Hi!

So I've noticed that the tree in my town's plaza is rather small for the amount of time I've owned AC:NL, which I bought in 2014. Admittedly, I didn't play it too much last year, but my 3DS tells me I've clocked up 112 hours in total, and I've read that the number of hours and days played is what makes the tree grow. However my tree only has two small clusters, but a trunk about as large as if it had 5!! I'm sure I've played enough for it to be bigger than that! I tried to post a photo of it from tumblr, but it had 8 numbers in the URL so ACC thought it was a friend code

I just wondered if a) time-travelling had anything to do with it (which I've done before but never more than...maybe a week? But playing for a little each day as I was trying to get another villager to speak to Sable so she could use the QR machine!) and b) why I can sit on it, but it's rather small??

Thanks in advance!!

OK...let's see if this link works instead...! This is my tree!!

That's really weird! According to Animal Crossing Wikia, you should have a stage 5 tree, which has ten clusters of leaves, but you only have a stage 2.

Time traveling might have something to do with it, but...if you never did it for more than a week then I don't think there should be an issue. I looked at Google and some other people have had the same problem, but no one's sure what causes it. Someone said they had 200 hours and a stage 2 tree they could sit on.

However: did you ever restart your town? If so, that could be it. If not, well, I don't know what to tell you.

Maybe it's a winter thing? Maybe it'll start growing again as spring goes on?

It is weird isn't it! Ten clusters, really?! I have nowhere NEAR that! Hmm...!

I haven't restarted my town, no, I've kept the same one!! That's alright haha! Thank you so much for helping, Tessa!

It is odd - I'm hoping it grows a little more in the future! Not the end of the world if it doesn't but I'd love to see the final, fully-grown tree in my town eventually !!

The wikia does say that the tree loses leaves in winter, and I did only start playing again recently...but I've never seen it with more than two clusters, even last year! Fingers crossed as we move into Spring/Summer it will grow to how it is meant to

its not just the time spent.
its the days as well.

you have to have the right amount of actual
days played,and game saved,then just the time alone.

Ah I see! I'm sure I've played more than, say, 50 days though!

But perhaps it just needs a few more days! It just seems odd that I only have two clusters yet the tree's trunk is large enough that I can sit on the side and recount the town's history!

Thanks!

so you played 50 days..saved and quit?
cause i noticed..if you TT...lets say..you
skipped ahaid into a year..saved and quit then
whent back,it only counts as one solid day.
each day,to go into the game saved and quit
counts only. not the days you skipped.

if you have played 50 days ..each day.
then..im not shure.
But.maybe you are like a few days off.
and dont remember?

It grew!!

Sorry, bdragon, I didn't see your reply until now!

It now has vines at the base of the trunk and what looks like a third cluster growing!! Must have just shrunk during winter! A combination of me beginning to play again, and me starting to play again before the tree properly grows back, I think contributed

I think it is real time days that are counted. I put my game away for a month or so and my tree didn't grow. I also wonder if friendships with your villagers have anything to do with tree growth.