Pruning Grafted and Budded Plants: Remove Suckers Correctly

Pruning Grafted and Budded Plants: Remove Suckers Correctly

Grafted and budded plants—like weeping cherries, flowering crabapples, and weeping cotoneasters—require specific pruning to maintain their intended form. The key rule: remove all growth originating below the graft or bud union.

Understanding the Union

Budding inserts a single bud onto a rootstock (e.g., pink dogwood bud on white dogwood seedling). Grafting attaches a scion branch. The union is where the two join. Growth below this point is rootstock—genetically different and often vigorous.

Low Bud Unions (Ground Level)

On plants budded near the soil (crabapples, dogwoods), suckers emerge from the rootstock. Don't just clip at ground level—they'll regrow thicker. Pull back mulch/soil and remove them at the point of origin on the main stem. On neglected trees, a digging spade may be needed to hack them away; the tree will recover.

High Graft Unions (Weeping Forms)

Weeping cherries and cotoneasters are grafted at 4–5 ft to create a cascading canopy. Any shoot below that height is rootstock (e.g., Hawthorn on weeping cotoneaster). If left, these upright branches ruin the weeping effect. Remove them as soon as they appear—pinch off with fingers when small.

Prevention Is Easy

Walk your garden regularly. Inspect grafted/budded plants. If new growth doesn't match the plant's foliage or habit, check if it's below the union. Early removal takes seconds; delayed removal leaves scars and distorts the plant.

Case Study: Weeping Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster apiculata grafted onto Paul's Scarlet Hawthorn at 5 ft creates a unique weeping tree. Hawthorn suckers below the graft look completely different—remove them promptly to preserve the cotoneaster form.