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Field notesHoliday event

The Evergreen Hunt

December 11, 2026 to January 10, 2027

Catch pines, firs, spruces and more to clear three holiday quests. Finish them before the hunt ends for bonus XP.

Two catches over spruce branches: a Spruce that rolled Legendary and a Pine that rolled Mythic
Dec 11 – Jan 10
Starts
December 11, 2026Midnight Pacific (08:00 UTC)
Ends
January 10, 202711:59 p.m. Pacific
Where
Quests, Weekly tabWith a countdown to the end
Cost
FreeFor every player, kid mode included

Plate IThe quests

Three quests, 31 days.

  1. Evergreen Hunt

    3different evergreens

    Each species counts once, so catching the same pine twice still makes one.

    Reward150 XP + 1 streak freeze

  2. Holiday Haul

    30plants of any kind

    Evergreen or not, new or a repeat: every catch counts.

    Reward200 XP

  3. 12 Days of Catching

    12different days with a catch

    Any 12 days of the hunt, by your local date. They don't have to be in a row.

    Reward250 XP + 1 streak freeze

All three together come to 600 XP and 2 streak freezes. A streak freeze keeps your streak going on a day you miss. When a quest is done, tap Claim on it before the hunt ends. The free game's 5 catches a day are enough for all three.

Plate IIHow you get it

Nothing to sign up for.

Played in the past week
The quests turn up within about an hour of the start.
New to PocketPetal
They're waiting from the moment you start playing.
Back after a break
They arrive with your first catch of the hunt, and that catch counts toward them.

Each player gets the quests once, and players in kid mode get all three too. They sit in the Weekly tab of your Quests screen, next to your usual weekly quests.

Quests Weekly

  • Evergreen HuntHoliday event: catch 3 different evergreens3/3 · 18d left+150 XP
  • Holiday HaulHoliday event: catch 30 plants17/30 · 18d left+200 XP
  • 12 Days of CatchingHoliday event: catch plants on 12 different days8/12 · 18d left+250 XP
Fig. 1 A sketch of the Weekly tab, partway through the hunt.

Plate IIIWhat counts

Which catches count as evergreens

Counts

Pines, firs, spruces and similar evergreens the game recognizes by name, including cedars, junipers, cypresses, arborvitae, redwoods and Norfolk Island pines.

Doesn't count

Larches and other conifers that drop their needles in fall, and holly.

The game goes by the name it gives your catch. Those names come from image recognition, which is often wrong, so now and then a catch won't count when you'd expect it to, or will when you wouldn't. It's a game rule, not a statement about the plant.

Holiday Haul and 12 Days of Catching take any plant at all. And like every catch, each evergreen rolls its own rarity: the pine down the street has the same shot at Mythic as anything else.

Plate IVWhere to look

Where to look on a winter walk

Ideas for a walk with three different evergreens in mind.

  • No. 1

    Parks and cemeteries

    Older parks and cemeteries are often planted with big pines, spruces and cedars. One slow loop can turn up several species.

  • No. 2

    Hedges and front yards

    Junipers and arborvitae make popular hedges. Catch them from the sidewalk: front yards are for looking at, not walking into.

  • No. 3

    Around town

    Schools, libraries, churchyards and town squares often have an evergreen or two out front. Worth a look on the way somewhere else.

  • No. 4

    Indoors

    Garden centers fill up with potted evergreens in December, like Norfolk Island pines and small spruces. A potted one counts the same as one in the ground.

  • No. 5

    Snowed in

    Holiday Haul and 12 Days of Catching take any plant, so a houseplant keeps your count going on a day you can't get out.

  • No. 6

    Hands in pockets

    The camera does the catching. Stay on the path, and leave branches, cones and needles where they are.

Plate VFAQ

Questions about the hunt

More answers on the help page, or write to [email protected].

When does the Evergreen Hunt start and end?

It starts at midnight Pacific time on Friday, December 11, 2026 (08:00 UTC) and ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, January 10, 2027 (07:59 UTC on January 11).

Does it cost anything?

No. The event quests are free for every player, and you don't need a subscription. The free game's 5 catches a day are enough to finish all three.

How do I join?

You don't have to. The quests turn up in your Weekly tab on their own: within about an hour of the start if you've played in the past week, as soon as you start playing if you're new, or with your first catch of the hunt otherwise.

Why didn't my evergreen count?

The game goes by the name it gives your catch, and those names come from image recognition, which is often wrong. Each species also counts only once, and catches from before you got the quests don't count.

Do I need an account to claim the rewards?

Players 13 and up who play as a guest are asked to make a free account (Apple, Google or email) before they claim quest rewards. Players under 13 and subscribers claim straight away.

What happens when the hunt ends?

The event quests leave your Weekly tab, along with any rewards you haven't claimed. Everything you caught stays in your collection with its rarity, and the XP and streak freezes you claimed stay too.

Can kids play?

Yes. Every player gets the event quests, including players under 13 in kid mode. Younger children should always play outside with a grown-up nearby. Our guide for parents has the details.

Does it run in the Southern Hemisphere?

Yes. It runs in every country and region where PocketPetal is on the App Store. South of the equator it's a summer hunt, and the evergreens are still there.

Where can I see it on the App Store?

From December 4, a week before it starts, the Evergreen Hunt shows as an event on PocketPetal's App Store page.

Before you head out. PocketPetal is a game. Plant names come from image recognition and are often wrong, and many harmful plants look like harmless ones. Never eat, touch or use a plant because of what the app says.