Garden Terms: Espalier

As I was rummaging through my photos from a trip to England several years ago I came across these images of a pear tree espalier.


Espalier :: A woody plant that is trained to grow in a flat plane against a wall, often forming a geometrical pattern.


This practice became popular during the Middle Ages when gardening space was limited within a castle courtyard. Espalier allowed fruit production, but also beautified barren walls.

These espalier were found at The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, England.