I think it would be very practical and realistic if you could craft saplings.
It would be something like this: (@ for leaves, cause there is no image for that, for wood, and _ for nothing, cause the wood goes to the left if it isnt there)
@ @ @
@ @
____
You should use the appropriate wood and leaves for the corresponding sappling, and maybe 2 additional in the open corners if you want to craft rubber sapplings, to make that a líttle more expensive.
If didn't make any mistakes in the english, im awesome. if i did, what do you expect of me, im Dutch!