What Is Sucker Growth (Water Shoots)?
Sucker growth (also called water shoots) are fast-growing, weakly attached shoots that develop in response to stress.
What’s Actually Happening
When a tree experiences stress — such as:
- Over-pruning
- Topping
- Root damage
- Storm damage
- Sudden canopy loss
it may respond by producing rapid vertical shoots.
These shoots:
- Grow quickly
- Are weakly attached
- Often grow upright or far horizontally
- Can fail in wind once they become heavy
In older trees, excessive sucker growth can sometimes be a last attempt to restore canopy size and maintain energy production.
How to Handle It
- Identify and address the original stress
- Remove poorly attached shoots gradually
- Avoid aggressive pruning that triggered the response
Sucker growth is a signal — not a solution.
Bottom Line
Fast growth doesn’t mean strong growth. Sucker shoots indicate stress