Random photo #5-Pollarding at Disney World

Random Photo #5-Pollarding at Disney World

Back to truly random photos. I was excited when these were the photos that randomly popped up. These photos happen to be from another family vacation; Disney World in February of 2018. The subject is trees, which have been pruned using an ancient technique called pollarding.

Wikipedia says this about pollarding:

Pollarding is a pruning system involving the removal of the upper branches of a tree, which promotes the growth of a dense head of foliage and branches. In ancient Rome, Propertius mentioned pollarding during the 1st century BCE. The practice occurred commonly in Europe since medieval times, and takes place today in urban areas worldwide, primarily to maintain trees at a determined height or to place new shoots out of the reach of grazing animals.

The trees in the pictures are at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but they can be found all over the different parks. When the technique is performed like this, it makes for very cool winter interest.

My understanding is these are crape myrtle trees. A little research led me to this article on the practice of pollarding crape myrtle trees. The article specifically mentions the trees at EPCOT Center. While the practice has its origins in practicality, I quite enjoy the visual appearance of a tree pruned using pollarding.