diff --git a/src/components/tree/phyloTree/layouts.js b/src/components/tree/phyloTree/layouts.js
index 17cd4b39c..f4af4a828 100644
--- a/src/components/tree/phyloTree/layouts.js
+++ b/src/components/tree/phyloTree/layouts.js
@@ -316,9 +316,10 @@ export const calcYValues = (nodes, spacing = "even") => {
   }
 
   const recurse = (node) => {
-    if (node.children) {
-      for (let i = node.children.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
-        recurse(node.children[i]);
+    const children = node.n.children; // (redux) tree node
+    if (children && children.length) {
+      for (let i = children.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+        recurse(children[i].shell);
       }
     } else {
       node.displayOrder = calcY(node);
@@ -326,8 +327,8 @@ export const calcYValues = (nodes, spacing = "even") => {
       return;
     }
     /* if here, then all children have yvalues, but we dont. */
-    node.displayOrder = node.children.reduce((acc, d) => acc + d.displayOrder, 0) / node.children.length;
-    node.displayOrderRange = [node.n.children[0].displayOrder, node.n.children[node.n.children.length - 1].displayOrder];
+    node.displayOrder = children.reduce((acc, d) => acc + d.displayOrder, 0) / children.length;
+    node.displayOrderRange = [children[0].displayOrder, children[children.length - 1].displayOrder];
   };
   recurse(nodes[0]);
 };