Ice pruning is the natural process of selective vegetative
pruning on the windward side of a plant, executed by the impact of ice and snow particles driven by wind. The process is sometimes termed
snow pruning. The time scale required for this phenomenon is typically over several growing seasons. The characteristic asymmetry of an ice-pruned plant is achieved only if the prevailing winds during the snow season have a definite directional bias, as shown on a
wind rose.