type: Fan

Basic Shapes

Naming

Full name: free fan (with/without central branch)

Popular name:

fan (with/without central branch)

Synonym:

Fan shape

Nickname:

Historical name:

an (with/without continuous central branch)
fan (with/without middle branch)

Alternative name:

Spelling variations:
fan (with/without continuous middle branch)

Description

Standard form in which the framework branches are distributed evenly.

Features of standard tree:

two-dimensional espalier shape with plane-filling framework branches
framework branches in the shape of a Japanese fan
usually ‘loose’ espalier shape (without strict symmetry)
with or without central branch
With stone fruits, one stem is often kept (tree shape).
With figs, multiple stems are often kept (bush shape).
fruit wood is grown quite close to the framework branch (as far as possible)

A fan is usually a rather shabby espalier: symmetry is less important.
An important exception to this is the peacock’s tail.

A fan is usually grown against a warm wall or fence.

Opinion

The term “espalier” should be taken with a grain of salt for the fan.
The fan is a fairly ‘loose’ espalier; not as tightly guided as Single Cord / Double Cord and Palmet.

The ‘loose’ fan offers a solution for those crop groups where:

crops where framework branches have a relatively short lifespan Example: stone fruits. [^1]
crops that are unsuitable for tight espalier shapes Example: fig. [^2]

Tight fan shapes, such as Peacock tail, are only suitable for crops (varieties) that bear fruit on short fruit wood, such as certain stone fruits (pear, apple).

[^1]: Stone fruits are sensitive to branch calcification. The Fan offers more room to replace a framework branch than a Palmet etc. If an older framework branch falls away, it is replaced by moving the other framework branches a little and/or growing a new framework branch from the base.

[^2]: Fig forms fruits at the ends of long shoots and is therefore unsuitable for compact, tight espalier shapes.