For several months now, we have been running a series called “Inventory,” where we delve into each item in Minecraft, many of which are quite fascinating, especially the stories behind their creation or hidden features. However, covering all items means we need to discuss every single one, even if people aren’t bombarding us with memes on Twitter for some reason.
Today, my goal is to persuade you that the dead bush is the coolest, most captivating, and intriguing element in the game. At least for this week; next week, we can move on to things that truly captivate children, like spider eyes, dragon eggs, or something similar. Great! Let’s get started!
Dead bushes were introduced in Minecraft Bedrock during beta version 1.6, alongside maps, grass, and trapdoors. They are a true marvel of nature because they cannot be affected by bone meal and cannot be crafted. Treat them with care, as the only way to obtain them is to find them in the world.
Dead bushes generate in deserts, barren lands, and giant taiga biomes. Occasionally, you might spot them in flower pots within desert villages, where residents may have forgotten to water their plants for months (we’ve all been there), or sometimes in chests inside desert homes, where perhaps the inhabitants couldn’t bring themselves to discard their beloved but deceased flora.
Collecting dead bushes is fairly straightforward. You can hit them with your hands, and they will likely drop a few sticks, or carefully snip them off their base with shears to collect the item itself. Once acquired, you can place it in a flower pot or set it down on any sand, terracotta, dirt, or podzol. They are flammable, and in the upcoming update of Minecraft Village & Pillage, you’ll be able to use them as fuel, which is quite exciting.
In the real world, plants do die, of course. But what you might not know is that various plant species utilize their death as an opportunity to spread their seeds far and wide. These types, commonly referred to as rushes, thrive in dry and windy regions and have evolved to detach from their roots when they lack sufficient water to survive.
The dried bush then gets carried across the landscape by the wind, either slowly breaking apart and dispersing its seeds over a large area or coming to rest in a wetter location where its seeds can germinate into new plants. The demise of these plants becomes a crucial part of their life cycle, ensuring that new generations have the best chance of survival.
In 1989, the town of Mobridge, South Dakota, experienced this renewal cycle firsthand. On the morning of November 9th, the town awoke to find everything outside surrounded by rushes. All roads were blocked, and to grasp the scale of the issue, it’s enough to say that many people couldn’t even leave their homes. A prolonged drought had plagued the local reservoir, and all the plants growing there, including Russian thistle, were uprooted by a storm and blown into the nearby town. Ultimately, the problem was swiftly resolved. The government organized special cleanup efforts, making it easy thanks to a baler.
So that’s the dead bush. I don’t know about you, but it turned out to be more interesting than I expected! Not convinced? Let us know on Twitter which items you’d like to learn about, and we’ll add them to our list!
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