30 lands is too few. The current mulligan rules can be very punishing of land bases without 34-37 lands, at least. Particularly with 102 cards!

Therefore, I'll mostly try to make recommendations to cut.

Colfenor's Urn is removal bait, you will probably just wind up exiling a few creatures before cracking it. Not worth it.

Kin-Tree Invocation is a one-time effect that doesn't really give you enough value. A nonrecurrable vanilla fatty, who is often just a 5/5, doesn't cut it for edh, even if it is highly efficient.

In Garruk's Wake is a painfully expensive effect, particularly when your general is literally indestructible.

Spider Umbra is too limited in its effect, again, particularly with an indestructible general. Auras are always a gamble in edh, and probably just baits out exile removal at the target in question.

Heartwood Storyteller is only good in highly creature-focused decks, group hug decks, or force feed decks. You are none of these.

Tower Defense isn't amazing for you. It's good in Doran decks, less so for you when all you got is Assault Formation to turn toughness into violence.

Caged Sun tends to disappoint in decks that are not mono-colored, though I do see that you are quite green focused.

Mana Reflection seems excessive. There aren't very many effects you have that seem to need this much mana, unless you anticipate just having hella cards in hand all the time. It's an ok effect, just, you know, maybe a lil more than you need; it could be you'd be happier with a smaller, low cmc ramp effect.

Exquisite Blood...if you aren't running the Sanguine Bond combo, then this is just pure life-gain, which tends to be not very valuable in EDH without a lil more effect. Your general should give you enough life.

On the topic of good cards you might pick up: top deck manipulation is quite favorable for you, as you can control what you draw. Sylvan Library is outstanding for you, particularly given your life-gain, making both the draw and the library manipulation very valuable. Courser of Kruphix let's you control your top deck some as well, and gives you a nice sprinkle of incidental life-gain.

Putrefy is very good removal for you.

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! This is my second deck, and my first with any black, so I was definitely struggling with tightening it up enough to be semi-competitive.

Colfenor's Urn - I have been playtesting this the past week or so, and while it is fun, you are absolutely right, 90% of the games it only succeeded in exiling 1 or 2 creatures and I didn't even get to bring them back into play. It's cool that it ties into the theme, but it just isn't strong enough to keep it in.

Kin-Tree Invocation - This has actually be treating me pretty well. I have been comboing it with Tree of Perdition after I have traded health with someone, which normally nets me a 0/~30 defender (unless I have Assault Formation out) and a ~30/30 Warrior for 6 mana all in. Not benefiting from all of the buffs to Treefolk hurts it, but I think the low mana cost makes up for it, especially since I only have two creatures under 3 CMC.

In Garruk's Wake - I've playtested this deck a lot (on Forge at least) and I've never been able to use this card, but I feel like I don't have enough wipes if I drop it. Toxic Deluge is about it. I had put this is as part of a planned combo with Rise of the Dark Realms, but I am realizing just how absurdly high that mana cost is, especially if I want to do one right after the other. Would you suggest getting rid of Rise of the Dark Realms as well, since I don't really have anything to make sure graveyards are full? Are that any other wipe alternatives that you can suggest that are a lower CMC as a replacement? I have Toxic Deluge which I love, but that is it. I've been considering bringing in Craterhoof Behemoth as my "wincon", maybe that will be good for the deck if I drop Rise of the Dark Realms. Either that or Praetor's Counsel for one huge recursion (instead of Colfenor's Urn), and then I can increase my card draw without worry of having to discard.

Spider Umbra - Originally I thought this was going to be a stronger card than it actually is in this deck, and I ultimately only end up using it for Reach. Even at 1 mana, that is hard to justify.

Heartwood Storyteller - This is mostly just an addition for a little more fun in my playgroup, while at the same time speeding up the games. It doesn't draw any hate compared to other draw cards because everyone benefits from it.

