HGSS Headbutt Trees: Locations, Rare Trees & Heracross

HGSS Headbutt Trees: Locations, Rare Trees & Heracross — Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver guide card

Find Headbutt tree Pokémon in HeartGold and SoulSilver, learn the Trainer ID rule, and locate Heracross and the secret trees.

Published

In HeartGold and SoulSilver, learn Headbutt for free from the man in Ilex Forest. Shake trees across Johto and Kanto to find Heracross, Aipom and secret-tree Pokémon. Your hidden Trainer ID fixes which ordinary trees are common, rare or empty for your save.

Game
HeartGold SoulSilver
You need
A Pokémon that knows Headbutt
Where
Trees in 57 places across Johto and Kanto
Best finds
Heracross, Aipom and the secret-tree Pokémon

Looking for the walking accessory instead? Use the Pokéwalker courses and exclusive Pokémon guide.

Where to get Headbutt in HeartGold and SoulSilver

A man in Ilex Forest asks whether you want to try shaking trees, then teaches Headbutt to any Pokémon in your party that can learn it. He charges nothing and teaches it as often as you ask. After that, walk up to a tree: the game offers Headbutt whenever someone in your party knows it.

How your Trainer ID decides the Headbutt trees

Each place keeps a list of its trees, and one digit of your Trainer ID gives every tree on that list one of three roles. A common tree uses the low-level table, a rare tree the higher-level one, and a dud tree gives nothing at all. On any place with five or more trees, every run of five trees in the list holds one dud, two common and two rare trees.

Note — The digit is not the one on your Trainer Card: The game reads your full 32-bit Trainer ID, which combines the five-digit number on the card with a hidden Secret ID (Secret ID × 65,536 + card ID), and takes the last digit of that number. So the card cannot tell you which trees are rare. Shaking them can.

The roles never change for your save. So a tree that gave you a higher-level Pokémon once always uses the rare table, and a tree that did nothing will never do anything. A live tree starts a battle on every shake, unless a Repel or a lead Pokémon with Keen Eye or Intimidate turns a low-level Pokémon away.

Tip — Secret trees are the same for everyone: Six places also have secret trees. They ignore your Trainer ID and always use their own table, which is the only Headbutt source of Taillow, Burmy, Cherubi, Starly and Slakoth. See the secret-tree table.

HGSS Headbutt trees by place: which Pokémon each tree holds

Places in the same row share the same species and odds; only the levels differ, rising along the story. Open a place for its levels and its other encounters. Each percentage adds up the game’s six slots (50, 15, 15, 10, 5 and 5%) for that species.

