Got Nature? Blog

Purdue Landscape Report: Pollarding is a tree pruning method in which the upper branches of a tree are cut back to the same points on a regular schedule, creating a framework of knobby growth points from which new shoots emerge. The practice has been used for centuries and is especially common in landscapes where trees must be kept at a controlled height or width. Pollarding is not the same as topping, which is generally considered harmful because it removes branches without a long-term management plan. Instead, pollarding is a deliberate, repeated technique that can shape a tree into a compact, manageable form.

One of the main advantages of pollarding is size control. In urban areas, along streets, and near buildings or utility lines, trees often need to fit within tight spaces. Pollarding can reduce conflicts with overhead wires, streetlights, sidewalks, and traffic while still allowing a tree to remain in place. It can also reduce shade, which may be useful in courtyards, parking areas, and other sites where too much canopy cover is a problem. Some trees also respond by producing dense, attractive new growth, which can give them a distinctive architectural look.

Pollarding may also extend the usable life of certain trees when it is started early and maintained properly. Because the tree is kept smaller and more compact, it may be less likely to fail under wind or storm stress than a large tree with heavy limbs. In some settings, the regular cutting of new shoots can even provide a source of small-diameter wood or fodder, which helps explain why pollarding developed historically as a practical land-management method.

That said, pollarding has real drawbacks. It must be done correctly and consistently; if a tree is pollarded at the wrong age, on the wrong species, or after long neglect, the result can be stress, decay, weak regrowth, or structural problems. Not all trees tolerate the practice well, and some may decline if pollarded too aggressively. Pollarding also creates a very artificial appearance, which some people dislike. A freshly pollarded tree can look bare or severe for a time, and the repeated cuts require ongoing maintenance.

Figure 1: New growth on pollarded tree. Photo credit: Ben McCallister

Figure 2: Pollarded street trees in Shibuya, Tokyo. Photo credit: Ben McCallister

Pollarding is most strongly associated with Europe, especially Britain, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and parts of Spain, where it has a long history in both rural and urban landscapes. Today, it is still widely seen in European cities and towns, particularly on street trees and in managed public spaces. It also appears in some parts of North America, but it remains much more culturally visible and historically rooted in Europe. In many places, it is valued both for its practical function and for the distinctive form it creates over time.

Used thoughtfully, pollarding is a useful tool rather than a universal solution. It works best when matched to the right species, the right site, and a long-term maintenance plan. For the right tree in the right place, it can be both functional and visually striking.

Resources:
Tree Pruning Essentials Video, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Surface Root Syndrome, The Education Store, Purdue Education’s resource center
Find an Arborist video, Trees are Good-International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
Report INvasive, Purdue Extension
Indiana Invasive Species Council
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel (Invasive White Mulberry, Siberian Elm, Tree of Heaven)
Planting Your Tree Part 1: Choosing Your Tree, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Tree Planting Part 2: Planting a Tree, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Tree Selection for the “Un-natural” Environment, The Education Store
Tree Installation: Process and Practices, The Education Store
Tree Defect Identification, The Education Store
Why Is My Tree Dying?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Tree Wound and Healing, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana
Native Trees of the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Subscribe – Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel

Ben McAllister, Urban Forestry Specialist
Forestry & Natural Resources