Epicormic branches
Epicormic shoots are fast-growing shoots originating from buds in the tree trunk or structural branches . Epicormic shoots can be a normal part of growth , a sign of stress or loss of photosynthetic capacity in the upper canopy , a response to sunlight , or a result of damage caused by previous poor pruning practices .
Epicormic growth resulting from injury tends to be vigorous and fast-growing . Shoots may grow as much as three times faster than the tree ’ s usual speed of growth .
Young epicormic shoots attach to just the outer layers of trunk tissue – the layers that have formed after the bud started growing . This attachment is often weaker than an older branch of comparable size .
Rescuers should be very cautious with any lifesupport attachment made to smaller branches originating directly from the trunk or structural branches .
Without the layers of interlocking growth that secure older branches to the parent trunk , epicormic shoots can separate from the trunk under comparatively low load .
If there is any doubt , the safest option is to set the climbing line around the trunk above the branch , rather than just over the branch by itself .
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