Tower Defense - This is another that ends up only getting used for Reach, even though I didn't intend it that way. I have no problem dropping Spider Umbra, but I have a harder time dropping this because I am so susceptible to flying if I do. Would adding a Hurricane to go with my Whirlwind (I might not have had that in when you were looking at the deck) be a solid way of countering flying? I don't know of any consistent ways to gain reach, but I am also pretty new.

Caged Sun - As much as I want this to work, I almost never get it out. It might be fine if I could survive in games longer, but I honestly can't tell if that is the deck or if I am just not experienced enough. Probably both. I could probably get by leaving Mana Reflection in, and then adding a pump for all the creatures. Maybe a Beastmaster Ascension?

Mana Reflection - I haven't been playing long, so I still don't know yet when enough is enough as far as ramp goes, or how to best benefit from different types of ramp. I've wanted to get to 32 lands, and currently I have 16 ramp cards, but a lot of them are higher CMC, so I probably would have been better off with just playing more land or low CMC ramps instead, since by the time I get them out I don't even really need it. I feel similar about Zendikar Resurgent. I like the card, but at 7 CMC it hardly comes out in time. I would be more apt to drop Zendikar and leave Mana Reflection right now.

Sanguine Bond - So the only reason I didn't add this is since I am only trying to be semi-competitive, and I wouldn't be using the infinite combo potential that the cards have (my playgroup has an infinite combo rule as well - it has to be one you worked hard for). Is Sanguine Bond still worth adding if I only use it to proc off of Exquisite Blood one at a time, or at that point is it not worth having either? I do like the Tree of Redemption+Exquisite Blood interaction (I get a LOT of mileage out of the tree).

Sylvan Library - I've gone back and forth on this card a lot. I haven't been playing long enough to get over the feeling that losing 4 health per card doesn't feel like a lot. I see now what you mean though about library munipulation though, I never really thought about the interaction between that and Descendants' Path, Leaf-Crowned Elder, Lurking Predators, Sapling of Colfenor, Genesis Wave, and Mosswort Bridge. That's a lot of freecasted creatures.

Putrefy - Great suggestion. This puts me at 11 removal spells (sort by custom categories if you need), should I replace any with Putrefy or just add it to the list?

Here are the other cards that I am on the fence about:

Somberwald Sage - I like this card a lot because my Treefolk are fairly high in cost, but it just seems to be too one-dimensional to justify using.

Yeva, Nature's Herald - She is fantastic when Seedborn Muse is out as well, but if it isn't then it isn't really worth casting. I don't have enough tutors to justify looking for her, and it kind of feels like that is trying to force something the deck isn't really good at in the first place. I'm not sure where to go with that.

Anything from the Maybeboard that wasn't talked about above.

Again, thank you for taking the time to comment. It was really helpful, and I really needed someone that was willing to help without breaking the theme.

As board wipes go, I like Decree of Pain. Only a little cheaper, but it reloads your hand, and it has a second mode that is a very effect token/weenie sweep. I've had that second mode used against me in an elf deck, to devastating effect. Of course, Damnation is the gold standard. Unfortunately, hideously expensive. Black Sun's Zenith is respectable in a high toughness deck. Deathbringer Regent is neat for you, as you can get it with your general.

Regarding your comment about Kin-Tree Invocation: It is potentially quite potent, true. It is not, however, something that can genuinely be considered a low drop. You need to have another creature of fair toughness on the field, or you get no value. So it's not actually something you can play early game, despite its low CMC.

If you don't have graveyard decks as a large part of the meta and you feel it is underperforming, then Rise of the Dark Realms seems like a fair cut.

If you are having trouble with big fat artifacts/enchantments as ramp, cheaper sorceries to get lands are always a strong option. Skyshroud Claim and/or Kodama's Reach are both excellent. You could also pack your deck with more creatures for better odds on drawing with your commander, and so use Ondu Giant or Wood Elves or Farhaven Elf. I quite like Realm Seekers, though in all honesty, that isn't the most a particularly competitive option, nor is it any cheaper.

