Tree Suckers
Suckers are the thin, fast-growing shoots that spring up from a tree's roots or base — a normal response to stress, but one that draws energy away from the tree's main structure if left unchecked.
Why Trees Send Up Suckers
Suckers often appear after a tree experiences stress — root damage, heavy pruning, disease, or age — as the tree's way of generating new growth. Grafted trees, like many fruit trees and ornamental varieties, are especially prone to suckers growing from the rootstock below the graft, which if left alone can eventually overtake the desired grafted variety entirely.
On grafted trees, suckers from the rootstock look distinctly different from the tree's normal growth, often with different leaf shape or growth habit.
Pull suckers off by hand rather than cutting them at ground level — cutting often stimulates even more vigorous regrowth, while pulling removes some of the dormant buds that would otherwise resprout.
Removing Them Consistently
Checking for and removing suckers regularly through the growing season, rather than letting them establish, keeps a tree's energy directed toward its main canopy. Persistent suckering despite repeated removal can be a sign of underlying stress worth investigating further.
