Tree shaping (also known by several other alternative names) uses living
trees and other
woody plants as the medium to create structures and art. There are a few different methods used by the various artists to shape their trees, which share a common heritage with other artistic
horticultural and
agricultural practices, such as
pleaching,
bonsai,
espalier, and
topiary, and employing some similar techniques. Most artists use
grafting to deliberately induce the
inosculation of living trunks, branches, and roots, into artistic designs or functional structures.