Field of Science

Trains, boats, & planes, & coaches lead to coppiced trees


No boats actually, but the other three came into play, and clearly TPP is not in Kansas any more, not that he was or even wanted to be.  But here on the north west coast of Italy is where we find ourselves in a rented villa of an heir to the Fiat fortunes.  One of the many things that give it away are how they treat their street trees.  They use a lot of lindens, that are sometimes called lime trees because their flowers smell sweet rather like those of citrus trees.  And they prune the heck out of them, a type of coppicing.  In this little town the crowns are pruned to meet over the center of the street, which is typically enough one-way and narrow.  And you drive under these leafy arches.  It is quite lovely and as you know TPP does not like to see trees and shrubs poodled.  But this is a bit different and on a grand scale.  This is just not done in the USA except on a small scale in some gardens.  

4 comments:

William M. Connolley said...

My first-quick-guess at your pic was France, which it could easily have been. Trees-for-shade is a good idea where it's hot.

The Phytophactor said...

Yes, true, and a common enough practice in many countries; just not in the USA.

Anonymous said...

Dearest Phactor,

have just moved country (to England)and our street is 'lined' with pollarded limes. They were obviously cut the past autumn or winter and the new shoots are already about a metre (3') long.

All my books are still in boxes, but I know that 'lime' in English is of medieval origin and relates in some way to the wood of the tree and not to the citrus tree/fruit.

Traditionally pollarding instead of normal coppicing was carried out to keep the new growths out of the reach of grazing animals. In the case of street trees, it allows more light in the winter, controls tree size and stops heavy and potentially dangerous branches reaching over the road.

Enjoy your sojourn in Italy!
Boa viagem,
BrianO

The Phytophactor said...

Dear Brain O,
as usual you are correct and TPP is guilty of confusing coppicing with pollarding. Thanks for pointing this out.