Where does “self-pruning” come from?

self-pruning (English) comes from English pruning, from English prune, from Middle English prune, from Old French prune, from Vulgar Latin pruna, from Latin prūnum, from Ancient Greek προῦνον, from Ancient Greek προῦμνον — A plum fruit.

Ancestry of “self-pruning”, step by step

self-pruning traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English pruning

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpruningA removal of excess material from a tree or...
2EnglishpruneA plum; The dried, wrinkled fruit of certain...
3Middle EnglishpruneA plum; A prune; A large, rounded boil
4Old Frenchpruneplum
5Vulgar LatinprunaA burning coal, live coal, glowing charcoal
6Latinprūnumplum
7Ancient Greekπροῦνον
8Ancient GreekπροῦμνονA plum fruit

via English Self

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSelfHimself, herself, itself, themself, themselves; that specific (person mentioned)
2Middle EnglishsalveAlternative form of sauf
3Old Englishsealfsalve
4Proto-West Germanicsalbusalve, ointment
5Proto-Germanicsalbōsalve, ointment
6Proto-Indo-Europeansolp-éh₂
7Proto-Indo-Europeanselp-fat, oil
Every word from Ancient Greek προῦμνονEvery word from Ancient Greek προῦνονEvery word from Latin prūnum