YearTree
grow a bonsai a year at a time
Free · In‑App Purchases · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.
Tend a single tree across decades. One day of real time = one year of app time. Once a year: prune your tree, change the light, watch it grow. No score, just play.
YearTree is a bonsai garden for your phone.
Each day you open the app is one year in the life of your tree. You see what grew overnight. You make one choice... prune a branch, shift the light, or leave the tree alone. Then the year ends. Growth happens in your absence.
This is how real bonsai works. The Japanese word for tending bonsai is "seishi"... to restrain life. A bonsai master does not build a tree. They remove what is unnecessary. They wait. They decide when to stop. YearTree puts that practice in your hands.
Your tree is unique. No two trees start the same way and no two trees grow the same way. Light compounds over years, bending branches toward the sun. Pruning redirects energy. Doing nothing has consequences. Surface roots emerge with age. Growth slows over centuries. Every decision accumulates. Every absence matters.
This is contemplative play... a space between games and meditation where meaning comes from patience, not performance. There is no score. No timer. No way to win. Just the slow unfolding of something shaped by your attention and your restraint.
When your tree feels finished... not when the game tells you, but when you feel it... place it on the shelf. A collection of trees you chose to stop touching. Share a snapshot of what you have grown. Start another.
One pot. One tree. Many years.
Free: one year per day, full mechanics. Pro: unlimited years per session. $4.99, one time, forever.
No ads. No subscriptions. No accounts. No data.
To prune or not to prune, that is the question.
YearTree is a bonsai garden where each day is one year in the life of your tree.
One year passes. Prune your tree... or not. Change the angle of the light... or not. Wait until tomorrow to see how it grows.
That hasn't changed and never will.
Year/Tree Pro, a one-time $4.99 unlock for users who want to take more than one turn per session. Call it a tax on patience.
What's new in 1.0.3: Share your work (and this app) with friends!
The developer, Justin Neuman, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Justin Neuman
- Size
- 17.9 MB
- Category
- Entertainment
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 15.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 15.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 15.0 or later. - iPod touch
Requires iOS 15.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 15.7 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
9+
- 9+
- In-App Purchases
Yes
- YearTree Pro $4.99
- Copyright
- © 2026 Ultra-Normal LLC