Literally, a running branch. It refers to a tree branch that grows much stronger than other branches. The phenomenon is often seen in ”zoki” deciduous trees. A powerful branch comes out when a tree goes off balance and extends its thick root into soil. If the situation is left as is, the branch’s root could grow too thick and fine branches may die, so early pruning work is required. If a certain ”hashiri-eda” branch cannot be removed in order to maintain the figure of a tree, wires should be used to adjust the tree form while paying attention to the tree’s whole balance.

translated by Kyodo News