Snow
The frozen crowns of the highest peaks. Above the snow line nothing takes root — only pale, wind-scoured ice.
- Elevation
- above 165 m
- Moisture
- any
- Plant density
- 0%
Flora: none — barren peaks
The Living World
Where climate decides what grows.
Every FloraForge landscape is sorted into derived biomes, and each biome decides which plants take root. This is a field guide to that biology — the five terrain zones the world is carved into, and the eight plant species that grow across them, each one a fully procedural tree, shrub or reed.
From the world
Snapshots from a generated ecosystem
Frames captured directly from the running engine — terrain, vegetation, and the day/night lighting that ties them together.
Biomes
The world sorts itself into five zones
Two values decide everything about a patch of ground: how high it sits (elevation) and how wet it is (moisture). Climb high enough and vegetation gives way to bare rock and snow; down in the lowlands, moisture alone separates parched desert from dense forest. Each zone paints the terrain a different colour and sets how thickly plants are allowed to grow.
Rock
The grey shoulder of the mountains, between the tree line and the snow. Steep, exposed and bare.
- Elevation
- 120–165 m
- Moisture
- any
- Plant density
- 0%
Flora: none — bare stone
Desert
Dry, sandy lowland where moisture runs out. Only the hardiest, drought-adapted trees stand a chance, and even then only just.
- Elevation
- up to 120 m
- Moisture
- below 0.30
- Plant density
- 1–2%
Flora: Acacia
Grassland
Open, rolling plains with scattered trees and shrubs. The world's most varied zone — it can host nearly anything that isn't a die-hard forest dweller.
- Elevation
- up to 120 m
- Moisture
- 0.30–0.62
- Plant density
- 4–7%
Flora:
OakAcaciaCoconut PalmWeeping WillowBerry Shrub
Forest
Wet, low-lying land thick with canopy. The densest biome by far — up to seven plants in ten cells — and home to every woodland species.
- Elevation
- up to 120 m
- Moisture
- above 0.62
- Plant density
- 42–69%
Flora:
OakBirchSpruceCoconut PalmWeeping WillowBerry Shrub
Elevation is checked first: above 165 m is snow, 120–165 m is rock. Only below the tree line does moisture take over, splitting the lowlands into desert, grassland and forest.
Species
Eight plants, grown from a recipe
No two trees in FloraForge are identical. Each species is a small recipe — a set of numbers describing trunk taper, branching habit, crown shape, foliage style and colour — that the growth engine expands into a unique 3D plant. The cards below show each recipe's defining traits and where in the world it likes to grow.
Tree · Dome crown
Oak
Broadleaf · spreading
The workhorse of the lowlands. A broad, slightly bushy dome on a sturdy, flared trunk — common across both forest and grassland.
- Height
- 12–18 m
- Crown
- Broad dome
- Foliage
- Clustered broadleaf
- Prefers
- Moist, lowland
- Colours
ForestGrassland
Tree · Conical crown
Spruce
Needled · evergreen
The tallest species in the world and the only conifer. A narrow, near-perfect cone of dense needles on a ramrod-straight trunk — partial to higher, cooler ground.
- Height
- 15–25 m
- Crown
- Conical
- Foliage
- Dense needle
- Prefers
- Upland, 60–160 m
- Colours
Forest
Tree · Oval crown
Birch
Broadleaf · slender
Slim and delicate, with the species' signature near-white bark and a light, drooping oval of bright leaves. A wetland forest tree.
- Height
- 12–18 m
- Crown
- Tall oval
- Foliage
- Sparse broadleaf
- Prefers
- Damp, lowland
- Colours
Forest
Tree · Umbrella crown
Acacia
Broadleaf · drought-adapted
The savanna survivor — a wide, flat-topped umbrella held high on a bare, leaning trunk. The only tree that tolerates the desert's dryness.
- Height
- 8–14 m
- Crown
- Flat umbrella
- Foliage
- Fine broadleaf
- Prefers
- Dry, lowland
- Colours
DesertGrassland
Tree · Frond crown
Coconut Palm
Fronded · waterside
A branchless trunk topped by a ring of long, arching fronds. Loves warm lowlands and clusters near water, where it gets a strong placement boost.
- Height
- 12–20 m
- Crown
- Fan of fronds
- Foliage
- Palm frond
- Prefers
- Warm, near water
- Colours
GrasslandForestWaterside +
Tree · Weeping crown
Weeping Willow
Broadleaf · cascading
Defined by extreme droop — its long branches cascade almost to the ground. A water-lover with the strongest near-water pull of any species.
- Height
- 10–15 m
- Crown
- Weeping
- Foliage
- Cascading broadleaf
- Prefers
- Wet, near water
- Colours
ForestGrasslandWaterside ++
Shrub · Dome crown
Berry Shrub
Multi-stemmed · low
The world's only shrub — knee-high, many-stemmed and densely leaved. It fills in the understorey wherever oaks and birches leave room.
- Height
- 1.5–2.5 m
- Crown
- Bushy dome
- Foliage
- Dense broadleaf
- Prefers
- Avoids steep slopes
- Colours
ForestGrassland
Reed · Column stems
Cattail
Multi-stemmed · aquatic
The world's only aquatic plant — a clump of slender, leafless stems topped with brown seed heads. Seated once at world creation in the wet river and lake margins every land plant rejects, it never spreads and never dies.
- Height
- 1.5–2.5 m
- Crown
- Stem column
- Foliage
- None — bare reed
- Prefers
- Shallow water margins
- Colours
ForestGrasslandDesertAquatic
Placement isn't just biome-deep. Beyond the biome rules, every species
carries its own preferences — a moisture band, an altitude range, a maximum slope, and
for waterside plants a bonus near rivers and shorelines. A spawning weight then decides
how often it wins a given spot, so an oak (weight 1.0) is far more common than a willow
(weight 0.4) even where both can grow. The result is a mix that shifts naturally as the
land changes beneath you.
See the biology in motion.
This field guide is only the start. Read how every plant ages through its life cycle, reproduces across the world, and finally dies — a standing snag, then open ground for the next generation — and where the simulation is headed next: heritable traits and evolution.
Growth & Life Cycle Evolution Roadmap