How the Sycamore Gap tree is recovering: epicormic shoots

This video explains the physiological and ecological role of epicormic buds in plant recovery following disturbance. Using a hawthorn example and the felled Sycamore Gap tree along Hadrian's Wall, the video illustrates how apical dominance regulates bud activity through auxin signalling. Under normal conditions, auxins produced in apical meristems suppress the growth of dormant epicormic buds located beneath the bark. When the apical shoots are removed through disturbance, such as cutting, windthrow, herbivory, or fire, this hormonal inhibition is released, allowing epicormic buds to activate and produce new shoots. The video also links this physiological mechanism to long-standing silvicultural practices, such as coppicing and pollarding, where deliberate cutting stimulates epicormic regrowth for the production of fuelwood, tools, construction material, and livestock forage. Epicormic resprouting is also important in disturbance-adapted ecosystems, particularly in fire-prone systems, such as those dominated by Eucalyptus species. Together, these examples highlight the importance of epicormic buds as a key adaptive mechanism enabling plant resilience, persistence after disturbance, and human management of woody vegetation. Beautiful image of mature tree in thumbnail and video by Clementp.fr - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...