TACOMA–Impress your friends and kids, and learn a few things yourself from this month’s list of tree-related terms! Many professionals have a specific set of terms specific to their work, sometimes called a lexicon (the special vocabulary of a particular author, field of study, etc.) Arborists are no different. Although there are many terms in an arborist’s vocabulary, here are just a few to start, from A-X.
Tree Terms From A-X
Alkaline
Having a pH level above 7 (dealing with soil).
Bract
A modified leaf that bears a flower.
Crown
The head of foliage of a tree or shrub. This is the form or shape of the tree.
Deciduous
A tree that sheds all leaves annually.
Dendrochronology
(or tree-ring dating) is the scientific method of dating tree rings (also called growth rings) to the exact year they were formed in order to analyze atmospheric conditions during different periods in history.
Hardiness Zones
A plant can be expected to grow in the zone’s temperature extremes, as determined by the lowest annual temperature. Other conditions such as moisture, soil, and wind might affect the availability of individual plants.
Specimen Tree
A tree placed so people can gain the greatest enjoyment for the color, texture, scent, or other pleasures it provides.
Xeriscape
A landscaping method developed especially for arid and semiarid climates that utilizes water-conserving techniques (such as the use of drought-tolerant plants, mulch, and efficient irrigation).
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Thank you to the following websites for inspiration and definitions:
https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/glossary.cfm
Arbor Day Foundation
Wikipedia
www.yourdictionary.com
www.merriam-webster.com