Willow Tree Seed OSRS Ultimate Guide for Farming and Profit

Willow Tree Seed OSRS Ultimate Guide for Farming and Profit

Willow tree seeds in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) are a fantastic option for players looking to level up their Farming skill, gather resources, or even make some gold. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned farmer, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about willow tree seeds, from planting to profit. Let’s dive into the lush world of willow trees and explore how to make the most of these seeds!

Willow tree seeds are used to grow willow trees in OSRS, requiring level 30 Farming. They’re a staple for mid-level farmers due to their balance of experience, accessibility, and potential rewards like logs and roots. Planting a willow seed grants 25 Farming XP, with an additional 1,456.5 XP when checking the tree’s health after full growth. The process takes about 4 hours (240 minutes), making it a relatively quick tree run for players.

Why Choose Willow Trees?

Willow trees are popular for several reasons:

  • Decent XP: The 1,481.5 total XP per tree (planting + checking) is great for leveling Farming efficiently.
  • Low Cost: Seeds and protection items (a basket of apples) are affordable compared to higher-tier trees.
  • Resource Gathering: Chopping yields willow logs and roots, which have multiple uses.
  • Accessibility: Only level 30 Farming is needed, perfect for mid-level players.

How to Plant and Grow Willow Trees

Growing a willow tree in OSRS follows a straightforward process, but there are key steps to ensure success. Here’s a detailed breakdown to get your trees thriving.

Step-by-Step Planting Guide

Follow these steps to grow a willow tree from seed to harvest:

  1. Gather Materials: You’ll need a willow seed, a filled plant pot, a gardening trowel, a watering can, a rake, a spade, and a basket of apples (5) for protection.
  2. Prepare the Seed: Use the willow seed on a filled plant pot with a gardening trowel in your inventory to create a willow seedling.
  3. Water the Seedling: Use a watering can (or the Humidify spell for efficiency) to water the seedling, turning it into a willow sapling after 0–5 minutes.
  4. Find a Tree Patch: Head to one of the six tree patches in OSRS (e.g., Falador Park, Lumbridge, Varrock Castle).
  5. Clear the Patch: Use a rake to remove weeds if the patch isn’t clear.
  6. Plant the Sapling: Use the sapling on the tree patch with a spade in your inventory to plant it, granting 25 XP.
  7. Protect the Tree: Pay a nearby gardener one basket of apples to ensure the tree doesn’t get diseased. Alternatively, monitor it yourself and prune with secateurs if needed.
  8. Wait for Growth: The tree takes roughly 4 hours to fully grow. Check its health for 1,456.5 XP.
  9. Harvest or Chop: Chop the tree for willow logs or dig up the stump for willow roots.

Tree Patch Locations

OSRS has six tree patches where you can plant willow saplings. Here’s a quick reference table:

Location Teleport/Travel Method
Falador Park Explorer’s Ring or Falador Teleport
Lumbridge Lumbridge Teleport or Home Teleport
Varrock Castle Varrock Teleport
Taverley Falador Teleport + Run North
Gnome Stronghold Spirit Tree or Gnome Glider
Farming Guild Skills Necklace (requires 65 Farming)

Where to Get Willow Seeds

Obtaining willow seeds can be a bottleneck for some players, especially Ironmen. Fortunately, there are several reliable methods to stock up.

Common Sources for Willow Seeds

Here are the best ways to acquire willow seeds:

  • Bird Nests: Obtained while Woodcutting or from Managing Miscellania (after completing Throne of Miscellania). Check nests for a chance at willow seeds.
  • Wintertodt Crates: Rewards from the Wintertodt minigame often include willow seeds, especially for mid-level players.
  • Nature Implings: Catch these in Puro-Puro or Gielinor for a chance at willow seeds.
  • Seed Packs: Purchase from the Void Knights’ Reward Options or earn through other activities.
  • Vinesweeper Minigame: Spend 1,800 points for a chance at willow seeds.
  • Master Farmers: Pickpocket them (requires 38 Thieving) for a small chance at seeds.

Tips for Ironmen

Ironmen should focus on passive seed generation:

  • Managing Miscellania: Allocate workers to woodcutting for bird nests.
  • Birdhouse Runs: Regular birdhouse runs on Fossil Island yield nests with seeds.
  • Wintertodt: Consistent runs provide seeds alongside Firemaking XP.

Maximizing Profits with Willow Trees

While willow trees are primarily grown for Farming XP, they can also generate profit through logs, roots, and sapling trading. Here’s how to turn your willow seeds into gold.

Selling Willow Logs and Roots

Chopping a fully grown willow tree yields willow logs, which can be sold on the Grand Exchange. Digging up the stump provides willow roots, useful for supercompost or niche quests. While logs aren’t high-value, they add up if you’re farming multiple trees.

Profit Tip: Sell logs during Double XP events when demand spikes.

Growing and Selling Saplings

One lucrative method is growing willow saplings to sell on the Grand Exchange. Since many players skip the seedling stage (it grants little XP), there’s demand for ready-to-plant saplings.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Buy willow seeds and filled plant pots.
  2. Plant seeds in pots with a trowel to make seedlings.
  3. Cast Humidify to water multiple seedlings at once.
  4. Wait 0–5 minutes for seedlings to become saplings.
  5. Sell saplings on the Grand Exchange for a profit (often 500–600 coins per sapling).

Note: Willow seeds have a low buy limit, so stock up gradually or diversify with other tree types.

Cost vs. Reward Analysis

Let’s break down the costs and potential profits:

Item Cost (GE Price, Approx.)
Willow Seed 700–800 coins
Basket of Apples 500–600 coins
Total Cost per Tree 1,200–1,400 coins
Potential Sapling Sale 1,200–1,800 coins
Willow Logs (Variable) 20–30 coins each

By selling saplings or logs, you can offset costs or even profit slightly, especially if you source seeds passively.

Tips and Tricks for Efficient Willow Farming

To get the most out of your willow tree runs, incorporate these strategies to save time, boost XP, and maximize rewards.

Optimize Your Tree Runs

Efficient tree runs are key to balancing Farming with other activities. Try these:

  • Use Teleports: Equip an Explorer’s Ring, Varrock Teleport, or Spirit Tree access to hit patches quickly.
  • Compost: Apply supercompost or ultracompost to reduce disease risk if you’re not paying gardeners.
  • Farming Cape: At level 99, the Farming cape boosts yields when harvesting.
  • Magic Secateurs: Increase log and root yields when chopping.

Combine with Other Farming

Willow trees fit perfectly into broader farm runs. Pair them with:

  • Fruit Trees: Plant bananas (level 33) for extra XP.
  • Herbs: Grow ranarr or toadflax for profit to fund tree runs.
  • Allotments: Plant watermelons or strawberries for low-effort XP.

Avoid Common Mistakes

Steer clear of these pitfalls:

  • Ignoring Protection: Always pay with apples to avoid disease, which wastes time and seeds.
  • Overbuying Seeds: Test the market before buying in bulk due to price fluctuations.
  • Skipping Patches: Use all six tree patches to maximize XP and resources.

By mastering willow tree farming, you’ll level up Farming, gather useful materials, and potentially make a tidy profit. Whether you’re chopping logs, digging roots, or selling saplings, willow seeds are a versatile asset in OSRS. Happy farming!