Basal growth on trees

The growth of branches and leaves as seen in the photo are called a basal shoot or root-shoot, a water sprout or sucker. These are found growing at the bottom or base of a dead tree, or the stump from a tree that has been cut down.

Excess watering and fertilizing may induce more growth and the leaves on this growth may be larger than normal.

Stems and leaves coming from the base of a tree may indicate that the tree is stressed. Trees become stressed when:

• too much or not enough sunlight, water, nutrients
• plants are crowded
• environmental stresses such as drought, flooding, excessive heat or cold, or un-seasonal temperature fluctuations
• mechanical damage or injury to the tree
• etc

If the bottom growth is healthy and the rest of the tree is dead, you could cut down the dead tree and allow the new growth grow into a larger and healthy tree as a replacement. It is unwise to do this if the tree is diseased as the disease pathogens may still be present in the new growth.