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UTAH ARBORIST OF THE YEAR 1995
LION-TAILING IS NOT KING
By Donald Batie
Pruning, probably the most frequently performed treatment in arboriculture is done almost without question. What concerns me is that our pruning practices have a "human" bias, while we claim to be helping the tree.
Tree care, for the most part, is really done for people. We often emphasize our aesthetics over the tree's natural tendencies. With the best intentions of maintaining tree health, we may also be violating it. My intent is to help our industry in its ongoing effort to upgrade professionalism using science as the foundation of our art.
We find some types of "solutions" can be almost as damaging as the problems they purport to solve. For example, most of us know that the practice of "topping," the lopping off of large parts of the tree, is equivalent to amputation. Trees are often topped to reduce height or drastically change the shape, leaving branch stubs and little or no foliage. This practice causes many future problems, some that are extremely serious.
There is another problem that is called 'lion-tailing." This practice also severely damages trees. In this case, the inner foliage, branches and limbs of a tree are stripped bare. The lion-tailed tree has the unnatural form of a giant umbrella, with the remaining foliage limited to the ends of the branches. The limbs are long and bare, except for a characteristic "tuft" of foliage at the end, which gives it the appearance of a lion's tail. Sometimes this practice is also referred to as "lacing out."
More and more consumers now have a growing knowledge about the damage that results in topping and increasingly refuse to allow this practice. Unfortunately, some so-called professionals have substituted lion-tailing. While consumers might not recognize this as a damaging process, they do notice the resulting problems this practice can result in.
Crown reduction pruning is a proper technique, as is recognized and defined in the ANSI A-300 Pruning Standards. It should not be confused with topping.
Nor should lion-tailing be confused with proper thinning, another recognized practice. Proper thinning involves selective removal of branches to decrease weight and wind resistance. Note that some trees normally produce dense crowns, while other species are naturally quite open. Therefore, manipulating density can be quite subjective.
Generally, properly practicing crown reduction or thinning involves removing no more that 25 percent of the tree's foliage. A good tip-off that a tree has been overpruned is that production of "watersprouts" or "suckers." These excessive, twiggy, leafy sprouts along the tree's branches is its attempt to grow new leaves rapidly, which are responsible for aiding the tree in manufacturing nutrients essential to its health and survival.
Here are a few disadvantages of lion-tailing:
- Destroys the tree's appearance and value
- Excessive foliage removal disrupts the tree's energy reserve for future growth
- Limbs become weak and can break easily
- Increased sunlight on the interior of the tree can cause sunburn
- Stimulates vigorous new growth in the interior of the tree that is weakly attached and prone to breakage
The disadvantages of topping are outlined in the article above. As you can see, there is a very strong relationship between topping and lion-tailing when it comes to the effects on a tree's health.
As professionals, we must focus on ongoing education in order to do our jobs better. We all have a responsibility to our customers and the safety of their trees. They depend on us.
If you are unsure about the health of the trees on a property for which you are responsible, consult a professional ISA-certified arborist. Be sure that the certification is current-the expiration date will be clearly marked. Clients have a large investment in their trees and landscaping. It is up to us as prudent professionals to do everything in our power to protect that investment.
Donald and Warren Batie are certified arborists and the owners of All Around Tree Care in Salt Lake City, Utah.