pollarding

Type of pruning whereby the young branches of a tree are severely cut back, about 2–4 m/6–12 ft above the ground, to produce a stumplike trunk with a rounded, bushy head of thin new branches. It is similar to coppicing.

It is often practised on willows, where the new branches or ‘poles’ are cut at intervals of a year or more, and used for fencing and firewood. Pollarding is also used to restrict the height of many street trees.