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I would cut all the suckers, as close to the ground as you can. That viburnum will get larger also the grass will fill in. Suckers have the tenancy to take over

Spectro, I was always taught this about prunning trees and shrubs; when in doubt, prune some more; this has always worked for me.

"When in doubt, prune some more" is the opposite of good advice. "You can't put it back once you cut it off" is more like it.

Looks like it's a choke cherry (Prunus virginiana) rather than a black cherry (P. serotina) to me. What to do depends on what you want to look at, what kind of upkeep you want to undertake. If you want to liberate the tree shape inside the clump every time you look at it, then you should remove the suckers. The stumps of these will probably re-sprout indefinitely.

The viburnum could be transplanted and replaced by evergreen shrubs like yew, holly or box, climate permitting to make a more effective screen.

So...would it harm the tree to cut all the suckers in one season? It definitely seems like a hardy grower so I suspect it would be ok.

I guess part of my (and it's) confusion is whether or not it is considered a tree or shrub. Choke cherry says it is a shrub, however this thing is huge - I'd guess 15-18ft. When I look at it, yes I do wish it was just the single trunk because I think it looks kind of goofy, but I hate to lose the screen it provides. When in bloom it looks monstrous. I have very inconsiderate neighbors who frequently walk through and have broken branches off the viburnums. I would like a fence but that isn't in the budget for many years.

What is the best for the health of the tree?

If you want the tree shape inside to be exposed, cut them all off at once.

No, it will not hurt the tree, the suckers will do more damage than the pruning. If you don't prune the suckers they will grow into each other and rub this is not good for the tree.

unless you have some sentimental attachment to this tree.. i would have the whole thing cut to the ground..

treat the stump with stump killer, according to directions...

and plant a new plant a few feet in front of it to fill in over time ...

lets be realistic... its beyond some simply sucker trimming ... its going to be a 5 year nightmare.. and i would bet a buck.. it will win ... and then you will take it down ... and pay twice as much to take it down ..

let us know if you need suggestions for better plant material

good luck

ken

Kind of have to agree with Ken. Tree is just going to be a pain, which you will get tired of dealing with. It is not anything special, so your work on fitting it in, attention, will be unproductive over time. Then it will cost more time to take it out as a larger tree. I think they are close enough to call a tree, at 15ft, thick trunk like that one!

I would take cherry out now, put weed killer on the stump. Just let it go, think of options to put in his place. So MANY choices!

From what you have said,I would put in a large trellis, or a couple tall, decorative panels of lattice, for growing vines on Put on end, they are 6-8ft tall for vision blocking. That would close the route, protect the Viburnum you like, allow growth of flowering vines, either annual or perennial to spread on the lattice.

Hyacinth Beans grow annually, cover a lot of area quickly. Flower well all summer as a nice cover. Clematis comes in many colors, bloom times, but takes a few years to get going as a perennial.

Other nice annual vines are Morning Glory, Cardinal Flower, Moonflower, Sweet Peas, with attractive flowers over a long season. Come fall, you can cut the vines, toss them. Often some of these will resprout next year from dropped seeds, so they keep going well.

I like screens myself, and this area sounds like it needs a screen from the neighbors. You could make a screen with tying bamboo pieces together, buying and framing up some lattice type panels, setting a couple fence posts to mount them on. The vines will cover it for you, especially the annuals.

An idea is what they call Farm Livestock Panels. They are made of stiff heavy wire, welded, in lengths of 16 ft, 4ft tall. You could cut it in pieces for width and height, wire it up to a T-post. You have a trellis up in a couple hours or less for under $50 with one panel. I might go with 2 panels. Cut into even size pieces, so I had height to allow good vine climing, screening of neighbor view. I would be putting them upright, side by side for width to protect the bush, close the opening. When you decide you are tired of wire panels or get in a fence, the panels can be moved and reused for other things. Compost piles, dog pen, trellis in other places. I love these wire panels, last forever.

Some folks are just rude, cutting across when requested not to. I am a fence person myself, keeps my dogs home. I always start with a fence, then build inside it. WELL WORTH the cost to us.

Good luck with the ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Feedlot fence Panels

Alternatively, cut off the main trunk near the ground and let the suckers take over; this is less work since it's a one-time deal. The stump of the trunk will virtually disappear behind the multiple sucker stems and you'll have a decent large shrub in no time. This will be more likely to succeed than trying to turn this back into a tree, and will be more effective - more quickly - than replacing the cherry with a better large shrub or tree.

Planting high value shrubs and trees along the border with bad neighbors can be a waste of time, especially if they are the kind of people who cut through the border -they're likely to step on whatever you plant there.

do not use WEEDkiller as STUMPkiller..

UNLESS the label states such is a recommended use ... and then ... if allowed.. use according to label ..

ken

I second the suggestion to take out the main trunk and let the suckers take over. Then you can cut down a third of the older suckers each year to maintain it.

I think it makes a nice screen, and there is really no getting rid of it short of chemicals that can harm the roots of nearby shrubs. Sometimes you just have to go with what you've got.