Minecraft wiki entry for Tips_and_tricks, associated text: The leaf blocks are hoe-type blocks; you can break them slowly by hand or quickly with a hoe, but when mining natural trees, they will also (slowly) break on their own -- after you have removed the wood, the leaves will eventually decay. Whether you break them or wait for them to break on their own, they will drop occasional saplings, sticks, and (for oak and dark oak trees) apples that you can collect.