Headbutt trees in Johto: species and odds on common and rare trees
PlacesCommon treesRare trees
Route 26, Route 27, Route 29, Route 30, Route 31, Route 34, Route 35, Route 36, Route 37, Route 38, Route 39, Route 47, Route 48, New Bark Town, Cherrygrove City, Ecruteak City, National Park and Safari Zone GateHoothoot 50%, Pineco 30%, Exeggcute 20%Hoothoot 50%, Spinarak HeartGold / Ledyba SoulSilver 30%, Exeggcute 20%
Route 32 and Violet CityHoothoot 50%, Pineco 30%, Exeggcute 20%Hoothoot 80%, Exeggcute 20%
Route 43 and Lake of RageHoothoot 50%, Pineco 30%, Exeggcute 20%Hoothoot 65%, Venonat 15%, Exeggcute 20%
Route 33, Route 42, Route 44, Route 45, Route 46 and Azalea TownSpearow 50%, Heracross 30%, Aipom 20%Spearow 80%, Aipom 20%
Ilex ForestHoothoot 60%, Caterpie HeartGold / Weedle SoulSilver 30%, Metapod HeartGold / Kakuna SoulSilver 10%Hoothoot 50%, Pineco 30%, Noctowl 10%, Butterfree HeartGold / Beedrill SoulSilver 10%
Route 28 and Mt. SilverHeracross 50%, Aipom 30%, Natu 20%Heracross 50%, Aipom 30%, Natu 20%
Headbutt trees in Kanto: species and odds on common and rare trees
PlacesCommon treesRare trees
Route 1, Route 2, Route 22, Pallet Town and Viridian CityHoothoot 50%, Pineco 30%, Wurmple 20%Hoothoot 50%, Spinarak HeartGold / Ledyba SoulSilver 30%, Wurmple 20%
Route 3, Route 4 and Pewter CityHoothoot 50%, Pineco 30%, Wurmple 20%Hoothoot 80%, Wurmple 20%
Viridian ForestHoothoot 55%, Seedot HeartGold / Shroomish SoulSilver 30%, Spinarak HeartGold / Ledyba SoulSilver 10%, Shroomish HeartGold / Seedot SoulSilver 5%Hoothoot 50%, Seedot HeartGold / Shroomish SoulSilver 30%, Ariados HeartGold / Ledian SoulSilver 10%, Noctowl 5%, Shroomish HeartGold / Seedot SoulSilver 5%
Route 5, Route 6, Route 8, Route 25 and Cerulean CityHoothoot 50%, Pineco 30%, Combee 20%Hoothoot 80%, Combee 20%
Route 7, Route 11, Route 16, Vermilion City and Celadon CitySpearow 50%, Heracross 30%, Combee 20%Spearow 80%, Combee 20%
Route 12, Route 13, Route 14, Route 15, Route 18, Route 21 and Fuchsia CityHoothoot 50%, Spinarak HeartGold / Ledyba SoulSilver 30%, Wurmple 20%Hoothoot 65%, Tangela 15%, Wurmple 20%

Heracross is the prize on common trees: 30% on Route 33, Route 42, Route 44, Route 45, Route 46, Azalea Town, Route 7, Route 11, Route 16, Vermilion City and Celadon City, and 50% on every live tree on Route 28 and Mt. Silver, at levels 39 to 48. Tangela and Venonat only come from rare trees, 15% each.

Secret Headbutt trees in HGSS

Places with secret Headbutt trees and what they hold
PlaceSecret trees
Cherrygrove CityExeggcute 65%, Taillow 35%
Route 38Exeggcute 65%, Burmy 35%
National ParkExeggcute 65%, Cherubi 35%
Route 47Metapod HeartGold / Kakuna SoulSilver 50%, Butterfree HeartGold / Beedrill SoulSilver 30%, Heracross 20%
Pewter CityWurmple 65%, Starly 35%
Route 25Combee 65%, Slakoth 35%

Colour-matching balls for three Headbutt favourites, from what HGSS sells and Kurt makes:

  • Heracross Normal: Net Ball, Great Ball — Shiny: Heal Ball, Love Ball
  • Aipom Normal: Heal Ball — Shiny: Love Ball, Heal Ball
  • Tangela Normal: Great Ball, Net Ball, Lure Ball — Shiny: Friend Ball, Dusk Ball, Nest Ball

HGSS Headbutt trees: FAQ

Where do you get Headbutt in HeartGold and SoulSilver?
From a man in Ilex Forest. He teaches it for free, as often as you like.
How does the Trainer ID affect Headbutt trees in HGSS?
The last digit of your full Trainer ID, hidden Secret ID included, makes each tree common, rare or a dud. The roles stay the same for your save, so a tree that gave nothing never will.
Do Headbutt trees change each day in HGSS?
No. Common, rare and empty trees stay fixed for your save. Secret trees use their own table and ignore your Trainer ID.
How do you get Heracross in SoulSilver?
Headbutt trees: 30% on common trees on Route 33, Route 42, Route 44, Route 45, Route 46, Azalea Town, Route 7, Route 11, Route 16, Vermilion City and Celadon City; 50% on Route 28 and Mt. Silver; and 20% on the secret trees of Route 47.