---
id: treelib
version: "1.8.0"
license: Apache-2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# treelib — A Python implementation of tree structure.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 1.8M/mo

## What it is and what it does

Treelib is a Python library that implements a tree data structure—a hierarchical collection of nodes where each node can have parent-child relationships. It abstracts away the complexity of manually managing node pointers and tree traversal, letting you focus on building and working with tree-shaped data. The library is designed for simplicity: you create nodes, link them together, and the tree handles the structure. It includes built-in display capabilities, likely for console output, making it useful for visualizing hierarchies during development or in terminal-based tools.

The package depends only on six, a Python 2/3 compatibility layer, keeping its footprint minimal. It supports Python 3.7 through 3.13 and is classified as production-stable. With over 1.7 million monthly downloads and a position in the top 5000 PyPI packages, it has established itself as a go-to choice for developers needing a lightweight, no-fuss tree implementation without the overhead of more specialized graph libraries.

Use it for:

- Build file system or directory tree representations for explorers or navigation tools.
- Create organizational hierarchies or family trees for display and traversal.
- Implement parse trees or abstract syntax trees for simple language processing tasks.
- Display menu structures or nested configuration hierarchies in CLI applications.
- Model hierarchical data like category taxonomies or DOM-like document structures.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides a simple tree data structure implementation for Python, allowing you to create, manipulate, and display hierarchical node-based trees.

Yes. Treelib is a mature, actively maintained library with no known vulnerabilities, minimal dependencies, and broad Python version support. It solves a straightforward problem—simple tree data structures—without bloat. Install it if you need basic tree operations and console visualization; skip it if you need advanced graph algorithms or specialized tree types (e.g., balanced trees, tries).

## Install

pip install treelib
uv add treelib
poetry add treelib

## Installing treelib

Before you install: Low friction install with a single lightweight dependency (six). Actively maintained with recent releases; last commit on 2026-08-13 and over 870 repository stars indicate ongoing support.

License in practice: Licensed under Apache-2.0 (permissive), which allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—suitable for most projects.

Quickstart:

pip install treelib

from treelib import Tree

tree = Tree()
tree.create_node('Root', 'root')
tree.create_node('Child', 'child', parent='root')
print(tree)

Requires Python 3.7 or later.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the tree implementation supports all standard tree operations (insertion, deletion, search, traversal methods) beyond basic node creation.
- Performance characteristics for large trees or deeply nested hierarchies.
- Whether visualization/rendering output formats are customizable beyond console display.

## Package facts

- License: Apache-2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 1.8M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

tree data structure python, hierarchical tree implementation, node tree library, tree traversal python, display tree structure, python tree nodes, data-structures, tree-algorithms

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/treelib) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/treelib/)