Branch Collar
/branch KOL-er/🌲 Arboriculture● Basic
The branch collar is a ring of overlapping trunk and branch tissue visible as a slight swelling at the branch base. It contains specialized cells that produce chemical barriers and wound-closing tissue. Proper pruning preserves the branch collar by cutting just outside it, which promotes rapid wound closure and effective compartmentalization of decay.
Etymology
From Old English braunc (branch) + Latin collare (band around the neck)
Example
“Always cut just outside the branch collar — never flush with the trunk — to promote proper healing.”