diff --git a/src/layout/geometry/with_rtree.rs b/src/layout/geometry/with_rtree.rs
index 0440714..45e5de7 100644
--- a/src/layout/geometry/with_rtree.rs
+++ b/src/layout/geometry/with_rtree.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ pub struct GeometryWithRtree<
     BI: GetNodeIndex + Into<GI> + Copy,
 > {
     geometry: Geometry<GW, DW, SW, BW, GI, DI, SI, BI>,
-    pub rtree: RTree<BboxedShapeAndIndex<GI>>,
+    rtree: RTree<BboxedShapeAndIndex<GI>>,
     weight_marker: PhantomData<GW>,
     dot_weight_marker: PhantomData<DW>,
     seg_weight_marker: PhantomData<SW>,
@@ -210,6 +210,10 @@ impl<
         &self.geometry
     }
 
+    pub fn rtree(&self) -> &RTree<BboxedShapeAndIndex<GI>> {
+        &self.rtree
+    }
+
     pub fn graph(&self) -> &StableDiGraph<GW, GeometryLabel, usize> {
         self.geometry.graph()
     }
diff --git a/src/layout/layout.rs b/src/layout/layout.rs
index 4eac187..831571d 100644
--- a/src/layout/layout.rs
+++ b/src/layout/layout.rs
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@ impl Layout {
 
     pub fn nodes(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = GeometryIndex> + '_ {
         self.geometry_with_rtree
-            .rtree
+            .rtree()
             .iter()
             .map(|wrapper| wrapper.data)
     }
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ impl Layout {
 
     fn node_indices(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = GeometryIndex> + '_ {
         self.geometry_with_rtree
-            .rtree
+            .rtree()
             .iter()
             .map(|wrapper| wrapper.data)
     }
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ impl Layout {
         let shape = node.primitive(self).shape();
 
         self.geometry_with_rtree
-            .rtree
+            .rtree()
             .locate_in_envelope_intersecting(&RTreeObject::envelope(&shape))
             .filter(|wrapper| {
                 let other_index = wrapper.data;
@@ -833,7 +833,7 @@ impl Layout {
         let shape = node.primitive(self).shape();
 
         self.geometry_with_rtree
-            .rtree
+            .rtree()
             .locate_in_envelope_intersecting(&RTreeObject::envelope(&shape))
             .filter(|wrapper| {
                 let other_index = wrapper.data;