If you don't intend to combo out, neither Sanguine Bond nor Exquisite Blood is amazing for you. The interaction there with the trees is cute, but you'll only get that once in a while, unless you're actively tutoring for it. I'd cut it, as they will not be good without a specific card.

Regarding fly hate: Silklash Spider is quite nice. Great Oak Guardian is pretty neat. You already have Spidersilk Armor. Ulvenwald Hydra is cool. You could do worse than World Breaker. Arbor Colossus is ok.

In retrospect, I'd consider going a lil more creature focused all around, for better odds of using your general and all those other effects you mentioned in the discussion regarding Sylvan Library, as well as that Heartwood Storyteller synergy. Getting 30+ creatures would probably make you more efficient. Sorry to not exactly be much help in bringing you to a final form here, if you follow this suggestion, then it'll mean quite a bit more consideration.

Side note on a few more good cards: shamans that have high toughness and therefore are good with your commander, Descendent's Path, and Leaf-Crowned Elder: Deathrite Shaman does both ramp and graveyard hate, while Shaman of Forgotten Ways is a ramp dude with some sweet extra utility(I have seen games won by suddenly dropping someone's life total to the 4 creatures they have and then swinging). Also, by being a shaman, I like him more than Somberwald Sage. I also like Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief as an evasive, removal badass shaman.

Black Sun's Zenith is a perfect addition to the deck. My playgroup has a lot of indestructible, so this will work very well. I also like the control and being able to shuffle it back into my library.

Fair enough about the Kin-Tree Invocation. It is only good as part of a combo, and how likely is it that I will be able to do that combo, and if it can't stand on its own (it can't even be the only card out), is it even worth including? I want to playtest it a little more, but I will mark it as the first to go.

I think sideboard is more appropriate for Rise of the Dark Realms. My playgroup only has 2 decks I can think of that would warrant it, and they aren't used that often. I will be running Praetor's Counsel after removing that and Colfenor's Urn.

My ramp isn't bad, it's mostly like you were saying, the draws and mulligans are hurting me. I've adjusted the number of basics to help that out a bit. If I need to go higher than 32 lands I need to start cutting ramp, and I'm not sure where to start with that...

I took out Exquisite Blood, as I won't be comboing out with it and Sanguine Bond. I found a stronger alternative anyway with Miren, the Moaning Well. I think that is a much better fit for a high toughness deck, and opens up more interesting combos to me.

I decided to add a Gravity Well instead of the Hurricane + Whirlwind like I was originally leaning towards. It frees up some space, and is a more permanent solution. I have a Great Oak Guardian already, I just need to do a better job of having him available to block when necessary.

You kind of piqued my interest in taking this deck a different way than I thought. I expanded on your idea, and went further with the free casting idea, while also benefitting from the high toughness health gains with my commander. The alternate deck is here:

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/fat-free/

I think it would definitely be fun, and a little different route than most fatty decks I have seen. I will keep trimming it down and working on it and see how it playtests. Feel free to comment on that one too if you like. It has a lot of interesting interactions already, and all I really did was put the bigger green creatures in that had a strong ability that tied into the original deck theme.

Both of those shaman suggestions are great! I decided to also add Eternal Witness for some more recursion and synergy. They will all benefit from Bosk Banneret too. I also found Conspiracy today which I had never heard of before. This means I can declare Treefolk, and my Timber Protector will give every creature indestructible AND I can still comfortably call it a Treefolk Tribal deck.

In lieu of adding the Craterhoof Behemoth I've added a Thunderfoot Baloth instead. I can only think of one time where I every lost my commander, and I brought her back out the next turn, so I will constantly get the benefit of Lieutenant. Add in the protection from Conspiracy + Timber Protector and I have a really fun, and strong, pack of creatures.

Thanks again for providing so much well-explained feedback. I've only been playing for about 3 months, and I've only had my mono-green version of this Sapling deck for about a month, so your explanations have really helped me out. I really like tribals, especially Treefolk, and no one else has really been willing to work within those constraints to make the deck as strong as it could be. All the other suggestions from other websites started with "Well first switch to Doran", or "Treefolk tribal isn't competitive so do this instead".

