Drywood represents a significant progression milestone in Hytale—it’s the material you need to upgrade your Farmer’s Workbench to Tier 7, unlocking advanced farming capabilities. Unlike common woods you can harvest near spawn, Drywood only comes from specific trees in a particular biome, which means you’ll need to venture into more dangerous territory to collect it.
The good news? Once you know where to look and what to look for, Drywood is actually quite abundant. This guide breaks down exactly which trees drop Drywood, where to find them, and how to identify them among similar-looking species. For more essential resource guides and gameplay tips, visit our comprehensive Hytale guides hub.
Where to Find Drywood: Golden Steppes Biome
Drywood exclusively spawns in the Golden Steppes biome, which is located in Zone 2: Howling Sands—the desert region of Hytale. You won’t find these trees anywhere near the starting zones, so prepare for a journey before attempting to collect this resource.
Key Location Details:
- Region: Howling Sands (Zone 2)
- Specific Biome: Golden Steppes
- Tree Types: Dry Trees and Bottletrees
- Preparation: Bring adequate food, water, and healing items
The Golden Steppes is a desert environment, which comes with its own challenges. Make sure you’re properly equipped with decent armor before making the trek, as hostile mobs in Zone 2 hit considerably harder than what you’ve encountered in starter areas.
The Two Drywood Tree Types
Two distinct tree species yield Drywood when chopped with a hatchet. Learning to identify them quickly saves time and prevents confusion with other desert trees that don’t provide the material you need.
Dry Trees (Currently Obtainable)
Dry Trees are the primary and most reliable source of Drywood in the current version of Hytale.
Visual Identification:
- Bark: Patterned brown texture
- Leaves: Light yellow coloring
- Structure: Relatively thin with single-block wide branches
- Trunk Width: Moderate, not excessively wide
- Special Feature: Sometimes covered in light green vines
Harvesting Tip: When you encounter a Dry Tree with vines growing on its trunk, you’ll need to chop through the vines first before you can access the bark underneath. The vines don’t drop Drywood—only the actual tree trunk does. Don’t let the vines fool you into thinking you’re chopping the wrong tree.
Bottletrees (Currently Bugged)
Bottletrees should provide Drywood, but there’s currently a bug preventing proper collection.
Visual Identification:
- Bark: Light gray with black patterns
- Leaves: Light green coloring
- Structure: Similar to Dry Trees—thin trunks and sparse branches
- Variants: Some appear as full trees, others as stunted versions only 4-8 blocks tall
Current Bug Status: As of this writing, chopping down Bottletrees yields Birch Logs instead of Bottletree Logs. This is clearly unintended behavior and will likely be fixed in a future patch. For now, stick to Dry Trees for your Drywood needs. If you absolutely need Bottletree Logs before the fix, Creative Mode is currently the only option.
How to Avoid Confusion: Other Desert Trees
The Golden Steppes contains other tree species that might look similar at first glance but don’t provide Drywood. The most important one to distinguish is the Gumbaob Tree.
Gumbaob Trees:
- Logs Type: Lightwood (NOT Drywood)
- Identifying Feature: Extremely thick tree trunks (10-15 blocks wide)
- Easy Tell: If the trunk is massive, it’s Gumbaob, not Drywood
Once you’ve seen a Gumbaob Tree, you won’t confuse them again—the trunk width difference is dramatic. Dry Trees and Bottletrees have modest, manageable trunk sizes, while Gumbaob Trees look like wooden towers.
Harvesting Drywood Efficiently
Once you’ve located the Golden Steppes and identified Dry Trees, harvesting follows the standard tree-chopping process.
Harvesting Steps:
- Equip your hatchet (higher tier = faster chopping)
- Locate Dry Trees in the Golden Steppes
- If vines are present, chop through them first
- Chop the trunk and branches to collect Drywood Logs
- Store logs safely or process them immediately
Farming Strategy: Rather than making multiple trips, consider harvesting a large quantity in one expedition. Bring bigger chests or a backpack upgrade to maximize what you can carry back. Drywood is abundant in the Golden Steppes, so one thorough gathering session should provide enough for your Farmer’s Workbench upgrade plus extras.
Why You Need Drywood
Understanding Drywood’s purpose helps you prioritize when to make the journey to collect it.
Primary Use: Farmer’s Workbench Tier 7 Upgrading your Farmer’s Workbench to Tier 7 unlocks advanced farming recipes, including new crop types, better fertilizers, and improved farming tools. If you’re serious about farming crops in Hytale, this upgrade becomes essential for late-game agricultural production.
Other Potential Uses: Drywood may also appear in other crafting recipes, particularly those requiring desert-specific materials or high-tier wood components. Check crafting stations for recipes using Drywood Logs or processed Drywood materials.
Preparation Checklist for Your Drywood Expedition
Don’t head to the Golden Steppes unprepared. Zone 2 presents legitimate threats to under-equipped players.
Essential Supplies:
- Quality hatchet (Iron tier minimum, higher is better)
- Food and water supplies for the journey
- Healing items for emergency recovery
- Decent armor set (Iron or better recommended)
- Torches or light sources for nighttime
- Extra inventory space for logs
Optional But Helpful:
- Materials for a temporary shelter/respawn point
- Salt and other cooking ingredients for crafting food on-site
- Weapons for dealing with hostile mobs
- Rope for scaling terrain features
Navigation Tip: Mark your route to the Golden Steppes on your map. You may need to return for additional Drywood later, and having a known safe path saves time on future trips.
Processing Drywood
Like other wood types in Hytale, Drywood Logs can be processed into various forms for different crafting applications.
Common Drywood Forms:
- Drywood Logs (raw form from trees)
- Drywood Planks (processed at workbench)
- Drywood-based crafting components
Check your workbench for specific processing recipes. Upgrading workbenches reveals more processing options, creating a progression loop where better tools enable access to better materials.
Future Updates and Bug Fixes
Since Hytale is in early access, expect changes to Drywood availability and functionality.
Known Issue: The Bottletree bug preventing proper log drops will almost certainly be fixed. When that happens, you’ll have two equally viable Drywood sources instead of just one.
Potential Changes: Drywood spawn rates, tree distribution, or even biome locations might shift as developers balance progression. Always check patch notes when updates release—resource locations sometimes change.
For the latest official information and updates about Hytale, visit the official Hytale website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Drywood trees from saplings near my base?
Currently, there’s no confirmed way to farm Drywood trees from saplings outside their native biome. You’ll need to travel to the Golden Steppes each time you need more Drywood. If tree farming mechanics get added in future updates, this could change, but for now, plan on making the journey.
How much Drywood do I need for the Tier 7 Farmer’s Workbench upgrade?
The exact amount varies based on the specific upgrade recipe, but you’ll want to collect at least 20-30 Drywood Logs to ensure you have enough for the upgrade plus any additional crafting needs. Since Dry Trees are abundant in the Golden Steppes, gathering extra doesn’t take much longer.
Are there enemies specific to the Golden Steppes I should worry about?
Zone 2 generally features tougher enemies than starter zones. Expect desert-themed hostile mobs with higher health and damage output. Wearing at least Iron-tier armor and bringing weapons appropriate for mid-game content is strongly recommended. Scout carefully and avoid engaging multiple enemies simultaneously if possible.
Can I use other wood types as substitutes for Drywood in the Tier 7 upgrade?
No, the Tier 7 Farmer’s Workbench upgrade specifically requires Drywood—you cannot substitute Softwood, Hardwood Planks, Lightwood, Darkwood, or any other wood type. Each workbench tier requires its specific material, making the journey to collect Drywood mandatory for progression.
