The trunk in the informal upright style
bends slightly to the front. This specimen is 32
years old, a San Jose juniper (Juniperus san jose)
in training since it was a seedling
Informal Upright
The informal upright style has much the same branch arrangement as the formal upright style, but the top — instead of being erect as in the formal upright style — bends slightly to the front. This bend makes the tree’s branches appear to be in motion and enhances the look of informality.
The informal upright style looks best in an oval or rectangular container. It should be planted, not in the center of the container, but a third of the distance form one end.
Many nursery trees are naturally slanted. This makes them well suited to the informal upright style. Check the tree’s slant by looking down at the trunk from above — from this angle the top should slant to the front.
If this view is not attractive, you may move the root ball to slant the tree in another direction.
If you choose a vertical tree at the nursery, and want to train it in the informal upright style, simply tilt the plant when potting it. When you do this, trim the branches and foliage so they are scaled to the size of the tree.
