Java Edition:Cactus Next to Invalid Block

Invalid_Cactus.gif

Cacti usually cannot be placed next to a block, and will pop off when a block is placed next to them. However, there are versions where it is possible to place them in invalid positions.
Since Alpha v1.0.14 cacti can grow, so a block needs to be placed above cactus before creating invalid block combination to prevent it from updating.

Obtaining

Full Block Cactus

Between versions Alpha v1.0.6 to Alpha v1.0.10, cacti occupied a full block. In these versions, full block cacti had some unique properties such as hurting the player when interacted with (i.e. right click or left clicking on) and not hurting the player when they walk into the side of the cactus. Because they were a full block, the player was able to place cacti in invalid positions – next to any block and on any block.

Block Replacement Bypass

Main page: Block Replacement Bypass

From Alpha v1.0.5 to Beta 1.4_01 it is possible to suppress the breaking of the cactus using water, lava and fire. Placing a block in these blocks causes the blocks to skip the initial update tick. This allows for blocks to be placed in positions where they should not be allowed to.

Enderman Placement

From 1.4.6 to 14w34d (1.8 snapshot), due to a bug, Endermen could place the cactus block next to and even onto any block in the game that existed at the time.

Cactus Growth

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In 13w01a (1.5 snapshot), cactus blocks would grow up and could grow next to blocks adjacent to it due to a bug.

15w49a Changes

This section is a work in progress. 

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To do: Breaks if adjacent to lava, refer to MC wiki

Froglight Placement

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From 22w12a to 22w15a (1.19 snapshots), placing any froglight next to a cactus would not destroy it due to a bug.

Mangrove Growth

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Generation

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Chunk Regeneration

Main page: Chunk Regeneration

Both chunk savestating and regeneration can be used to place any block adjacent to a cactus. This works because chunk savestating and regeneration does not send block updates, so you can place a cactus on a chunk border and then savestate or regenerate the adjacent chunk to "place" another cactus adjacent to the placed cactus. However, this is limited to cacti localized on the chunk borders.

Update Suppression

Main page: Update Suppression

Suppressing block updates when placing a block next to a cactus prevents it from breaking.

Upgrading

In 17w47a (1.13 snapshot) and later, cacti next to invalid blocks or on invalid blocks will break whenever they receive a random tick update. From 17w47a to 25w05a (a 1.21.5 snapshot), they can be observed safely from a distance. The cacti will not receive random block updates if no player is within 128 blocks of the center of the chunk that the cactus is in. This was changed in 25w06a, which changed random ticking such that any entity processing chunk will receive random ticks, so these blocks can only be observed in non-entity processing chunks. This can be more easily accomplished by setting the client render distance to a much higher value than the simulation distance, as the simulation distance caps the range of entity processing chunks.

Gallery

• 

  Cacti in Alpha v1.0.6 exhibiting their old, strange properties.
• 

  Cacti placed in varying invalid positions.

Combos

• Invalid Data Value Cactus (Item)

See also

• Chunk Savestating
• Update Suppression