The dappled forest in Minecraft is a brand-new autumn biome packed with colorful poplar trees, red shrubs, shelf mushrooms, fallen logs, and abandoned camps to explore.
First revealed during Minecraft LIVE at TwitchCon Rotterdam in May 2026, it’s now playable in Minecraft Java Snapshot 26.3 and Minecraft Bedrock Preview 26.40.27.
This guide breaks down the dappled forest’s unique blocks, features, and what players can expect to find while exploring.
QUICK ANSWER
- Status: Available for testing, but not in the full release yet
- Playable In: Minecraft Java Snapshot 26.3 and Minecraft Bedrock Preview 26.40.27
- Features: Poplar wood, red shrubs, shelf mushrooms, fallen trees, abandoned camps, wool stairs, and wool slabs
📹 Watch the first official look at the dappled forest from Minecraft LIVE below.
What Is the Dappled Forest?
The dappled forest is a cold biome with a cozy autumn feel. Red, orange, and yellow leaves fill the trees, while orange-brown grass, coarse dirt, leaf litter, red shrubs, and brown mushrooms give the forest floor a colorful, seasonal look.
Poplar trees are the biome’s signature feature and introduce a new wood set for builders. Fallen poplar trees are also common throughout the biome, with some generating shelf mushrooms on their trunks.
The dappled forest can generate near cold biomes and may include abandoned camps, a new structure type with chests and barrels that can contain loot.
Dappled Forest Release Date
The dappled forest doesn’t have an exact full release date yet, but it’s now available through Minecraft’s testing versions.
- Testing Release: Java Snapshot 26.3 and Bedrock Preview 26.40.27
- Full Release Date: Not announced
It follows the Chaos Cubed drop, which focused on sulfur cubes, sulfur caves, and other experimental features.
Details like world generation, camp loot, and mob spawns may still change before launch.
What You’ll Find in the Dappled Forest
The dappled forest’s main features are colorful poplar trees, red shrubs, shelf mushrooms, fallen logs, abandoned camps, and cold biome animals.
| Feature | What It Adds | Still Unknown |
|---|---|---|
| Poplar Trees & Wood | Gray wood, colorful leaves, saplings, and fallen logs | Final recipes and growth rules |
| Red Shrubs | Bright autumn ground cover you can compost and grow | Growth behavior |
| Shelf Mushrooms | Bouncy mushrooms for fallen logs and stews | Growth and drops |
| Abandoned Camps | New loot structures with chests and barrels | Chest and barrel loot |
| Mobs | Sheep, chickens, cows, pigs, rabbits, and foxes | Spawn rates |
Poplar Trees and Wood
Poplar trees are the biome’s signature feature and introduce a new warm gray poplar wood set.
Known details include:
- The wood features a unique patterned texture.
- Poplar trees have red, orange, or yellow leaves with matching falling leaf particles.
- Leaves drop saplings that can grow into any of the three variants.
- Poplar saplings can also appear in Wandering Trader trades.
- Fallen poplar trees are common, and some generate with shelf mushrooms.
Its color and patterned texture give builders another neutral wood option for floors, walls, and cabins.
Red Shrubs
Red shrubs are decorative plants that add color to the forest floor.
Red shrubs aren’t just decorative. You can compost them, and bone meal can spread them to nearby blocks. This makes them useful for landscaping, paths, forest builds, and autumn-themed areas.
Shelf Mushrooms
Shelf mushrooms can grow on fallen poplar trees, which are especially common in the dappled forest. They help reinforce the biome’s overgrown autumn look and make fallen logs easier to spot while exploring.
Shelf mushrooms spawn in small and large sizes. Small shelf mushrooms can be grown into large ones with bone meal, while large shelf mushrooms drop two shelf mushrooms when broken. They can also be used like other mushrooms to make stews.
They have a slight bounciness when stepped on, similar to beds.
Abandoned Camps
Abandoned camps are mysterious structures scattered throughout the dappled forest and several other biomes.
The dappled forest has its own abandoned camp variant, with a design based on the biome. Mojang has confirmed that abandoned camps can include chests and barrels with loot, but the exact loot contents may still change before the final release.
Dappled Forest Mobs
Mojang hasn’t announced a new mob made specifically for the dappled forest. For now, the biome uses existing passive and neutral mobs, with cold variants appearing where applicable.
Mobs confirmed for the dappled forest include:
- Sheep
- Chicken
- Cow
- Pig
- Rabbit
- Fox
Chickens, cows, and pigs use their cold variants in the dappled forest. Exact spawn rates and final mob balance may still change before the dappled forest appears in the full release.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Minecraft dappled forest release date?
The dappled forest does not have an exact full release date yet. It’s currently available for testing in Minecraft Java Snapshot 26.3 and Minecraft Bedrock Preview 26.40.27.
Can you find the dappled forest in Minecraft right now?
Yes, but only in testing versions. You can try the dappled forest in Java Snapshot 26.3 or Bedrock Preview 26.40.27. It is not part of the full stable release yet.
What new blocks come with the dappled forest?
The dappled forest introduces poplar wood, red poplar leaves, orange poplar leaves, yellow poplar leaves, red shrubs, and shelf mushrooms. The same testing release also adds wool stairs and wool slabs.
Are there new mobs in the dappled forest?
The dappled forest does not currently introduce a brand-new mob. Mojang has confirmed that sheep, chickens, cows, pigs, rabbits, and foxes can spawn there. Chickens, cows, and pigs use their cold variants in this biome.
Will the dappled forest appear in old Minecraft worlds?
The dappled forest should be able to appear in old worlds, but only in newly generated chunks after updating to a version that includes the biome. It will not replace terrain you have already explored.
While exploring, check out our guide on how to find a village in Minecraft fast to locate useful structures nearby.
Can you grow poplar trees outside the dappled forest?
Yes. Poplar leaves can drop poplar saplings, and poplar saplings can randomly grow into any of the three poplar tree variants. Poplar saplings can also appear in Wandering Trader trades.
Do abandoned camps have loot?
Yes. Mojang has confirmed that abandoned camps can include chests and barrels with loot. The exact loot contents may still change before the dappled forest appears in the full release.