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Sapling White oak tree was attacked by squirrels. Now branches are growing from the bottom of the trunk. Should we let them grow or cut them off?was a #832936
Asked May 31, 2023, 12:54 PM EDT
Last summer our recently planted white oak tree was attacked by squirrels who scratched the bark off. We tried to repair it with a black substance we found and supported it with rope, a fence to protect it, etc.. This spring when the leaves finally grew they were small and drooping but now branches are growing from the bottom of the trunk with large leaves! Should we let them grow (will this be the new top of the tree?) or prune them? Thank you so much for your advice! I will download pictures...
Oakland County Michigan
Expert Response
Suckers are usually a sign of stress in a tree, in your case the result of squirrel damage to the base of the tree trunk. When the cambium layer (just inside the bark) of the trunk receives serious injury, the tree tries to keep itself alive by putting up suckers.
Suckers should be removed as soon as they appear. Once suckers start developing on a tree they will usually continue to occur for the rest of that tree’s life and will need to be removed regularly by hand using a pruner or lopper. Ideally, they should be cut back to the point where they emerge from a root or the stem, as leaving a stub can make the problem worse by causing multiple shoots to form. Removing suckers that arise from roots may require a little digging.
Another issue with your sapling...even after you remove the suckers...is that the part of the tree where the bark was removed has broken the phloem and xylem of the tree. The best way to describe these is that they are like drinking straws just under the bark, carrying water and nutrients up and down the tree between the roots and the canopy. So the part of the tree where these "straws" were broken will be dead.
If this were my tree I would remove it and start over. I don't believe it will ever be an attractive tree. And in fact, considering your small, drooping leaves, it may not even survive the squirrel damage. If you do replace this tree with another one, be sure to protect it from damage from squirrels and other animals.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/native_plants_for_michigan_landscapes_part_1_trees
https://www.a2gov.org/departments/Parks-Recreation/NAP/Native-Plants/pages/nativetrees.aspx
The best place to obtain saplings would be from your local Conservation District. See the link below to find yours.
https://www.macd.org/find-your-district