Woodcutting

Summary
In The Wild West, you can chop down trees using Axes. The process is very simple. You take your Axe, approach a tree, and hold your left mouse button or the Q key and the Axe will swing so that it hits the tree. When you hit the tree, it will "take damage". The damage dealt to the tree will be displayed as a percentage at the top of your screen. When you have dealt enough damage to the tree, it will fall and drop a few logs. The number of logs that drop depends on the tree type. The logs can then be turned into planks at a sawmill or be sold for $10 each.

No different varieties of log exist currently, although some logs have a color similar to that of the tree that they came from. For example, a Redwood drops reddish brown logs. When picked up and dropped again, the log's color will return to its default brown.

The different colors of logs might hint at multiple types of wood being available for use during the Building Update, but this isn't confirmed.

Tree List
''There are many different trees in the game. Here is a complete list of all the tree types.''

Thunderstruck Trees
Every tree in-game has a chance of getting struck by lightning under a lightning storm. If this happens, A lightning bolt will hit the tree, causing it to change appearance into a dark, tall Snag with lightning and fire particles around it. In addition, a thunder sound will play within a certain radius of the Thunderstruck Tree.

When a tree becomes Thunderstruck, the server will put the following message in chat:

"Lightning has struck a tree. Find it for ultra-rare loot!"

If you cut the tree down, you will get 1 Thunderstruck Log, no matter what the tree type is. So if you find a Redwood struck by lightning, for example, then you will still get 1 Thunderstruck Log. Cutting a Thunderstruck Tree is very time-consuming. If you use a Tier 1 Axe, every chop takes away 1%, if you use a Tier 2 Axe, every chop take away 2%, and a Tier 3 Axe takes away 3%. Please note that tier restrictions from the normal version of the tree still applies, a Tier 1 Axe cannot chop down a Thunderstruck Western Red Cedar, or any other tree that a Tier 1 Axe wouldn't be able to chop.

The Thunderstruck Log can then be sold for $2000. It is recommended to keep the Thunderstruck Logs in the bank for the moment, as they can be used for complex building in the future. Thunderstruck Logs cannot stack. If you obtain a Thunderstruck Log, It's a good idea to head to the bank or sell it immediately as Thunderstruck Logs drop on death. This usually results in a battle between a few people, each of them trying to take the log for their own. However, you may get lucky and be the first to find the Tree.

Every 4 minutes there is a 5% chance a thunderstorm will occur.  (Thunderstorms can get chained by pure luck, giving the illusion of multiple trees spawning in a single storm, when in reality, it is just multiple storms happening one after another.)  Most storms will spawn one to three, however in rare cases, there are reports of storms spawning between four and nine. Make sure you listen closely, as sometimes storms happen without thunder, and will not strike any trees.

Cacti cannot become thunderstruck.

Other Trees
None of these trees currently have official released names!

Pine Saplings

Resembling smaller Pines, these cannot be cut, and will bend if ridden over by a horse.

Tough Sapling

A hardy bush-like tree that is about player height, has small green tufts and can be found in The Great Desert, The Highlands, Raider Canyons, and various other dusty areas. Cannot be cut. Seems to resemble the real-world Joshua Tree.

Palm Tree

Found near Puerto Dorado, Sinner's Canyon, and The Far Shore, these trees can't be cut down, but are tall, arching trees with leafy fronds.

Cacti Types
Trees are not the only thing you can cut. There are also different types of Cacti. If you cut down a Cactus, it will drop a few Cactus Juices. You can either sell them for $3 each, or consume them for a quick health boost. The Cactus Juice stacks to 10 like the log. Cacti is the cheapest way to heal in-game since it spawns commonly in The Great Desert in a large group, though it takes a lot of Juice to heal. Cacti cannot become thunderstruck.

Be careful when standing near spiked Cacti! If you touch them for too long, you will lose 10 health!

Saguaro Cactus
The Saguaro Cactus is tall and thin. It grows in The Great Desert and Raider Canyons, and has a few "branches". It drops 2 Cactus Juices, and requires a Tier 2 Axe and higher to cut it. The Tier 2 Axe needs 5 swings to chop it and the Tier 3 Axe needs 4. Some Saguaro cacti do not have spikes, and will not deal damage when touched.

San Pedro Cactus
The San Pedro Cactus looks a bit like the Saguaro Cactus, but with no "branches", and it grows in packs. It drops 3 Cactus Juices, and also requires a Tier 2 Axe and higher to cut it. The Tier 2 Axe needs 8 swings to cut it and the Tier 3 Axe needs 5 swings. Like the Saguaro Cactus, some San Pedro cacti spawn without spikes.

Cactice
The Cactice is a one-of-a-kind cactus. It is shaped like a Saguaro Cactus, but with an icy blue tinge. It can only be found in the Ice Ravines on the north face of Whispering Summit. It cannot be cut. It also has a sign that says "CACTICE". For the North Pole event, the Cactice was given a Santa Hat, and an additional sign, which read "Happy Holidays", was added below the normal one. The hat was removed in the 3.3.1 revert, and the sign was eventually reverted back a few months later.

Hat Cactus
The Hat Cactus is a mysterious cactus, silently watching over the Great Desert. It is identical to the Saguaro Cactus except it has a cowboy hat on one of its "branches" and can be found in the ramp leading into the Great Desert, behind Callahan Manor. The hat on the cactus is the [|Desperado's Cowboy Hat]. Unlike the Cactice, the Hat Cactus can be cut down and drops the same amount of cactus juice as a regular Saguaro Cactus. The Hat Cactus was added in version 3.5.0 Hotfix.

Trivia

 * Originally, it cost 5 dollars to turn wood into planks. This fee was paid for every use of the saw, but also increased plank cost by $5.
 * Logs can be bought from Fort Supplier Shops for $30 each. This is inflated almost three times the sell price, however for players in a bind, or without an axe, it can be a quick fix for a broken door.
 * Woodcutting will likely have a bigger role in the Building Update.
 * Players can be tied up and placed against a Cactus to kill them slowly. This works best if they have lower than 50 health, and will still attribute the kill to you.
 * The Thunderstruck Trees mechanic could have been inspired by a similar feature in ArcheAge.