diff --git a/datatree/datatree.py b/datatree/datatree.py
index 606c7935..0696c90b 100644
--- a/datatree/datatree.py
+++ b/datatree/datatree.py
@@ -628,6 +628,66 @@ def _replace(
             )
         return obj
 
+    def copy(
+        self: DataTree,
+        deep: bool = False,
+    ) -> DataTree:
+        """
+        Returns a copy of this subtree.
+
+        Copies this node and all child nodes.
+
+        If `deep=True`, a deep copy is made of each of the component variables.
+        Otherwise, a shallow copy of each of the component variable is made, so
+        that the underlying memory region of the new datatree is the same as in
+        the original datatree.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        deep : bool, default: False
+            Whether each component variable is loaded into memory and copied onto
+            the new object. Default is False.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        object : DataTree
+            New object with dimensions, attributes, coordinates, name, encoding,
+            and data of this node and all child nodes copied from original.
+
+        See Also
+        --------
+        xarray.Dataset.copy
+        pandas.DataFrame.copy
+        """
+        return self._copy_subtree(deep=deep)
+
+    def _copy_subtree(
+        self: DataTree,
+        deep: bool = False,
+        memo: dict[int, Any] | None = None,
+    ) -> DataTree:
+        """Copy entire subtree"""
+        new_tree = self._copy_node(deep=deep)
+        for node in self.descendants:
+            new_tree[node.path] = node._copy_node(deep=deep)
+        return new_tree
+
+    def _copy_node(
+        self: DataTree,
+        deep: bool = False,
+    ) -> DataTree:
+        """Copy just one node of a tree"""
+        new_node: DataTree = DataTree()
+        new_node.name = self.name
+        new_node.ds = self.to_dataset().copy(deep=deep)
+        return new_node
+
+    def __copy__(self: DataTree) -> DataTree:
+        return self._copy_subtree(deep=False)
+
+    def __deepcopy__(self: DataTree, memo: dict[int, Any] | None = None) -> DataTree:
+        return self._copy_subtree(deep=True, memo=memo)
+
     def get(
         self: DataTree, key: str, default: Optional[DataTree | DataArray] = None
     ) -> Optional[DataTree | DataArray]:
@@ -694,8 +754,11 @@ def _set(self, key: str, val: DataTree | CoercibleValue) -> None:
         Counterpart to the public .get method, and also only works on the immediate node, not other nodes in the tree.
         """
         if isinstance(val, DataTree):
-            val.name = key
-            val.parent = self
+            # TODO shallow copy here so as not to alter name of node in original tree?
+            # new_node = copy.copy(val, deep=False)
+            new_node = val
+            new_node.name = key
+            new_node.parent = self
         else:
             if not isinstance(val, (DataArray, Variable)):
                 # accommodate other types that can be coerced into Variables
@@ -792,8 +855,7 @@ def from_dict(
                 # Create and set new node
                 node_name = NodePath(path).name
                 if isinstance(data, cls):
-                    # TODO ignoring type error only needed whilst .copy() method is copied from Dataset.copy().
-                    new_node = data.copy()  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+                    new_node = data.copy()
                     new_node.orphan()
                 else:
                     new_node = cls(name=node_name, data=data)
diff --git a/datatree/ops.py b/datatree/ops.py
index bdc931c9..eabc1faf 100644
--- a/datatree/ops.py
+++ b/datatree/ops.py
@@ -31,9 +31,6 @@
 ]
 _DATASET_METHODS_TO_MAP = [
     "as_numpy",
-    "copy",
-    "__copy__",
-    "__deepcopy__",
     "set_coords",
     "reset_coords",
     "info",
diff --git a/docs/source/whats-new.rst b/docs/source/whats-new.rst
index 5e86ba1c..e13a7143 100644
--- a/docs/source/whats-new.rst
+++ b/docs/source/whats-new.rst
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ New Features
 Breaking changes
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
+- :py:meth:`DataTree.copy` copy method now only copies the subtree, not the parent nodes (:pull:`171`).
+  By `Tom Nicholas <https://github.com/TomNicholas>`_.
+
 Deprecations
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~