Define the following terms:
Trunk is the main lower stem of a tree, usually covered in bark (lower half)
Crown is the system of living branches and stems of a tree that are supported by the trunk
(everything)
Canopy is foliage; the sum of all the leaves and small twigs of a tree that are supported by the
crown and does not include the trunk elements (top half)
Columnar Growth form are palms with a single leader with one terminal growing point
We are in south - central Arizona - palm trees, like the date palm or the dactyl riferah are an
example of columnar growth form
Terminal bud
●A bud is an unexpanded shoot or flower. Buds occur at nodes singly (alone) or in pairs.
●Some may be terminal or at the end of the shoot
●Apical bud
Lateral bud
●Some buds may be axillary or on the leaf axil
●Axillary buds
○More complex term for “lateral bud”
Excurrent tree
●Excurrent growth form
○Trees with a dominant single central leader
○Canary Island Pines
○Known for having arrow - like, upright excurrent growth form
Decurrent tree
●Shrubs
●Trees or shrubs with many leaders
●Non dominant
Central leader
Module 8 - Notes 8 - Pruning
●Central leader is the single stem of a tree that runs vertically from the ground to the very
tallest portion of the tree.
●A pine tree was shown as an example.
●(up arrow)
Scaffold branch
●Scaffold or support branches are attached to the central leader and structurally provide
the major point of support for all of the foliage of the tree.
●(Diagonal arrows and branch outwards from the leaves)
Espalier
●Practice of controlling woody plant growth by pruning and possibly grafting branches so
that they grow in relatively flat plants, frequently in formal patterns, against a structure
such as a wall, fence, or trellis
Topiary
●Special pruning practice that is very intensive
●Purpose is to make a specific shape like the ficus pavilion or the olive balloon or the ficus
Cabo chicken
Pollarding
●No useful value in today’s age
●May be surprising to see others practice it
●Pruning system in which the upper branches of a tree are removed to promote the re -
growth of a dense head of foliage and branches
●Common in Great Britain and Europe since the Medieval Times
●Trees were traditionally pollarded to either provide leafy digestible fodder for livestock
or to give kindling wood for fires
Topping
●Type of pruning where a tree is severely headed back basically to lower the height of the
tree
●Oftentimes seen done by power companies, like SRP and APS so that the tree will not
grow up into the powerlines.
●This should NEVER be viewed as a normative or best management practice
● Trees never recover architecturally with their branching patterns
How to select the right pruning tool for the right job:
●Select and use the proper pruning tools based on the stem or branch caliper that will be
cut
●Tool blades MUST be sharp
●Use of all pruning equipment requires special training, safety precautions, and safety gear
