Elden Ring's Celestial Tree of Joy

Reddit user Independent-Design17 proposed a fascinating connection between Elden Ring's Erdtree and the Australian Christmas tree, Nuytsia floribunda. While the visual similarities, particularly between the smaller Erdtrees in the game and Nuytsia, are striking, fans have unearthed even deeper thematic parallels.

In Elden Ring lore, the Erdtree guides the souls of the departed, a fact reflected by the game's catacombs located at its base. Intriguingly, Nuytsia floribunda holds a similar spiritual significance in Australian Aboriginal culture, considered a "spirit tree" where each flowering branch represents a deceased soul, its vibrant colors echoing the sunset, the perceived destination of spirits.

Adding further weight to the theory is the semi-parasitic nature of Nuytsia. This tree draws nutrients from neighboring plants, mirroring a popular fan theory about the Erdtree's parasitic nature. This theory suggests the Erdtree usurped the life force of an ancient Great Tree. However, game item descriptions referencing a "Great Tree" are now understood to be a translation error, referring instead to the Erdtree's own "Great Roots."

Ultimately, whether these similarities between Nuytsia floribunda and the Erdtree are deliberate design choices or coincidental remains a question only FromSoftware can definitively answer.