What is a Lily Pad in Minecraft?
A lily pad is a flat green plant that floats on water in Minecraft. You can’t craft them, so you’ll need to find them in the world. They’re useful for walking across water without needing to swim, and you can place them in any water source.
Where to Find Lily Pads
Lily pads only spawn naturally in Swamp biomes. You’ll find them floating on top of water pools and shallow lakes throughout the biome. Look for areas with trees surrounded by water and you’ll spot them pretty quickly.
How to Collect Lily Pads
Step 1: Find a Lily Pad in a Swamp
Head to a Swamp biome and look for lily pads floating in the water. They’re bright green and easy to spot once you know what you’re looking for.
Step 2: Break the Lily Pad
Approach the lily pad and break it:
- Java Edition (PC/Mac): Left click and hold on the lily pad
- Pocket Edition: Tap and hold on the lily pad
- Xbox 360/One: Hold RT on the controller
- PS3/PS4: Hold R2 on the controller
- Wii U: Hold ZR on the gamepad
- Nintendo Switch: Hold ZR on the controller
- Windows 10 Edition: Left click and hold on the lily pad
The lily pad will drop and float in the water as an item.
Step 3: Pick It Up
Walk over the floating lily pad to pick it up before it disappears. It will go into your inventory automatically.
Creative Mode
If you’re in Creative mode, you can grab lily pads from the inventory menu:
- Java Edition 1.8-1.19: Look in the Decoration Blocks section
- Java Edition 1.19.3+: Find it under Natural Blocks
Item Details
Java Edition Commands and IDs
Here’s the information you need for commands and technical details:
| Version | ID Name | ID Number | Stack Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.13 and newer | lily_pad | 111 | 64 |
| 1.8-1.12 | waterlily | 111 | 64 |
Give Commands
To spawn lily pads in Java Edition, use these commands:
For 1.13 and newer:
/give @p lily_pad 1
For 1.8-1.12:
/give @p waterlily 1 0
Uses for Lily Pads
Lily pads aren’t just decorative. You can:
- Use them as stepping stones to cross water quickly
- Place them on water in your builds for decoration
- Collect them and compost them for bonemeal
- Use them to create designs in water features