The fastest way to clear all trees at once

The quickest command to remove every tree in your Minecraft world is /fill combined with a block type. If you want to delete all wood blocks, use /fill ~ ~ ~ ~500 ~500 ~500 air replace log — this replaces every log block within 500 blocks of where you stand with air. For leaves, run the same command but replace "log" with "leaves".

The numbers after the first tilde (~) set the search radius. The command searches in a cube around your position: 500 blocks in each direction means a 1000-by-1000-by-1000 block area. If you want to clear a smaller area, use smaller numbers — /fill ~ ~ ~ ~100 ~100 ~100 air replace log clears logs within 100 blocks. If you want to clear your entire world, use much larger numbers like 30000.

You must have cheats enabled to use commands. In a single-player world, pause the game, select "Open to LAN", toggle "Allow Cheats" on, and unpause. In a multiplayer server, you need operator (op) status — the server owner can grant this with /op [your username].

Key Takeaways

  • The command /fill ~ ~ ~ ~500 ~500 ~500 air replace log removes all log blocks within 500 blocks of your position in one action.
  • Change the numbers to adjust the search area — smaller numbers clear less space, larger numbers clear more.
  • You must run separate commands for logs and leaves because they are different block types.
  • Cheats must be enabled in your world settings before any command will work.
  • The command works when ready and cannot be undone, so save your world first if you want to keep a backup.

Removing logs and leaves separately

Trees in Minecraft are made of two block types: log (the trunk) and leaves (the foliage). The /fill command only removes one type at a time, so you need to run two commands to clear a tree completely.

First, remove all logs: /fill ~ ~ ~ ~500 ~500 ~500 air replace log. Then remove all leaves: /fill ~ ~ ~ ~500 ~500 ~500 air replace leaves. Run them one after the other. The leaves command will take a moment longer because there are usually more leaf blocks than log blocks in a forest.

If you only run the logs command, the leaves will float in the air where the trees were. If you only run the leaves command, the trunks will remain standing. Most players remove logs first, then leaves, because it is easier to see what you are clearing.

Adjusting the search radius for different areas

The three numbers in the /fill command — ~500 ~500 ~500 — control how far the command searches in each direction from where you are standing. The tilde (~) means "relative to my current position", so ~500 means 500 blocks away.

For a small clearing around your base, use /fill ~ ~ ~ ~50 ~50 ~50 air replace log. This clears logs within 50 blocks, which is roughly the size of a small village. For a medium forest, try /fill ~ ~ ~ ~200 ~200 ~200 air replace log. For an entire biome or world, use /fill ~ ~ ~ ~30000 ~30000 ~30000 air replace log — 30000 blocks is the edge of the Minecraft world border in most versions.

The command searches in a cube, not a sphere, so the actual area is a square when viewed from above. If you stand in the middle of a forest and use ~100, you clear 100 blocks in all directions, creating a 200-by-200 block square around you.

Clearing trees in specific biomes or regions

If you want to remove trees only in a certain area without affecting the rest of your world, stand at one corner of that area and use absolute coordinates instead of relative ones. Absolute coordinates are exact positions in your world, shown in the debug screen (F3 on Java Edition).

For example, if you want to clear trees between coordinates X: 100 and X: 500, Y: 60 and Y: 150, Z: 200 and Z: 600, use /fill 100 60 200 500 150 600 air replace log. This removes all logs in that exact rectangular region. You can then run /fill 100 60 200 500 150 600 air replace leaves to remove the leaves in the same area.

To find coordinates, open the debug screen (F3 on Java, or check your settings on Bedrock), look at the numbers next to "XYZ", and note the corners of the area you want to clear. The command will only affect that region, leaving trees outside it untouched.

Using the clone command as an alternative

If you want to remove trees but keep the terrain, the /clone command can replace a forested area with a saved copy of empty land. This is slower than /fill but more precise if you have already built structures nearby.

First, find an empty area of land the same size as the forest you want to clear. Use /clone [empty area coordinates] [forest area coordinates] to copy the empty land over the forest. For example, /clone 1000 60 1000 1100 150 1100 100 60 200 copies a 100-by-100 block area of empty land and pastes it over the forest at coordinates 100, 60, 200.

This method takes longer to set up but is useful if you want to preserve the ground level and any structures that are not trees. Most players use /fill because it is faster and simpler.

What happens after you clear the trees

Once you run the /fill command, all logs or leaves in the search area vanish when ready. The blocks are replaced with air, leaving empty space. If trees were floating above water or cliffs, the leaves will disappear but the water and cliffs remain.

Mobs (animals and monsters) are not affected by the command — they will still be in the cleared area. If you want to remove mobs as well, use /kill @e[type=!player] to remove all non-player entities, or /kill @e[type=zombie] to remove only a specific type.

The command cannot be undone with Ctrl+Z. If you clear trees and regret it, you must reload a previous save or manually replant. Always save your world before running a large /fill command, or create a backup world to test it first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I remove trees without removing leaves?

Yes. Run only the logs command: /fill ~ ~ ~ ~500 ~500 ~500 air replace log. The leaves will float in the air where the trees were. You can then remove the floating leaves separately with the leaves command, or leave them as decoration.

What if the command says "could not be parsed"?

Check that you typed the command exactly, with spaces between each part. Make sure cheats are enabled — if they are not, the command will not run. On Bedrock Edition, the syntax is slightly different; use /fill ~ ~ ~ ~500 ~500 ~500 air 0 replace log instead.

How do I remove only dark oak trees or only birch trees?

Use the specific log type in the command. For dark oak, use /fill ~ ~ ~ ~500 ~500 ~500 air replace dark_oak_log. For birch, use /fill ~ ~ ~ ~500 ~500 ~500 air replace birch_log. Each wood type has its own block name.

Will this command affect my performance or cause lag?

Large /fill commands can cause a brief freeze while the game processes the blocks being removed. If you clear 30000 blocks in each direction, your game may freeze for several seconds. Smaller areas (under 200 blocks) usually process when ready.

Can I undo a /fill command?

No. The command is permanent unless you reload a previous save. Always save your world before running a large clearing command, or test it in a copy of your world first.