I've also added Prismatic Omen, which will make all my lands indestructible through Timber Protector as well. That is a pretty cool combo that I am pretty proud of, but I am new so maybe it is actually well known, haha.

I dropped Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth because of the redundancy.

Glad to help. I can appreciate the desire to try and optimize interesting, underused, and perhaps less powerful commanders, and I wish you good look with it! Talking it over has inspired me to try and put together a decklist of my own, we'll see how it goes.

Happy trails!

A side note, a final piece of cute tech that I'm look at: I like Forgotten Ancient because the counters can be transferred over to Sapling, where they're likely safe through the vast majority of wipes, and the beat down can continue indefinitely!

Two of the cards that I actually have but dropped because I didn't have the deck to support the tokens are Verdeloth the Ancient and Nemata, Grove Guardian. I bet it wouldn't be too hard to spam really strong Saprolings that way, haha.

I prefer Nylea, God of the Hunt to Primal Rage. There's a lot of extra value for that 2 CMC...pumping your general, being indestructible, potentially being a 6/6 beater in its own right...also, your general can pick it up since it is technically a creature.

I am immensely dubious of Dark Heart of the Wood. That is a VERY steep cost for some life-gain, and you have no major reason to be saccing lands. I think it's an easy choice as your card to cut.

Sylvan Library really should be on any Sapling list, regardless of your theme.

I agree about Dark Heart of the Wood being steep, but at least on paper I find it's interaction with Life and Limb to be fun and interesting. Any saprolings I make are also forests. Those forests are also creatures, so when I use Saproling Symbiosis it is a huge number of tokens into play. Those Saprolings are also now a huge number of Forests land that I can tap. I can sacrifice any number of those with Dark Heart of the Wood. I know it has a pretty high chance of being sub-optimal, but I still want to try it and see how it plays out.

As far as Sylvan Library I play tested it a bit and while I could see the benefit, I ended up taking so much more damage than I was comfortable with, granted that was before I worked with the deck to add in more guaranteed heals (through Mirri's Guile + Sapling of Colfenor . Now that I have the potential for so much extra mana from Life and Limb I might just drop Mana Reflection to fit it.

I am also pretty new, so I don't think I understand how to play Sylvan Library optimally at all, so I am sure that is what is making it so difficult for me.

While I get what you are saying regarding Dark Heart and the Saproling cards as being an interesting interaction, there are two critical problems. Firstly: They are not very good independently. In EDH, unless you run many tutor spells, you cannot depend on a combo to make a card good; it must be good in many situations, with many cards, or else you will often find it to be a dead draw. The second problem is that even in the optimal situation, Dark Heart only gains you life. And life is not the most important resource in commander, not by a long shot. Spells like Necropotence and Sylvan Library are amazing in EDH because you can give up a relatively plentiful resource, life, of which this format gives you an abundance of, and lets you trade it for one of the most important resources in the game, more cards. They are even better for you, because you will be gaining life as a side benefit to your commander. Dark Heart gives you something that is not very important, at a steep cost.

Meanwhile, regarding Sylvan Library...just to be clear, you do realize that the effect does not require you to pay 8 life and draw two cards, correct? It is almost the same effect as Mirri's Guile. You draw a total of 3 cards including the one you draw naturally at your draw step, then if you choose not to pay life, you get to stack the top 2 cards of your library in such a way that is most beneficial, and hopefully gets you a nice Sapling of Colfenor trigger. Library just has the added bonus that you can draw cards when you really need it.

