Water sprouts or water shoots are shoots that arise from the trunk of a tree or from branches that are several years old, from latent buds. The latent buds might be visible on the bark of the tree, or submerged under the bark as epicormic buds. They are sometimes called suckers, although that term is more correctly applied to shoots that arise from below ground, from the roots, and a distance from the trunk. Vigorous upright water sprouts often develop in response to various factors such as physical damage, heavy pruning (or pruning in general), sub-par environmental conditions (i.e. drought, overhydration, improper soil conditions), and in response to pest and/or disease. The structure of water-sprout regrowth is not as strong as natural tree growth, and the shoots are more subject to diseases and pests. A system of principles of pruning considers this type of shoot undesirable on orchard trees because very little fruit is produced on them.

Species Prone to Water Sprout Growth

As water sprout growth can form on many different genera, there are species that are genetically predisposed to water sprout growth. Some of the most affected genera are as follows. Crab Apple (Malus), Oak (Quercus), Maple (Acer), and Dogwood (Cornus).

Water Sprouts for Grafting

Young vigorous water sprouts can be used in grafting. Water sprouts are selected for this process due to their age and flexibility classifying them as a soft wood cutting ideal for the practice. This is especially prevalent in fruit tree production.