[MC-929] Sugar cane can be placed underwater

The Bug:

Sugar cane can be placed underwater.

If there is water adjacent to and below the desired location of placement, sugar cane can be placed. This of course results in sugar cane being allowed to be placed underwater.

Steps to Reproduce:

Obtain some sugar cane and locate an open body of water.
Attempt to place sugar cane on any block underwater that has water adjacent to and below it.
Take note as to whether or not sugar cane can be placed underwater.

Observed Behavior:

Sugar cane can be placed underwater.

Expected Behavior:

Sugar cane would not be able to be placed underwater.

Code Analysis:

Code analysis by @unknown can be found in this comment.

Linked issues

is duplicated by 264

MC-295979 Planting Sugare Cane unederwater Resolved

MC-274408 Sugar Canes can be placed in and under water on ledges Resolved

MC-274076 Sugarcane can be grown into water Resolved

MC-273855 Sugar cane can be placed underwater Resolved

MC-273681 Sugarcane can be grown underwater. 甘蔗可以在水下种植 Resolved

259 more links

relates to 7

MC-133817 Blocks that are placed in downwards flowing water don't properly update water flow Open

MC-127711 Sugar Cane spawns underwater near sunken ships. Resolved

MC-130890 Water in tall sea grass doesn't flow Open

MC-133814 Seagrass, kelp, coral and coral fans become waterlogged when placed in downwards flowing water Reopened

MC-125351 Some partial blocks that don't pop off when underwater, cause water to show flowing animation at the sides Resolved

2 more links

Attachments

Comments 48

migrated 2012-10-27T23:16:57Z

This is how it works normally. This isn't a bug.

"When used underwater, sugar cane displaces the water, just as slabs do, leaving an air pocket."
-http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Sugar_Cane

migrated 2012-10-28T01:14:09Z

Agreed with Tristan.

This isn't a bug. This has been like this since Alpha. At least it was like this when I started in Alpha 1.2.

migrated 2013-02-14T20:22:59Z

Sugar Cane can be placed under water on multiplayer but not single player in the newest snapshot.

migrated 2015-07-24T20:14:30Z

it is back in 1.8 i reported it, they took it down, even though it was updated

migrated 2019-03-02T17:32:04Z

Ask for re-open Bug Report, since water-logged blocks are now possible and sugarcanes still do that air
Affected in minecraft snapshot 19w09a

38 more comments

[Mod] Asteraoth 2019-03-02T19:03:25Z

@unknown, see MC-125351.

migrated 2020-05-10T11:12:41Z

Weird sugarcane underwater is probably one of those "intentional bugs".

Known for years, never bothered to fix.

migrated 2020-06-29T23:33:34Z

This is intentional bug.

pulpetti 2020-07-08T20:34:24Z

This isn't a bug, and the wiki just tells you that sugarcane can leave airpockets underwater which some people might interpret as the wiki saying that "it's a feature" which it clearly isn't because IT'S AN ALPHA OLD ALPHA BUG, ALPHA IS ALPHA.

Even if it is an Alpha feature why is it listed as a block that's bugged in water in MC-125351, and why is Mojang trying to remove blocks that leave airpockets underwater in Java and Bedrock if it is somekind of "feature".

migrated 2020-07-08T20:35:59Z

See MC-125351 just as Asteraoth said. This isn't an intentional bug.

muzikbike 2020-07-27T13:47:46Z

There is no such thing as an intentional bug by definition.

migrated 2020-08-31T14:37:01Z

This was fixed yet. I tried to make this but nothing happened

migrated 2020-08-31T14:39:12Z

No, I can place yet

migrated 2020-08-31T14:40:23Z

Which is the difference in put a sugar cane in the water on a superflat world and a normal world??

SunCat 2020-09-07T12:47:11Z

there should be no difference. Make sure you put the sugar cane on allowed blocks (dirt, grass, sand)

migrated 2020-11-11T03:38:40Z

confirmed for 1.15.2

[Mod] markderickson 2020-11-11T03:54:33Z

Hello @unknown! There's actually no need to confirm something in a version that is not the latest version or the latest snapshot. Adding those versions to reports is something that is not helpful to Mojang in fixing the bug, and adding outdated versions is not actually possible to do without special permissions on the tracker as far as I'm aware.

Avoma 2020-11-25T19:22:48Z

Can confirm in 20w48a.

Avoma 2020-12-02T19:33:04Z

Can confirm in 20w49a.

Avoma 2021-01-22T10:49:54Z

Can confirm in 21w03a.

Avoma 2021-02-03T19:07:37Z

Can confirm in 21w05a.

Avoma 2021-02-04T18:25:12Z

Can confirm in 21w05b.