Compare it to Mirri's Guile...You have a removal spell, a forest, and a juicy creature like tree of perdition. With MG, you stack your library at upkeep, get to draw the one of your choice, and then can swing with Sapling to draw the tree as well. With SL, you go to your draw step, draw all 3 cards, then return the 2 of your choice to the top of your library, to much the same effect. In this scenario, you pay no life, and it is effectively exactly equivalent to MG. However, consider this situation: an opponent has played a threat that needs to be removed immediately or you may lose. You need that removal spell. But say you are also a bit short on land, and you will not be able to cast the removal spell without drawing that forest. In this case, MG would not help you, and the threat would stay on the field an extra turn, potentially losing you the game. With SL, you could pay 4 life, draw both the forest and the removal, and continue the play. There's also a possibility that MG might reveal 3 noncreatures, meaning your Sapling swing will definitely do nothing. With SL, you can pay 8 life, draw all those noncreatures, and gamble that the top card is a creature, netting you further advantage. These kinds of plays can be worth it, or not, and you generally don't want to recklessly use SL draw, but in a deck like yours that cares deeply about what is on top of your library and ALSO might have a little extra life, it can be amazing for granting you advantage.

Sorry for the wall of text. TLDR, top deck manipulation and the precise value of different resources in commander can be a complicated subject. I'll just leave you this food for thought: generally speaking in magic, some of your main resources are life, card advantage, field presence, and mana. Of them, life is generally considered the least important, because in small increments, it often does not help you win the game.

That is a valid point, and you explained it very well. If I really break it down, in order for the combo to not put me in a risky situation I have to have the following IN PLAY ALREADY:

Timber Protector + Life and Limb + Dark Heart of the Wood + (1 of 3 sources of saprolings) + (saprolings themselves)

If I don't do all of that, all the forests I turned into Saprolings, as well as the Saprolings that are now forests, are vulnerable to any creature wrath effects at just 1 damage (something only the Timber Protector can protect me against). It would take at minimum 18 mana to cast it all and have ONE saproling to sac for 3 health. That is horrendous.

Your explanation of health as a resource makes a lot of sense, I was turning into Smeagol any time losing even 1 came out, and it turns out I have a very consistent source for a ton of it.

Thank you for explaining Sylvan Library. I did infact misread it and thought you HAD to take the 8 life each time. The way it actually works makes it strictly better than Mirri's Guile in my deck, and now I understand why it is a must-include with Sapling. I can negate or even heal over the lost health multiple times on that very same turn, and I actually have a ton more benefits to running the Library than we have even talked about.

If I go through possibilities in each step:

The scry from Sylvan Library could guarantee a creature for Leaf-Crowned Elder AND Descendants' Path during the upkeep. Two freecasted creatures. I heal for the sum of their toughness through Orchard Warden. Depending on the Treefolk this alone could negate or overheal the damage from Sylvan Library.

Regular draw and Phyrexian Arena has gives two cards to my hand for 1 health, or 5 cards for 9 health if I chose to keep the cards through Sylvan Library

During first mainphase I can get another heal through Orchard Warden from any casted Treefolk that comes into play (if I had them previously in my hand or if my next random draw happened to be a creature). By now it is most likely overhealing.

During combat phase where I attack with Sapling of Colfenor, I can again heal if a Treefolk goes into my hand (random chance at Treefolk now unless Leaf-Crowned and Path are not out yet. Any combination of treefolk would make this a definite overheal by this time.

During second main phase any new Treefolk I play will heal me again because of Orchard Warden. If I put out this many Treefolk it is guaranteed overheal by now.

Sylvan Library can also set up the library in advance for Lurking Predators, Genesis Wave, and Garruk, Caller of Beasts.

Treefolk Harbinger can follow up Sylvan Library during the mainphase if I had to draw both cards during the upkeep because of a lack of creatures.

7 cards that also can all stand on their own, all work in any combination, and none of the combinations put me at any increased risk or worse boardstate. That is straight up exciting to even think about.

This is also ties into what you said from an earlier comment where I will benefit from having as many creatures as possible to increase the likelihood that the cards I put back with Sylvan Library are creatures, but also that the next cards in line if I draw those two cards with Sylvan Library could be creatures too. Then the whole chain starts again.

Thank you for not giving up on convincing me to run it, even though I was being stubborn. That will absolutely be a cornerstone to this deck.

It is crazy just how much confusion can come from missing "may" in the card text.

