Anise Espalier

Apart from making you sound like a brilliant gardener, the French word,”espalier,” is a technique for training trees and bushes to grow in a “two-dimensional” space like along a wall or fence.  Espalier is popular in formal gardens, traditional European gardens, and in gardens where space is limited. In our case, the garden is along a driveway and is only 15 inches wide. We decided to plant and espalier three anise bushes to give the driveway a green look without fear of one of us running over a shrub. Each plant takes about an hour to “train” twice a year. That means pruning and tying branches to the fence to produce a desired pattern.

These anise bushes are formed in the palmette or fan shape. Many fruit trees (apple, pear) are shaped in the cordon form, which resembles a menorah with branches connecting at right angles.  Other trees like redbuds, japanese maples, and some magnolias can also be trained.  Shrubs, including camellias, climbing roses, Rose of Sharon, and euonymus can also be shaped along a trellises or fence.

If you’re considering trying espalier, winter is a good time to prune and shape, when plants are dormant. The easiest shape, I’ve found, is the palmette. To start the shape, examine your plant’s canes and prune off any branches growing perpendicular to the flat surface the plant will grow along (i.e. the wall, trellis or the fence). Spread the plant’s canes in a fan shape and tack each to the flat surface at the lowest point that the cane easily touches the surface. For trellises, this just means tying the plant to the trellis using 3-5 inch pieces of twine. Fences and walls are slightly harder. For the anise bushes,  I used small eyehooks and gardener’s twine (both available at most hardware stores) to tie each branch to a wooden privacy fence. As branches are “trained” over a few seasons, some of the eyehooks can be removed, or moved higher up on the plant as it grows.

If you intend to buy a plant to espalier, carefully look at the shape of the plant before purchasing. The plant should either appear to have a flat side  or should have canes that grow in the shape of a linear row as opposed to a circle.  Plant and shape in early spring.

Finally, be patient with espalier. I’ve been working on the three anise bushes for three seasons and they’re just starting to come into a defined shape. Taking before and after photos each season will help you remember how far you’ve come and how to shape the plant for future growth.