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The meaning of 'tree'

Article · January 2014

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Science & Opinion

The meaning of the distinction between scrub and

woodland in the National Vegetation
Classification (Rodwell, 1991) is 5m.

‘tree’
Size criteria must include palms
(Mitchell includes their close relative
the cabbage tree, Cordyline australis),
and since the palms belong to the
Monocotyledoneae and so don’t have
This is the first in a series of articles on the meaning of terms true wood, it’s then difficult not to
include the ligneous tree ferns, cycads
we use or hear a lot, but that are often taken for granted. and bamboo. Size alone would also
Philip Wilson looked into the meaning of over 3000 terms be unable to differentiate well between
relating to arboriculture for the compilation of his book, A–Z of small trees and big shrubs, or to
exclude the herbaceous banana and
tree terms: A companion to British arboriculture, which is succulent saguaro cactus*.
available on the AA’s website and will also be on sale at the AA
The use of size criteria fails to take
Conference in September. The terms, with abridged definitions, account of the context, which might
can be found at www.treeterms.co.uk. include adverse site conditions (exposure,
browsing etc.) or management that
A tree is: ‘A perennial woody plant specified in the National Planning Practice limits size, and also excludes young
growing to a considerable height Guidance. trees. Seedlings of whatever height
and size, with a self-supporting were recognised as trees in the Palm
main stem and usually developing Tree size Developments case in the context of a
branches at some distance from woodland tree preservation order, and
the ground’. This definition, like Size criteria are clear and unequivocal, and minimum height is also undefined in the
many similar ones, has three main no doubt for that reason they are used in UK forestry statistics (FC, 2013).
elements in general form: growing various legal thresholds for what a tree is.
to a considerable height and size Tree species
(tree size); a woody perennial The diameter of the trunk is usually
(tree species); and having a self- preferred. Trees having statutory protection Even if trees are restricted to those
supporting main stem usually in conservation areas have a main-stem perennial species having secondary
developing branches at some diameter of at least 7.5cm, while those thickening (i.e. true wood), there is no clear
distance from the ground (tree form). requiring the issue of a felling licence distinction between a tree species and
have a minimum diameter at breast height other species because it cannot be said
This definition seems perfectly reasonable, of 8cm, 10cm or 15cm depending on that any one species characteristically
yet the judge in Bullock v. Secretary circumstances. BS 5837 (2012) has a does or does not achieve tree size and tree
of State 1980 40 P&CR 246 preferred: threshold at 15cm at which conservation form. For instance, individuals of Portugal
‘anything that ordinarily one would call a value increases, while Lord Denning, in laurel and hazel are usually seen as shrubs
tree’, and the case Palm Developments Kent County Council v. Batchelor 1976 but sometimes attain tree size and form
Ltd v. Secretary of State for Communities 33 P&CR 185, distinguished trees from if grown on a sufficiently favourable site,
and Local Government 2009 EWHC saplings at 18–20cm. while species usually seen as trees may
220 (admin) was precisely about what be shrubby on poor sites. The same kind
is or is not a tree in a specific context. Mitchell (1974) defined trees as having of variation can be created by training and
Tree preservation orders protect trees a mature height of at least 6m, while pruning.
but not shrubs, yet the difference is not Lonsdale (1999) preferred 4m, and
Tree form
A tree usually has a more or less spreading
crown supported some distance off
the ground by a main stem, so that the
crown is typically sparse or absent near
ground level. It is reasonable to include
multi-stems if the main stems are trunk-
like relative to the rest of the plant, as in
mature trees of coppice origin, and open-
grown trees whose lower branches have
subsided to the ground all round.

*The saguaro cactus is native to the deserts of

south-west North America. Apart from being
non-ligneous it is surprisingly difficult to exclude
from the definition of ‘tree’: it achieves tree size
when mature (height 10m, main-stem diameter
50cm), has a trunk-like main stem, a crown of
first-order branches and is furnished with leaves
Tree size? A larch with a mature height of about 4m, stunted by exposure. Galashiels, Scotland. (albeit modified as spines).

32
Science & Opinion
Tree species? Screwpine (Pandanus tectorius), Hawaii. Pandanes have branched crowns but
are related to palms and so do not have true wood. (© Forest and Kim Starr)
The crowns of palms, cycads and tree
ferns consist of leaves arising directly
from the main stem rather than from
branches. To that extent, since the crowns
of tree species are branched (as are other
‘trees’ such as family trees etc.), they only
approximate to tree form when mature and
may best be described as arborescent.
There is no minimum size for tree form if
bonsai are said to have it.
Concluding remarks
While tree size is clearly convenient
for legal and regulatory purposes, it is
arbitrary and easily causes difficulty. To
seek to refine size criteria is probably
unhelpful.
Tree form? Note the spreading crowns supported some distance off the ground by trunk-like
main stems.
Left: By Fir0002 (Own work) [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)], via Wikimedia Commons. Right: By Ragesoss
(Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons.
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A broader definition for ‘tree’ is more
realistic and does not have to be vague.
An unmistakable tree conforms to all three
criteria of size, species and form, while a
particular individual may conform to only
two or one. For instance, a hedge has
tree species and tree size but not tree
form; tree seedlings and bonsai have tree
species and tree form but not tree size;
and numerous kinds of plants such as
palms and tree ferns have tree size and
approximate to tree form but are not tree
species.
A stunted clonal jungle of a freely
suckering species such as white poplar,
say on an exposed coastal site, has
tree species but not tree form or tree
size; wild cane grass (height up to 14m)
33
meets one criterion of tree size but does
not have tree species or tree form; and
a piece of broccoli approximates to tree
form but does not have tree species or
tree size.
Thus, in deciding whether an individual
is (or is not) a tree, qualifying terms
are likely to be helpful. Seedlings are
young trees, bonsai are miniature trees
and a tree on a dwarfing rootstock is
a dwarfed tree. Other size categories
(e.g. small, medium, large) are likely to
be most descriptive in relation to the
context, and many other attributes are
also best described in words such as
the potential to grow, estimated mature
size (if juvenile), growth habit, whether
fallen or defective, remaining lifespan (if
living), level of tree risk, potential to cause
nuisance, collective character (if in a
hedge, shelterbelt etc.) and conservation
value.
On reflection it is hardly surprising that
‘tree’ is not comprehensively defined
in statute. Unfortunately that makes
further legal tests almost inevitable, but
it should also encourage those of us
who report on trees to be as descriptive
as possible.
Thanks to Jon Heuch for helpful
comments.
References
BS 5837 (2012). Trees in relation to
design, demolition and construction –
Recommendations. British Standards
Institution, London.
FC (2013). Woodland area, planting
and restocking. First release. Forestry
Commission, 231 Corstorphine Road,
Edinburgh EH12 7AT. Downloaded from
www.forestry.gov.uk/statistics.
Lonsdale, D. (1999). Principles of tree
hazard assessment and management.
Research for Amenity Trees No. 7,
4th Impression 2006, Department for
Communities & Local Government and
the Forestry Commission. The Stationery
Office, London. ISBN 0-11-753355-6.
Mitchell, A. (1974). A field guide to the trees
of Britain and Northern Europe. Collins,
London. ISBN 0-00-219213-6.
Rodwell, J.S. (ed.) (1991). British plant
communities. Volume 1: Woodlands
and scrub. Joint Nature Conservation
Committee, Monkstone House,
City Road, Peterborough PE1 1JY.
Cambridge University Press. ISBN
0-521-62721-4. Volume 1 of
5 of the National Vegetation
Classification.