How do we care for aging and venerable trees? This was the central question for the research project of Hans Friedl while at the United States National Arboretum in the spring of 2023. Working with Japanese master Gardener, Hans conserved two at-risk legacy cherry trees by implementing the Japanese horticultural practice of using ‘hoozue’. This technique supports branches from below using wooden posts for limbs to rest upon. The technical horticultural work is an investigation in applying methods and practices from around the world in efforts to care responsibly for landscapes and the trees within them. This work was supported by The Garden Club of America’s Hope Goddard Iselin Fellowship in Public Horticulture.
