A basal shoot, root sprout, adventitious shoot, water sprout or sucker is a shoot or cane which grows from a bud at the base of a tree or shrub or from its roots. This shoot then becomes, or takes the form of, a singular plant. A plant that produces suckers is referred to as surculose. Root suckers may emerge some distance from the originating plant such as in Rhus spp, some Prunus species and Embothrium species. Suckers also may arise from the stumps of trees that have been cut down. Suckers on some ornamental plants are considered undesirable by horticulturists because the plant's energy is diverted to the sucker rather than to crown growth. Suckers arising from an unwanted tree stump can be controlled with herbicides such as glyphosate. This kills the entire plant, including suckers and roots.[1]
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. The buds that give rise to suckers are more readily destroyed through tearing than through cutting. 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.[2]
In a grafted plant, suckers may arise from above the graft or below it. Those arising from the upper part (the scion) may be desirable, but those arising from the rootstock usually are not.[3]