Trees: Clear Stem Height
General
Clear stem height is defined as "the distance from the ground to the lowest branch."
Clear Stem height applies only to Standard form trees. The following table gives grades for clear stem height for the range of trees for which this measure typically applies.
Clear Stem Height grades - Standard forms
Figure 1: 2 metre clear stem on
a 10-12 cm girth STANDARD TREE
| Clear stem cm |
Overall Height cm |
Form |
Girth |
| 150-175 |
250-300 |
Light |
6-8 |
| 175-200 |
250-300 |
Standard |
8-10 |
| min 200 |
300-350 |
Selected |
10-12 |
| min 200 |
350 min |
Heavy |
12-14 |
All trees larger than this are usually grown with a clear stem height of 200 cm. Larger trees, for roadside planting for example, are grown so that the lower branches can be removed without spoiling the final shape and appearance of the head and the tree.