Animal Crossing: When (& Where) You Can Find Maple Leaves

Like Acorns, Pinecones, Cherry Blossom Petals, and Mushrooms, Maple Leaves are a seasonal item in Animal Crossing: New Horizons that can be used to craft exclusive DIY recipes not found any other time during the year. With November officially underway, and the Halloween festivities over, Animal Crossing players in the Northern hemisphere can now fully immerse themselves in all things autumn and harvest. During the latter half of November, players will start to see maple leaves floating around on the island that can be caught with a net and used to make seasonal furniture and items.

Maple Leaves can be a little more difficult to catch than the average bug because of the way they fall, so players will need to practice with their net a few times to master the technique. Players will know when they have found a Maple Leaf from its brown-orange color and distinctive shape. They are not rare, by any means, but players are not likely to find an abundance of them on any given day. Because they are limited, and because players only have about a week and a half to gather and use them, it’s a good idea to check around the island every day and catch any that float across the screen. Here’s all the info so far about when, where, and how to find Maple Leaves in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

When and Where to Find Maple Leaves in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Maple Leaves will appear on islands in the Northern hemisphere for ten days, from November 16 to November 26. Players in the Southern hemisphere can expect to see them for a similarly short amount of time from May 16 to May 26. If players in the Southern hemisphere want to get a few Maple Leaves right now, they would need to contact a friend in the Northern hemisphere and have them sent as a gift. Players in the Southern hemisphere could also change timezones or time travel to get a few now, since they will be in-season in the North.

Players can also visit other islands on Mystery Island Tours to gather Maple Leaves. These can be stored and traded or gifted at any time of the year without going bad.

The appearance of Maple Leaves is mostly random. Unlike Mushrooms, players won’t be able to predict exactly where any might fall. Some fans have observed they fall less commonly at night, but this has not been confirmed. Players will want to do a full sweep or two of their island each day from the 16th to the 26th to collect as many Maple Leaves as they can.

Like the Cherry Blossom Petals during the spring, players can collect Maple Leaves using any kind of Net. Maple Leaves tend to fall and float at odd angles, which make them a little tricky to catch. Like bugs, Maple Leaves can escape and evade the player’s Net, so players will need to be quick when trying to catch one.

Players wanting to craft the full Maple Leaf DIY set will need to collect 51 Maple Leaves, among other resources, before time runs out. Otherwise, they’ll need to do some trading or wait another year.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available for the Nintendo Switch.

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