Methods and apparatus provide for a network device(s) employing tree tracer processing of a data packet(s) and/or a response(s) in order to discover and graphically represent all the paths within a hierarchical tree of network devices for multicast traffic flows. Specifically, a first network device receives a data packet. The data packet provides a multicast target MAC address. The first network device forwards the data packet to a plurality of network devices, where each of the plurality of the network devices belong to a multicast group identified according to the multicast target MAC address. Based on receipt of the data packet, the first network device generates and transmits a first response to a source of the data packet. The first response indicates a placement of the first network device with respect to a hierarchical tree of the plurality of network devices belonging to the multicast group.