Avoma 2021-02-18T18:33:33Z

Can confirm in 21w07a.

Avoma 2021-02-25T17:21:25Z

Can confirm in 21w08b.

migrated 2021-04-05T01:31:17Z

Can confirm in 1.16.5

migrated 2021-04-05T01:50:19Z

21w13a the error continues to happen in the latest version

Avoma 2021-04-30T12:48:55Z

Can confirm in 21w17a.

migrated 2021-06-08T19:21:16Z

i can confirm still in 1.17

[media]

migrated 2021-06-17T18:05:03Z

still possible 1.17 , when would it be fixed? But maybe its an new feature to make tunnels out of cane lol?

[media]

ampolive 2021-06-29T18:30:27Z

Can confirm in 1.17.1 Pre-release 2.

ampolive 2021-07-04T19:30:43Z

Can confirm in 1.17.1 Release Candidate 1.

ampolive 2021-07-05T16:07:42Z

Can confirm in 1.17.1 Release Candidate 2.

migrated 2021-10-17T15:16:10Z

Let me add. this works with lava (if there is water in an adjacent block that is one lower that the place you are trying to place the sugar cane on.
Also if the water is replaced by sugar cane placed using the same bug, the top sugar cane will pop off, on a block update or random tick.

[media]

migrated 2021-11-22T20:09:23Z

Can confirm on Minecraft 1.18 Pre Release 6

Avoma 2021-12-14T17:41:10Z

Can confirm in 1.18.1.

Avoma 2022-03-02T13:57:56Z

Can confirm in 1.18.2.

Avoma 2022-04-24T13:32:05Z

Can confirm in 1.18.2 and 22w16b. Here's a code analysis of this issue.

Code Analysis:

The following is based on a decompiled version of Minecraft 1.18.2 using MCP-Reborn.

net.minecraft.world.level.block.SugarCaneBlock.java

public class SugarCaneBlock extends Block {
   ...
   public boolean canSurvive(BlockState $bs, LevelReader $lr, BlockPos $bp) {
      BlockState blockstate = $lr.getBlockState($bp.below());
      if (blockstate.is(this)) {
         return true;
      } else {
         if (blockstate.is(BlockTags.DIRT) || blockstate.is(Blocks.SAND) || blockstate.is(Blocks.RED_SAND)) {
            BlockPos blockpos = $bp.below();

            for(Direction direction : Direction.Plane.HORIZONTAL) {
               BlockState blockstate1 = $lr.getBlockState(blockpos.relative(direction));
               FluidState fluidstate = $lr.getFluidState(blockpos.relative(direction));
               if (fluidstate.is(FluidTags.WATER) || blockstate1.is(Blocks.FROSTED_ICE)) {
                  return true;
               }
            }
         }

         return false;
      }
   }
   ...

If we look at the above class, we can see that the code only checks to see whether or not the block adjacent to and below the desired placing location is water or frosted ice, before being able to place down some sugar cane. This is evident through the following line of code:

if (fluidstate.is(FluidTags.WATER) || blockstate1.is(Blocks.FROSTED_ICE))

Since no checks are carried out to see if the sugar cane is underwater or in lava before being placed, this results in this problem occurring.

DrageonDB 2022-05-29T14:35:42Z

Affect 1.19 pre 3

Avoma 2022-06-08T12:29:07Z

Can confirm in 1.19.

Avoma 2022-07-28T13:14:21Z

Can confirm in 1.19.1.

pulpetti 2022-08-05T15:45:55Z

In 1.19.2

migrated 2022-12-06T15:51:05Z

In 1.19.3 Release Candidate 1

Avoma 2022-12-06T16:15:04Z

@unknown, 1.19.3 Release Candidate 1 is an archived affect version and cannot be added to this report. We can only update reports with the latest snapshot or release of the game as of the current moment in time. As of the present moment, 1.19.2 and 1.19.3 Release Candidate 3 can only be added. 🙂

I've just tested this problem now in 1.19.3-rc3 and the bug is still present so I've added this as an affected version. Just thought I'd let you know. 🙂

Moesh 2022-12-22T12:37:17Z

As this has been long-standing behavior, we have decided that if we fix this, it will be as part of a design change instead of as a bug fix. If we address this issue, it will be on a different work track.

migrated 2023-11-04T16:31:44Z

Сan confirm in 23w44a.

migrated 2024-06-08T21:51:49Z

Is also present in 1.20.6 version

JBlock 2025-09-05T17:12:05Z

y tambien en la 25w36a/b

OpenskyYT 2026-07-28T08:18:11Z

Why is this works is intended. Do mojang want us to make underwater sugarcane farms?