Espalier trains a tree in a narrow plane using pruning, branch selection, tying, and a durable support. The best form is not simply the most decorative one: it must fit the species, bearing habit, wall or fence dimensions, and the amount of seasonal training you can maintain.
This gallery helps you choose a shape. For the training process, watch How to Espalier Fruit Trees. For general cut types and tree biology, use How to Prune Fruit Trees.
Plan the support before choosing the form
- Measure the usable height and width.
- Build a support strong enough for a mature crop and wet foliage.
- Keep wires or framing far enough from a wall for airflow and access.
- Choose tier spacing from the tree’s existing branches and final design rather than one universal measurement.
- Leave room to prune, tie shoots, harvest fruit, and maintain the wall or fence.
Apples and pears are frequent choices because flexible young shoots can be trained and many cultivars form productive spurs. Bearing habit still matters: repeated shortening can remove fruiting tips on a tip-bearing cultivar. Confirm the variety and rootstock before purchase.
Informal espalier forms
Informal fan
An informal fan follows naturally spreading branches rather than enforcing exact symmetry. It adapts well to an irregular wall and is more forgiving when a young tree does not produce shoots at perfectly matched heights.
Formal espalier forms
Formal fan
Radiating arms create strong visual lines and can fill a broad wall. Maintaining symmetry requires regular shoot selection and tying.
Palmette oblique
Paired diagonal arms use more vertical space than a broad fan. This form suits a taller, narrower area but requires careful matching of opposite shoots.
Belgian fence
Several trees are trained into intersecting diagonals to create a lattice. It works as a living divider but requires precise spacing and coordinated pruning across multiple trees.
Drapeau marchand
A diagonal main stem carries shorter side branches. Repeating the form can create a compact productive row.
Tiered horizontal cordon
Horizontal arms extend from a central trunk in one or more tiers. The simple geometry makes the final shape easy to visualize, although forming each tier takes time and consistent summer training.
Candelabra
Horizontal arms turn upward into vertical branches. It provides more vertical fill than a simple cordon and needs a support designed for the upright extensions.
Palmette verrier
Nested U-shaped arms create a formal architectural pattern suited to a narrow feature wall. It demands patient, balanced growth on both sides.
Triple U-shape
Three upright U forms combine width with vertical structure. It is visually striking but less forgiving when shoots are missing or one side grows more vigorously.
How to choose among the designs
| Situation | Useful starting form |
|---|---|
| Irregular growth or relaxed appearance | Informal fan |
| Long, low wall or fence | Horizontal cordon |
| Broad focal wall | Formal fan |
| Tall, narrow space | Palmette oblique or verrier |
| Living divider | Belgian fence |
| Highly formal garden feature | Candelabra or U-shape |
Common espalier mistakes
- Choosing a complex form before measuring the site.
- Using a weak support or attaching a tree directly against a wall.
- Forcing woody branches after they have lost flexibility.
- Removing fruiting tips without knowing the cultivar’s bearing habit.
- Letting ties girdle expanding branches.
- Expecting the final form in one season.
Selecting a tree
Choose a variety, rootstock, and pollination plan appropriate for the site; espalier changes the form, not the tree’s chill-hour or pollination requirements. Browse apple trees and pear trees, then use the current product page as the source of truth for each offered tree.
3 comments
Unfortunately, peaches don’t form spurs (I’ve heard rare varieties might, but in general they don’t). All of the fruit will grow on 1-year-old wood. Candelabra is not a good firm for a peach, because you’re trying to keep l of the fruit close to the main scaffolds – they won’t grow like that. You need to constantly be refreshing the wood by cutting back hard, so you always have a good balance of new growth (next year’s fruit) and 1-year old wood (this year’s fruit).
Try notching (google if you don’t know what that is) at intervals all along your branches to get new shoots to grow. You’re going to have to leave them on and let them get kind of long to get fruit off of them. I would suggest heading them back during the growing season to promote branching – that will help you get more 1-year wood without letting them grow too long, which would spoil the candelabra. Once you’ve got shoots all over your main framework, you’ll have to maintain by refreshing a portion of them yearly. So maybe you cut 1/2 of the 1-year shots back to a single bud every winter and leave 1/2 unpruned or pruned back to about 8 inches (for fruit this year). If you’re keeping your candelabra highly restricted and neat by pruning all of the side shots off or cutting them really short, you won’t ever have peaches. That’s why only fans are recommended for espaliering a peach.
Ingrid, well if your tree is not setting blossoms you may need to fertilize with a high phosphorus fertilizer or if you are doing a lot of pruning on the tree to shape it you just may be cutting off the fruiting wood.
Hi, your espalier video really encouraged me to start my espalier journey. I have three peach trees trained into candelabra. They’re four years old but haven’t fruited yet. Last year the blossoms were taken out by a late frost. This year I didn’t see any blossoms at all. Would you offer advice how and when to prune to get fruiting spurs? Thanks!