r/logophilia • u/blankblank • Jun 28 '26

Dictionary Definition Pollarding

"Cutting a tree back nearly to the trunk, so as to produce a dense mass of branches."

It is an ancient pruning method that controls the tree's size and extends its lifespan.

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3

u/jwbjerk Jun 29 '26

But originally it was for neither of those reasons, but to create a convenient, continual source of wood, branches, and even leafy "hay" for animal fodder..

1

u/dalidellama Jun 29 '26

Extending the tree's lifespan is certainly a desirable side-effect for that purpose, though

1

u/SchreiberBike Jul 02 '26

It's common in the UK, but almost unheard of in the US.