a Birchnutter, players will receive the following:

60% chance to receive 1 Twig

40% chance to receive 1 Birchnut

HOW TO TELL IF THERE IS A POISON BIRCHNUT TREE NEARBY

When it comes to telling whether there’s a Poison Birchnut Tree nearby, it will depend on what version of Don’t Starve you are playing.

In the Shipwrecked (SW) and Hamlet (HAM) DLCs, players will be able to tell that a Poison Birchnut Tree is nearby as they do not change colours during Autumn and instead remain green.

As for in Don’t Starve Together (DST) players will be able to tell that there is a Poison Birchnut Tree nearby as they will only begin losing their leaves during the last 3 days of Autumn. 

Filed Under: Co-Op, Console, Desktop, Don't Starve (Together), Multiplayer, Open World, Singleplayer, Strategy, Survival, Team-Based

About Johnny Salib / FlamingGaymer

Johnny is a 20-something year old average gamer and Twitch Streamer. His favourite games include Resident Evil, Donkey Kong 64, Little Big Planet, Don't Starve Together, FFXIV, New World, Punball and League of Legends.

Johnny is also a sound designer/composer, recently becoming interested in video game soundtracks, and is a big animal enthusiast.

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