From the Master Arborist’s Playbook

A tree trunk showing a branch union circled in red, set against a house and yard.

From the Master Arborist’s Playbook: Branch Collars = Branch Stubs

By Jordan Everett • March 11, 2026
A branch collar is the swollen portion between a branch and the trunk. The red-dotted line in the photo below encompasses the collar of a fern pine (Afrocarpus falcatus).