Paper Mulberry - killing suckers/seedlings?

9 years ago

I have an enormous Paper Mulberry tree in my back yard that I love. It is huge, with a 12' trunk circumference. Unfortunately, it sends out literally thousands of suckers or seedlings. I mow most of them down, no problem. But many shoot up too large and are 4' or more in no time - along fence lines, the shed, even a hundred feet away coming up along my front porch. What I cut down with loppers just come back in multiples. I've read that I can directly apply Roundup to the freshly cut stumps and after repeated treatments they might die off. My question is can this negatively effect the main tree? Are the suckers still attached to the main tree's roots? I rent and the tree isn't mine and I can't damage it, even though the owners are fine with me using Roundup on the many, many large saplings (if they are called that). Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I am in the Virginia Appalachians in z6.

Featured Answer

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis

9 years ago

If they are suckers it may bother the tree.

The ones 100 feet away I might spray figuring them to be seedlings. You ever dig up one that far out and see if it was attached?

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Comments (7)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
first off.. are you absolutely sure of the ID ...

second.. nothing dies from cutting down alone ...

third.. if you cut a seedling tree down.. and apply a stump killer or undiluted round up ... it will die.. in one treatment ..

you would never do such with suckers ...

the mulberry i have.. do not sucker .. and i kill thousands with the killer system ...

if you supply a pic of a leaf.. we might be able to ID it for you ...

ken
Cynthia Vasko thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
9 years ago
Can you supply a photo? Afaik Paper Mulberry is not hardy in zone 6.
Cynthia Vasko thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
Cynthia Vasko
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I'm on a chromebook since my computer died, and I don't have a way to post pics - however I might be able to find my previous post here in the gardens forums a year or two ago where I did post several photos including leaf close-ups, and a few folks here id'd the tree as a paper mulberry.
Cynthia Vasko
Original Author
9 years ago
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/3894032/help-me-id-this-large-tree?n=5
Cynthia Vasko
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hope the link works - that's my old post, I was coatfetish on my computer...I should add that since being here more than a year, the tree never has blossoms or fruit, only the catkins, and the young trees that pop up have large leaves that look like mittens until the tree gets older, then the leaves start converting over the the pointed ovals seen in the full grown tree.
HU-695244893
5 years ago
My entire back yard is full of these horrible things. There is one huge one that is so big that it is in my power lines. The rest are sprouting up and growing 3-4 feet in 2 weeks. I want them all gone. Planning on getting some glysophate this week. I'm in Alabama and it has rained literally all summer so far. I can't mow them so I have to kill them somehow. Any suggestions on how much to spray?