Tree or other plant trained to grow flat against a support (such as a trellis or wall).
The term is also used for the support itself, as well as for the method or technique. The technique was developed in Europe to encourage fruit-tree production in an incompatible climate; it originally used a wall to provide heat as well as support. Decorative or space-saving espaliers use metal, wire, or wooden frames to create ornamental shapes for shrubbery or to train trees on trellises, walls, or fences. Evergreens such as loquat , fire thorn, sweet bay magnolia, and upright yew , as well as dwarf apple and pear trees, make excellent espaliers.