Ah, yes, that does sound handy for "growing" those things in an organic manner.
I decided to go with a more purpose-built approach by making a few different trunk-like sweeps, then radial cloning them. Then I grabbed a canopy of leaves from an actual tree model and got busy shaping it. With textures and eventually hanging lanterns, I'm confident it will look good enough for a dimly lit interior.
I appreciate the suggestions, all!