Arbor and Trellis Landscaping Glossary

A short dictionary of arbor- and trellis-related landscaping terms Arbor: an open framework made from wood, plastic, or metal that supports vines, creepers, and climbing plants and is used in gardens as a shade provider or landscape feature. Arboriculture: though it shares a name with arbors, arboriculture is actually a branch of horticulture dealing with the planting and management of trees, particularly ornamental and shade trees. (The word arbor took two etymological paths, one from the Latin arbor, meaning tree, and the other from the Latin herba and Old French erbier, meaning herb garden.) Arborist: an arborist is someone who's been trained in the practice of arboriculture. To be certified by the International Society of Arboriculture, an arborist must have three years of full-time experience and pass a written test. Bare root: a dormant plant with roots free of soil. Bare rooting is used with trees and shrubs to help prevent transplant shock. Climbing rose bushes often begin as bare root plants.

Creeper: a plant that grows by creeping along the ground and forming roots as it grows. Creepers can be trained using twine or plant ties to grow upright on a garden arbor or trellis.

Deciduous: deciduous plants are perennials that shed their leaves or foliage at the end of the growing season. Deciduous trees and shrubs will then grow new leaves in the spring.

Dry wall: some landscape designers use stone walls (with or without trellises) to grow climbing plants. A dry wall is a stone wall that's been constructed without mortar. Placing soil in the crevices between stones will help a trailing or climbing plant to take root.

Espalier: pruning and grafting a tree or shrub so that it grows two-dimensionally, i.e. flat against a wall, fence, or trellis. Espalier can refer to the horticultural technique of growing such plants, the espaliered plant itself, or the latticework against which such a plant is grown.

Finial: the decorative ornament, knot, or bunch of foliage that's found at the top or apex of an architectural or decorative feature, including gables, fence posts, lamps, or columns. Gothic garden trellises will typically feature a finial.

Focal point: a focal point is an area of a garden, room, etc. that is designed to be a viewer's first point of interest. In gardens, focal points are often established by placing arbors and trellises in prominent positions.

Girdling girdling is essentially the starving or strangulation of a tree by cutting or constricting its bark. Girdling may be done by arborists to slow a tree's growth or yield larger fruit or by invasive climbing plants that wrap themselves around the tree.

Herbaceous plants: plants with little to no woody tissue that die back at the end of the growing season. Herbaceous plants are often, but not always, annuals. Herbaceous perennials grow back again in the spring.

Latticework: on arbors, trellises, and other structures such as porches or gazeboes, the latticework is the crisscross or checkerboard pattern formed by overlapping or interlacing strips of wood, metal, or plastic. On trellises, diagonal latticework is more traditional than square latticework.

Limbing: limbing is an arboriculture term which refers to the removal of branches or limbs from a tree.

Mortared wall: the opposite of a dry wall, i.e. a stone wall in which the stones are joined together by mortar. It's best to avoid growing climbing plants directly on a mortared wall that has cracks or crumbling mortar as the plant may exacerbate the damage.

Obelisk: an obelisk is a tall, thin structure that tapers from a wider base to a narrower peak or sharp point at the top. Obelisk trellises are used by gardeners who want boldly vertical lines that will draw a viewer's eye.

Pergola: a pergola is a shaded garden walkway or series of arches with an open roof featuring cross rafters or latticework. Pergola can also refer to metal or wood arbors constructed in a pergola style.

Pollarding: pollarding is an arboriculture term which refers to the cutting back of a tree in order to produce lateral branches or curb the growth of an older or taller tree.

Procumbent: creeping or trailing plants are also known as procumbent, which means lying flat, prostrate, or spreading along the ground. A procumbent plant would require training in order to grow successfully on an arbor or trellis.

Tendril: tendrils are the stems or leaf stalks used for support by climbing plants that employ the twining method of upward growth. A tendril will cling to a supporting object and wrap itself around it.

Trellis: a trellis is an open latticework structure made from wood, metal, vinyl, or bamboo that is used to support vines and other climbing plants. Unlike arbors, which are constructed like roofed doorways or archways, trellises are two-dimensional vertical frames.

Verdigris: verdigris is the bluish-green patina that forms on copper trellises after they have been weathered. Verdigris is mostly composed of copper carbonate.

Vine: a weak-stemmed plant that supports itself by attaching to structures and other plants or growing along the ground. Trailing, twining, and climbing vines are the plants that gardeners most often grow on arbors and trellises.

Weathered: an arbor or trellis that is weathered has aged through exposure to the air and elements. A weathered appearance can add to the decorative appeal of unfinished cedar trellises or copper trellises.

Woody plants: in contrast to herbaceous plants, woody plants are plants that have hard, woody stems that support above-ground growth from year to year.