What Is Arboriculture?

The simplest definition of arboriculture is tree care. This post will answer “What is arboriculture?” in more detail, explain how it’s different from forestry and landscaping, and explain what certified arborists do.

People like Chris and I who plant and prune trees are arborists. But not all arborists trim trees. And definitely not all tree services use certified arborists. More on that below too.

Arboriculture Definition

Arboriculture means growing, tending, studying, or removing individual trees and shrubs. (It also encompasses woody plants and vines.) Here are a few different aspects of arboriculture:

Choosing and trimming ornamental shrubs for a homeowner
Studying different tree hybrids
Researching the best grafting methods
Identifying a leaf or plant for someone
Helping someone figure out if their tree is diseased and how to save it

As you can see, arboriculture is both a theory and practice. You could be a professor of arboriculture and spend most of your time doing research. There’s nothing wrong with that. At Northwest Arbor-Culture, Inc., we like getting our hands dirty and helping people care for their trees.

Arboriculture vs. Forestry or Landscaping

How is arboriculture different from forestry? Good question. Forestry is about the health of groups of trees (a forest!), while arboriculture focuses on individual trees. You know the saying, “They can’t see the forest for the trees”? It’s usually an insult. Someone missed the big picture by focusing too much on little details. Well, arborists do that on purpose!

Arboriculture sometimes overlaps with landscaping, but they have distinctions too. Landscaping is mainly about the appearance of a yard. Landscapers change trees and plants to fit an aesthetic goal. It’s a bit surface-level. Arboriculture prioritizes the health of trees and plants over beauty, although ideally they’d go hand-in-hand. A good arboriculturist in Portland would encourage you to plant native plants in your backyard (rather than a palm tree, for example).

The International Society of Arboriculture

The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is the mothership. It’s been around for almost a century. The organization exists to promote trees and help people maintain and enjoy them. The ISA is a great resource for tree information. It also certifies arborists.

On our site, we proudly say we’re ISA-certified arborists, but what does that mean? Several things:

We have a high level of tree care knowledge and skills.
We’ve passed a detailed, thorough ISA exam on 10 different topics, including tree biology, pruning, disease diagnosis and treatment, risk management, soil, and more.
We have advanced, ongoing training in arboriculture — the certification requires continued professional development.
We have at least three years’ full-time experience working in arboriculture and/or arboriculture education.
We adhere to the ISA code of ethics.

Hiring a certified arborist means someone knows more than how to handle pruning shears. As ISA-certified arborists, we know more — and have more experience — than someone who just entered the biz. Instead of focusing on short-term, aesthetic solutions like tree topping, which you should avoid, we care about trees’ long-term health. We aren’t going to just snip a few branches and call it good. We want you to enjoy healthy, beautiful trees for decades through careful selection, placement, and maintenance.

Hire an ISA-Certified Arborist

Do you need help figuring out if your tree is dying? Is it growing too close to your house or power lines? Want to add some shrubbery to your yard, or simply get rid of a stump? Call us at 503-538-8733, email us, or use our contact form. We do no-obligation consultations so you know your best option.

Want more tree advice? Check out How to Plant a Tree, Why Is My Tree Dying?, and How to Spot Tree Hazards.

Photos: USFS Region 5, Russell Street