Basal shoot

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A sucker emerging from the base of a young tree

A basal shoot or sucker is a shoot or cane which grows from a bud at the base or roots of a tree or shrub. Suckers also may arise from the stumps of trees that have been cut down. Suckers are similar to water sprouts, which are shoots growing from a main branch. Suckers are considered undesirable by horticulturists because they are unsightly and their growth draws energy from the plant.

Suckers arising from an unwanted tree stump can be controlled with an herbicide such as glyphosate. This kills the entire plant, including suckers and roots.

This stump is almost entirely obscured by suckers.

Suckers on a living plant cannot be removed in the same way as suckers from a stump because the application of an herbicide kills the plant. Horticulturists recommend removing suckers on trees and shrubs by tearing them away as close to the base as possible, removing soil if necessary. Tearing the tissues is more destructive than cutting to the buds that give rise to suckers. In extreme cases, the root giving rise to the suckers can be separated from the tree entirely, then treated in the same way as a stump with suckers.

In a grafted plant, suckers may arise from above the graft or below it. Those arising from the scion may be desirable, but those arising from the rootstock usually are not.

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