SpawnPass · Rust
Plant genes explained
What G, Y, H, W and X actually do, in numbers, and why some slots are harder to fix than others.
Last checked 2026-09-21
Overview
Every plant has six gene slots. Three genes help, one hurts, one does nothing. These are the exact effects from the game code.
The five genes
Each gene’s effect stacks per copy.
- G (growth): +25% growth speed each.
- Y (yield): +25% harvest each, and every two Y add one clone per cutting.
- H (hardiness): helps outside planters (+0.2 ground quality each, up to the limit) and in cold or heat (+0.05 temperature tolerance each).
- W (water): the plant drinks 10% more per W.
- X (empty): no effect, but it takes a slot a good gene could have.
Red genes win arguments
In crossbreeding W and X carry a weight of 1.0, G, Y and H only 0.6. One red neighbour outvotes one green, so you need two green plants to replace a red gene.
Wild seeds are not random in every slot
When a seed is planted its genes are rolled slot by slot, and the game weights slots 1, 4 and 6 towards red genes. Slots 2, 3 and 5 come out green most of the time. The table below is the exact roll.
Plant value
Each good gene adds 10 to a plant’s market value and each bad one takes 10 off.