What are Tree Suckers or Basal Shoots?

Suckers are a tree’s attempt to grow more branches, often in response to some kind of injury. If the roots have been damaged, suckers may grow from the base of the trunk. If suckers grow higher on the trunk, they’re called watersprouts and they are usually at the site of a pruning wound, a crack or some other damage.

Tree suckers, also known as basal shoots, root sprouts, adventitious shoots, or basal sprouts, are vegetative growths that emerge from the base of a tree’s trunk or from its roots. These shoots often arise from dormant buds located on the root system or just below the soil surface.

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