Sweetgum volunteers

[crokett™]

Oaks and some other hardwoods will sprout at the stump unless the stump is ground out or treated. They won't sprout from the roots. Once pines are cut, they die off. I don't know about sweet gum and I don't know if what you are calling sweet gum is what I call sweet gum.

[branchacctg]

Sweet gum---Liquidambar styraciflua  star shaped leaves with gumballs.  Lots of gumballs, which is why I wanted it gone. Probably the same as your sweet gum.

[Snipe Hunter]

We've taken down several Sweetgums. Never had volunteers. But there's still a lot of them in the area. Are you sure they're volunteers and not from gumballs??

[branchacctg]

We've taken down several Sweetgums. Never had volunteers. But there's still a lot of them in the area. Are you sure they're volunteers and not from gumballs??

They seem to be following at least two roots and where the stump was, so guessing volunteers rather than gumball origination. Have on or two much farther away that are likely from gumballs.

[crokett™]

Sweet gum---Liquidambar styraciflua  star shaped leaves with gumballs.  Lots of gumballs, which is why I wanted it gone. Probably the same as your sweet gum.

Sounds like it.  Here they're considered invasive trash trees.  OTOH if you want woods in a hurry, plant sweet gums.  they'll proliferate and grow faster than anything.  Anyway I've never seen them sprout from the roots, only the stump.

[JosephP]

From here:  https://academic.oup.com/forestscience/a...edFrom=PDF

"Sweetgum (Liquidambar styratiflua L.) reproduces prolifically from root suckers in the Georgia Piedmont. Histological observations of lateral root segments without visible buds or suckers reveal numerous suppressed buds embedded in the periderm with vascular traces extending either to the stele of the primary root or to a point of previous root injury. Clusters of adventitious buds are often found embedded in the periderm in swellings associated with aborted lateral roots, and the vascular traces of these buds become continuous with those of the previously formed lateral roots. The exposure of lateral roots to light resulted in the immediate release of numerous suppressed buds all along their surface. Complete girdling of exposed lateral roots had a similar but more restricted effect."

(emphasis added)

[Snipe Hunter]

I cut down a Mimosa tree and it kept sprouting from the stump and the roots. After a few years of volunteers I drilled holes around the trunk just inside the bark, and holes in the root about 3/8 dia and maybe 1 inch deep and squirted round-up in them. Took about a month and that was it. I've taken down lots of Hollies too and I have to kill them the same way. Hollies grow like weeds here.