epicormic shoot

Human horticultural practices that exploit epicormic growth rely on plants that have epicormic budding capabilities for regenerative function in response to crown damage, such as through wind or fire.

Epicormic shoots are the means by which trees regrow after coppicing or pollarding, where the tree's trunk or branches are cut back on a regular cycle. These forestry techniques cannot be used on species which do not possess strong epicormic growth abilities.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Pruning leads to growth of suppressed shoots below the cut – these may be from epicormic buds, but they may also be other growth, such as normal buds or small shoots which are only partly suppressed.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Epicormic resprouting is typical of some tree species from fire-prone ecosystems.{{cite journal |last1=Pausas |first1=J.G. |last2=Keeley |first2=J.E. |title=Epicormic Resprouting in Fire-Prone Ecosystems |journal=Trends in Plant Science |date=2017 |volume=22 |issue=12 |pages=1008–1015 |doi=10.1016/j.tplants.2017.08.010|pmid=28927652 |bibcode=2017TPS....22.1008P |hdl=10261/183556 |hdl-access=free }} File:Epicormic shoot on Callistemon showing fragile attachment IMG 5058-63L.jpg, showing the fragility of the attachment before the parental wood has grown thick enough to supply a deep, firm attachment]]

As one of their responses to frequent bushfires which would destroy most other plants, many Eucalypt trees found widely throughout Australia have extensive epicormic buds which sprout following a fire, allowing the vegetative regeneration of branches from their trunks.{{cite web |title=Effects of fire on plants and animals: individual level |url=http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/units/sbi263/ecology/individual.html |work=Fire ecology and management in northern Australia |publisher=Tropical Savannas CRC & Bushfire CRC |access-date=27 December 2010 |date=2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110130175624/http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/units/sbi263/ecology/individual.html |archive-date=30 January 2011}}{{cite web|title=Learn about eucalypts|url=http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/learn.htm#history|work=EUCLID - Eucalypts of Australia|publisher=Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research|access-date=27 December 2010|archive-date=14 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110314104137/http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/learn.htm#history|url-status=dead}} These epicormic buds are highly protected, set deeper beneath the thick bark than in other tree species, allowing both the buds and vascular cambium to be insulated from the intense heat. Not all eucalypt trees possess this means of vegetative recovery, and the ability of a tree to survive and re-sprout depends on many factors, such as fire intensity, scorch height, and tree height, species, age, and size. Jarrah trees, found in the south-west of Western Australia, have epicormic buds which are activated after a bushfire or other extreme conditions.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

The Mediterranean Quercus suber (cork oak) resprouts from epicormic buds after fire.{{cite journal | url=https://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3237375 | doi=10.2307/3237375 | jstor=3237375 | title=Resprouting of Quercus suber in NE Spain after Fire | last1=Pausas | first1=Juli G. | journal=Journal of Vegetation Science | year=1997 | volume=8 | issue=5 | pages=703–706 | bibcode=1997JVegS...8..703P | url-access=subscription }}

Dogwood trees {{endash}} which are susceptible to a fungal infection known as dogwood anthracnose (Discula destructiva) {{endash}} will sometimes send out epicormic shoots when they are dying from the disease.{{cite web |url=http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0551/ |title=Dogwood Diseases in Alabama |access-date=22 June 2009 |archive-date=27 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527222836/http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0551/ |url-status=dead }} Similarly, ash trees may develop epicormic shoots when infested by the emerald ash borer.{{cite book |title=A Visual Guide to Detecting Emerald Ash Borer Damage |work=Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources |year=2006 |isbn=0-662-43152-9 |url=http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/pubwarehouse/pdfs/26856.pdf |access-date=September 7, 2022|last1=Groot |first1=Peter De |publisher=Great Lakes Forestry Centre }}

Epicormic shoots can be used in mass propagation of oak trees.{{Cite journal | last = Harmer | first = R. | title = Production and Use of Epicormic Shoots for the Vegetative Propagation of Mature Oak | journal = Forestry | volume = 61 | issue = 4 | pages = 305–316 | year = 1988 |doi=10.1093/forestry/61.4.305-a}}

The long-lived Pseudotsuga macrocarpa (bigcone Douglas fir) forms epicormic shoots both in response to fire damage and as a means of forming growth on existing branches. The epicormic branching pattern has been observed to six iterations.[http://faculty.washington.edu/edford/long_lived.html Crown development of long-lived trees] University of Washington{{Cite web |title=Pseudotsuga macrocarpa (Bigcone Douglas-fir) description |url=https://www.conifers.org/pi/Pseudotsuga_macrocarpa.php |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=www.conifers.org}}

File:Pseudotsuga macrocarpa LytleCreek2.jpg. Note the charred tree trunks.]]

File:Banksia attenuata resprouter.jpg resprouting from epicormic buds following a bushfire]]

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}

• Adventitiousness
• Apical dominance
• Coppicing
• Crown sprouting
• Cutting (plant)
• Lignotuber
• Plant hormone
• Pollarding
• Resprouter
• Witch's broom

{{div col end}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-RpSXJFI6s Epicormic roots on a Norway Maple video]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIJmENQIryk Epicormic shoots on oak, alder and larch]

{{Commons category}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Epicormic Shoot}}

Category:Horticulture