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| Linden/lime (Tilia) trees in winter |
Throughout Europe you find these Dr Seuss-esque trees with nubby branches
Practiced since medieval times in Europe,
trees have been 'pollarded' for wood and for livestock feed (fodder)
Today the technique is used to shape trees, decrease shade,
and confine branches from obstructing streetlights or tangling in overhead wires
But primarily
I think many like the look of a 'tidy' tree
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| Pollard limes in summer |
With less weight and a controlled size,
pollarding a tree does decrease wind and snow damage
and thus increase longevity
Yet I was taught in the US
that a pollard tree may have a shorter life-span
due to the stress of regular cutting
and the tree putting all of its energy into creating branches in the Spring
and delaying leaf growth for photosynthesis
Possibly due to this difference in school of thought and tradition,
you see these dramatically pruned trees in Europe but not in the US
Trees I see in England as pollards include
willows (Salix), lindens/limes (Tilia), and planes (Platanus)
What do you think?
- all photos by me -
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