We get calls every spring from property owners who had buckthorn cut the previous fall and are now looking at a yard full of new growth they weren't expecting. "We had it all removed," they tell us. "Now it's back, and it looks worse."
This is one of the most common and frustrating experiences people have with buckthorn. And it's almost always the result of the same mistake: cutting without treating.
Why Buckthorn Regrows After Cutting
Buckthorn has an extensive root system that stores a large amount of energy. When you cut the above-ground portion of the plant, the roots don't die. They respond by pushing out new growth, often producing multiple new shoots from a single cut stump within a single growing season.
A buckthorn shrub that was one stem before cutting can become a many-stemmed thicket within two to three years if left untreated. The regrowth is typically more aggressive and denser than the original plant.
The Seed Bank Problem
Even if you could somehow eliminate every stump, there's still the seed bank. Buckthorn produces thousands of seeds per plant per year, and those seeds can remain viable in the soil for up to six years. This means cutting an established buckthorn population without treatment guarantees a new seedling population will emerge in subsequent seasons.
What Proper Treatment Looks Like
The standard treatment for cut buckthorn stumps is cut-stump herbicide application: immediately after cutting (within minutes, not hours), a concentrated herbicide is applied directly to the cut surface of the stump. This is absorbed by the vascular tissue and carried down into the root system, killing the plant at its source.
The timing is critical. If you let a cut stump sit for more than a few hours before treating, the effectiveness drops significantly as the cut surface begins to seal.
At Beyond Buckthorn, we always treat stumps immediately as we cut. It adds time to the job, but it's the difference between a lasting result and a job you'll have to pay for again.
What If You've Already Cut Without Treating?
If you've already cut buckthorn without treating, there are still good options. Resprouts can be treated with basal bark herbicide (applied to the lower few inches of the stem) or by cutting again and treating the fresh stumps. Seedling populations can be treated with foliar herbicide.
The key is to act before the resprouts mature and begin producing seeds again, which can happen within a few years.
Contact us if you're dealing with buckthorn regrowth after a previous cut. We can assess the situation and recommend the most efficient path forward.