Minecraft’s Lush Caves are underground biomes filled with moss, glow berry vines, and pools where axolotls can spawn.
Look beneath naturally generated azalea trees or use the /locate biome command with cheats enabled to find one. Bring a water bucket to collect an axolotl and take it home.
How to Find Lush Caves in Minecraft
Look for an Azalea Tree
To find Lush Caves in Survival, look for a naturally generated azalea tree on the surface.
- Search likely areas: Explore humid Minecraft biomes like dark forests, bamboo jungles, and old-growth taigas, where Lush Caves are more common.
- Identify an azalea tree: Look for an oak-like trunk and green leaves, sometimes with small pink flowers.
- Dig a staircase: Start near the trunk and follow rooted dirt downward. Look for hanging roots, moss, and glow berry vines as you descend.
Explore Underground Caves
Explore cave entrances and ravines, following passages deeper underground. Watch for hanging roots, moss-covered floors, glow berry vines, and shallow clay pools with dripleaf plants.
If you spot sculk blocks, you may be in the Deep Dark biome instead.
Use the Locate Command
With cheats enabled, find the nearest Lush Caves using:
Java: /locate biome minecraft:lush_caves
Bedrock: /locate biome lush_caves
Head to the coordinates, then explore underground.
Note
Enabling cheats in Bedrock permanently disables achievements for that world.
Use a Biome Finder
Use Chunkbase’s Biome Finder to locate Lush Caves without enabling cheats.
- Find your seed: Use
/seedin Java or check your world settings in Bedrock. - Set up the map: Enter your seed, select Overworld, and choose your edition and the version that generated the area.
- Locate the biome: Highlight Lush Caves and start with Biome Height at Y=0. Try other heights if needed, then note the X/Z coordinates and selected height.
Head to those coordinates and search near that height. If the map doesn’t match your world, double-check your seed, edition, and version.
How to Find and Catch Axolotls
Axolotls spawn naturally only in Lush Caves. To catch one:
- Search dark pools: Look for axolotls swimming above clay blocks.
- Use a water bucket: Fill a bucket with water, then use it on the axolotl to pick it up.
- Bring it home: Take the bucket to your base and release the axolotl into water. Keep it away from fish because it will attack them.
What You’ll Find in Lush Caves
Lush Caves contain several useful plants and blocks for building, decorating, and farming:
| Item | Use |
|---|---|
| Moss blocks and carpets | Decorate builds and spread moss with bone meal |
| Glow berries | Eat them or grow glowing cave vines |
| Big dripleaf | Build platforms that tilt and drop players |
| Spore blossoms | Hang from ceilings to release green particles |
| Clay | Make bricks and terracotta |
| Azalea and flowering azalea | Grow azalea trees with bone meal |
Alongside axolotls, you’ll find tropical fish and glow squid in cave pools. You may also encounter purple amethyst geodes underground, but they aren’t unique to Lush Caves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Y-level do Lush Caves generate at?
Lush Caves don’t have a fixed Y-level. They can generate underground at different depths, both above and below Y=0.
How rare are Lush Caves in Minecraft?
Lush Caves are fairly common beneath humid biomes, but much rarer beneath plains and regular forests.
Can you find diamonds in Lush Caves?
Yes. Diamond ore can generate in Lush Caves, especially around Y=-59. The biome doesn’t make diamonds more common.
Do hostile mobs spawn in Lush Caves?
Yes. Zombies, skeletons, creepers, and other hostile mobs can spawn in dark areas. Glow berries provide some light, but they don’t make the entire cave safe.
Can you find a blue axolotl in Lush Caves?
No. Blue axolotls don’t spawn naturally in Lush Caves. Breed two non-blue axolotls using buckets of tropical fish for a 1-in-1,200 chance of a blue baby.
Can you grow an azalea tree to find Lush Caves?
No. Player-grown azalea trees don’t tell you whether Lush Caves are underneath. Only naturally generated trees provide that clue, and not every Lush Cave has one above it.
When were Lush Caves added to Minecraft?
Lush Caves began generating naturally in Minecraft 1.18 (Caves & Cliffs: Part II), released November 30, 2021.