Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3 has introduced Reality Saplings and, unlike many mechanics in the free-to-play battle royale, they require a little bit of explanation before players are able to fully understand exactly how they work. The basic explanation for them is that they’re trees that players can plant and return to for increasingly better loot.
Reality Saplings are a way to speed up the pace of the game as they can give players a consistent place to snag high-tier loot right as they drop. Make sure to note, however, that while you might be getting great items right off the bat, so are your opponents. It’s still to be seen how much Reality Saplings change the game, but for now, take a look below to see exactly how to use them.
More Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3 Guides:
Where to Find Exotic Weapons | How to Interact with Sunbird, Moon Hawk & Rustler | All Vaulted & Unvaulted Weapons | Where to Find Ballers
Fortnite: Reality Saplings Guide
Reality Saplings are acquired by heading to Reality Falls on the west side of the map to the south of Rave Cave. Reality Falls is extremely easy to spot from a distance and when in the Battle Bus because of the giant glowing flower that stands tall above everything else (see below.)
Once you drop into the area, head north of the giant flower. Across the river from it, you should see a purple pod sitting on a tree stump. Attack it (either with your pickaxe or another weapon) until it explodes.
It should drop three Reality Seeds for you to grab. You can only plant one, so just grab one and then head to someplace where you’d like to plant your Reality Sapling. Keep in mind that you’ll need to come back here several matches in a row, so don’t grab a spot that’s going to be hard to get to or one that will have a lot of foot traffic.
Once you’ve found a spot, throw your seed to the ground and a Reality Sapling will be planted. It will be labeled as yours for everyone to see and you’ll be able to consume the mushrooms growing at its base for a little boost to your shields. With the Sapling planted, there’s nothing else for you to do in this round. Play the rest of the match like usual and ready up for your next game.
When dropping in for the next match, you’ll notice that your sapling has been marked on your map. This gives you a good reading as to where specifically you should drop in order to visit your plant again. Before you drop, take note of the information given to you on the left side of the map screen under “Sapling Status.” It lists your fruit type (the rarity of loot you’ll get from it this round) as well as when you “weed” it next. After planting it for the first time, the “Next Weeding” should be “Now!” Drop from the Battle Bus to your sapling.
Once you’re back at your Reality Sapling, you’ll notice that there are a few weeds on the ground near it. Pull them up, and your sapling will be taken care of for the match. Here, you’ll also be able to take the fruits from your plant as well. They’ll be located on its stalk. When opened, they’ll drop loot on the ground of the rarity noted on the map menu. After weeding your plant and taking the loot, play the match as normal.
Each time you take care of your Reality Sapling by removing the weeds from its base, it will upgrade the gear that’s gotten from its fruit. Unfortunately, weeds won’t grow with each new match, instead, they’re on a countdown timer that only progresses through real-world time. This means that players will need to wait several hours before being able to upgrade their sapling again. While absolutely time-consuming, it’s definitely worth working on each time you come back to play as the rewards will just keep getting better and better.
