Editing Plant

[[File:plant_sprites_preview.png|right]]A '''plant''' is a regrowing natural resource. In ''Dwarf Fortress'', they can be separated into four categories, all of which have different properties and uses. In the context of the game, they also include fungi (such as [[plump helmet]]s or [[fungiwood]]) and certain things not made of plant matter (such as [[staring eyeball]]s and [[wormy tendril]]s), all of which are functionally identical to plants.

* [[Crop]] - Crops, including [[Crop#Garden Plants|garden plants]] which can be bought at [[embark]], can be planted from [[seed]]s and grown in [[farm]]s. There are above-ground as well as subterranean crops, both of which need soil or muddied rock to grow.

* [[Shrub]] - Shrubs cannot be planted, and must be [[plant gathering|gathered]] from naturally-growing specimens.

* [[Tree]] - Trees are not (''currently'') farmable, and grow on multiple z-levels, providing [[wood]] and possibly [[Plant#fruit|fruit]].

* [[Grass]] - Grasses form the natural groundcover of [[soil]] and muddied rock, and are necessary to feed [[grazer|grazing]] animals.

===Bulb/Flower/Leaf===

Neither bulbs, flowers, or leaves contain [[seed]]s. Currently, only [[date palm]] trees produce flowers that are usable in-game, and most usable leaves are edible.

An example of a common plant with useful leaves is the [[quarry bush]], which, when cooked, can produce large stacks of [[Cook#Prepared Meals|prepared food]].

 

As most species of trees grow, they will produce leaves as a [[Tree#Growths|growth]]. Although these leaves will drop to the floor during the autumn seasons, they currently cannot be collected and have no use other than for atmospheric effect. Also, tree leaves cannot be cut away, and they only disappear during the winter season, or if the tree is chopped down.  

[[File:Tree+3.png|thumb|Leaves growing on an [[apricot]] tree]]

===Pod/Fruit===

Pods and fruits are plant growths containing [[seed]]s. In comparison to [[fruit]], pods are thin structures, usually not edible. In comparison to [[pod]]s, fruits are larger structures, usually edible.  Fruit may be produced by both [[crop]]s and [[Tree#Fruit|trees]].

In [[Fortress mode]], fruit can be picked, on the surface, by setting up a gathering [[zone]] ({{k|i}} then {{k|g}}). If there are any trees in the zone, a dwarf will pick up a [[stepladder]] or [[climber|climb]] the tree and drop the fruit to the ground, where they or some other food hauler will pick it up. Alternatively, if fruit has fallen on a shrub, gathering that shrub will gather the fruit on it as well. On the stocks screen, fruit such as apples is in the Leaves category.