I live in McKinney--how do I eliminate suckers from shooting up around the base of my trees and shrubs----I have two live oaks with a much ring around each---one continually gets suckers shooting up---that I keep cutting off---the other has none---I also have the same problem with one yaupon holly---the others only have occasional shoots---it appears that these shoots are roots that come up---I pull them up as far back as I can and then cut them off---but I just keep getting more shoots within a week on this one live oak and one yaupon holly---thanks for your help--S. Llano

I don't have much good news for you. These suckers are coming from the mother plant and if you "get rid of them", you do the same to the parent. Keeping them cut down is about all you can do.
A small percentage of live oaks and Youpons are notorious for doing this and I've never seen or heard of a cure. Too bad you can't select for this trait while they are still in the nursery.
Tony M

Thanks so much for the info---I will keep them trimmed---they are both excellent specimans----

I have seen one young live oak that had so many suckers that it looked like groundcovered.
Suckering is just one of the ways some trees reproduce themselves.

Tree Dude

Tree Dude---thaks for the info

Yeah, same answer here- all I've seen work is to maintainthe area through mowing them down- or using a good sharp hoe if it's in a place the mower won't go.

_________________
Shepherd of the Trees
It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields we know so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.

thanks ---Ent