Working on making this deck stronger, and easier to use. It is too clunky right now, and a lot of that has to do with the mana. I definitely need more land (~36), but I think to keep the speed potential of the deck I need to keep all the ramp I have (or cut out the worst performers).

Garruk, Apex Predator is a much better fit for this deck than Garruk, Caller of Beasts was. Currently he has done the most work as a Miren, the Moaning Well with his -3 ability, targeting my tapped Tree of Perdition. This has regularly been a heal for 35+.

This deck has the potential to be very strong, and is already a lot of fun, I just need to tweak it so that it has more opportunities to open up in my playgroup.

Decided to reopen this deck a bit more than I originally planned. I like a lot of the mini-Voltron aspects of my Rat deck, as it really opens up options depending on how my draws play out (something that the current deck is far too rigid with). I've added all the best crossover cards from that deck, as well as added the strongest Golgari shaman I could find. This still fits the theme I want, as Sapling herself is a shaman, and Bosk Banneret benefits both.

As you can see, I am a good number of cards over my limit, so I will be slowly removing them until I am more comfortable with how the deck sits.

As always, any opinions or advice is greatly appreciated!

Pretty well finished rebuilding the deck last night. Spent a few hours in Forge, and the deck plays a LOT better than it ever has. I always had options for the defense or offense style I wanted to employ, I didn't feel nearly as vulnerable as I used to, and I could consistently gain health, which was harder before.

Deadbridge Chant and Meren of Clan Nel Toth were fantastic additions. They really tied the strengths of the deck together.

Fixing the mana made a pretty significant improvement. It was rare to either have an opening hand or an early draw that was low on mana. In the future I plan on fixing it even more with the more expensive versions of the mana-fixing and ramp cards.

The only card I regret taking out at the moment is Cover of Darkness. Before I play the deck with my playgroup I am going to fit it back in somehow. Also, we'll see how taking out Gravity Well feels. My playgroup can be pretty flyer heavy with Angels/Dragons/Slivers, but currently I have Sudden Spoiling, Spidersilk Armor, and Tower Defense as answers (as well as a Treefolk or two with Reach). Ultimately I would probably drop Tower Defense for Gravity Well.

Targetting a tapped Tree of Perdition with a bunch of stolen health with Korozda Guildmage and saccing has turned into a very strong combo for dozens of Saprolings for 4CMC. It's so strong that it would almost be worth declaring Saprolings instead of Treefolk for my Coat of Arms, depending on when it comes out. I really struggled for a consistent source of chump blockers or sac outlets before. Nemata, Grove Guardian is way too slow. This new setup works very well through either the Guildmage or Verdeloth the Ancient's kicker.

Gift of the Deity on Sapling of Colfenor is still an absolute monster. I can attack solely with her each turn to proc her ability, clean out the opposing player's creatures, and leave the rest of my army untapped for defense against the other players. Even before I rebuilt the deck I could win games with her as the only creature on the battlefield.

In Garruk's Wake may make it back into the deck, as Decree of Pain as my only boardwipe is kind of rough.

As always, I'm still looking for any suggestions or critiques! As it stands this deck is a hell of a lot of fun to play, and fairly unique, but there is always room for improvement. Thanks for reading!

Disregard the Coat of Arms reference from above. I was thinking Door of Destinies, which I took out because I never actually get it to go anywhere in this deck usually. It may find it's way back in the future if I find any weak cards from the current setup.

Brought Cover of Darkness back in, as it is just too strong to leave out.

Previously I dropped Gravity Well and left Tower Defense in. After paying close attention to how it plays, Gravity Well is a lot more useful to me in my playgroup. The opportunities to use Tower Defense when I have Assault Formation out are really few and far between.

I'm really happy with how it is playing right now. It's a lot of fun. I'm still looking at ways to tighten it up a bit more, and make it more competitive, so if you have any suggestions let me know!

Looking to cut one card in order to keep my land and ramp package where it is. Not sure what yet.

Worn Powerstone is out for now.