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This book is intended for anyone wanting to learn more about trees. The first of its kind, it describes the tree's development and architecture using only everyday language. It presents a few simple rules that govern tree growth and influence its way of reacting to its environment. At which stage of its development is the tree? Can it adequately respond to pruning? How can one distinguish between a senescent tree and a declining tree? Under what circumstances is it advisable not to intervene with a tree? What are the consequences of a poorly chosen intervention?

The diagnosis of tree architecture is proposed as a tool for observation and decision-making. It helps to make an informed choice, whether for an intervention method to meet a management objective or for a sampling method for research purposes. It is useful for technicians, managers, professionals, and scientists concerned with trees and forests, as well as for citizens who care about the single tree growing on their property, hoping it is in the best shape, strong and healthy. The procedure to follow to quickly and simply carry out a tree architecture diagnosis is presented, along with the interpretative elements that can be derived from it. Recommendations are made in choosing the types of pruning to prioritize when deemed necessary and the actions to avoid.

The author advocates for intervention or non-intervention that respects the tree's development mode, in order to avoid fighting against it with poorly targeted or too drastic interventions, which could provoke undesirable growth reactions, and instead gently supporting it to derive the best benefits.