HELPFUL VOCABULARY DEFINITIONS

D.B.H. (Diameter at Breast Height) - diameter outside the bark measured at breast height, 4.5 feet or 1.37m

Node - The slightly enlarged portion of a stem where leaves and buds emerge; the joint of a twig                               

Dominant - A tree that exhibits strong apical control, resulting in an upright tree with a strong central leader

Co-Dominant - multiple leaders competing with each other

Included Bark - Bark that becomes embedded in a crotch between branch and trunk or between co-dominant stems, forming a weak union

Scaffold Branches - The permanent or structural branches of a tree

Branch Bark Ridge - A raised line of bark that forms on the upper side of where the branch joins the trunk

Apical Dominance - A condition where the terminal bud inhibits the growth and development of lateral buds on the same stem

Terminal Bud - The bud located at the end of a twig or shoot

Lateral Bud - Bud located on the side of a stem

Petiole - The stem of a leaf

Wind-sail effect - The movement of air causing a limb to move and bend

Lion Tailing - Pruning that removes an excessive amount of interior branches, leaving only a few branches at the very end of a limb, displacing foliar weight to the end of branches.  This technique can also result in sun scalded bark, poor branch taper, weakened branches, and branches that are prone to fail.