Stopping Root Suckers on Flowering Purple Leaf Plum

Purple leaf plum produces persistent suckers around the trunk. Cutting and pruning paint hasn't stopped them.

Growth Retardants Are the Solution

Products like "Tre-Hold Sprout Inhibitor" (containing NAA or similar) suppress sucker growth when sprayed on emerging shoots.

Cut suckers at ground level as they appear.
Pruning paint is ineffective on suckers—don't bother.
Suckers arise from roots; removing them repeatedly eventually depletes reserves.

Check local nurseries for sprout inhibitors. Follow label directions precisely.

Trees: Flowering Plum Peachtree Borer: Comprehensive Pest Management Guide; Flowering Plum Died After Sucker Pruning: Regrow from Base; Valuing a Lost Purple Plum Tree for Insurance Claims; Improving Fall Color on Maples in Eastern Oklahoma; Uprooted Purple Plum: Survival Chances and Reset Procedure; Stopping Fruit on a 'Fruitless' Purple Plum; Finding a Dwarf Flowering Plum for Oregon; Purple Plum Leaf Drop After 30 Days Rain in Texas; Leaf Damage on New Purple Leaf Plum; Flowering Plum Tree Guide: Varieties, Care, and Pruning

Garden Articles

Plants