2007-02-20 04:45:15 · 2 answers · asked by nucksfan 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Botany
You've got the right definition, but not the appropriate cause in this case.
Oftentimes diseases kill the apical growing regions of trees and plants, causing dieback. Plants get around this by suckering, sending up new shoots that are sometimes disease free. A good example of this is chestnut blight.
2007-02-21 04:35:18 · answer #1 · answered by floundering penguins 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Botany: A secondary shoot produced from the base or roots of a woody plant that gives rise to a new plant. "
This can be a good thing or a bad thing. Good if you WANT the extra plants, bad in that it drains nutrition and energy from the plant and does not usually bear strong fruit (such as tomato suckers).
2007-02-20 14:59:17 · answer #2 · answered by Yahzmin ♥♥ 4ever 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