TY - JOUR T1 - Structural Development of Trees JF - Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF) JO - JOA SP - 105 LP - 107 DO - 10.48044/jauf.1980.028 VL - 6 IS - 4 AU - Richard W. Harris Y1 - 1980/04/01 UR - http://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/6/4/105.abstract N2 - To develop a tree that is structurally strong, it should be trained to exploit the better elements of its branching pattern and growth characteristics. A tree develops a well-tapered trunk, better able to distribute stress uniformly along its length, if it is grown with more than one-half of its foliage on branches that originate from the lower two-thirds of the trunk. Branches are attached to the trunk more securely if they are well-spaced vertically along the trunk, are thinner than the trunk where they arise, and have wide angles of attachment. An unstaked tree can move in the wind, resulting in a shorter tree, with larger trunk caliper, greater taper, and a larger root system better able to withstand the elements without support. Stakes and ties detract from tree appearance and can seriously injure the trunk. The angle at which a main branch grows can be directed by pruning to a more upright shoot or by leaving a spreading branch to be more horizontal. ER -