nuisance shrub growing all over my lawn

[Linda Cohen]

I have these shrubs growing in my backyard lawn in NYC. I cut down about 30 a season. They keep coming back every year. I don't know what they are. I have a mulberry tree and an apricot tree growing in my yard and it doesn't look like either. Thanks for any help.
https://s559.photobucket.com/albums/ss33/lindacohen1954

[!potatoes!]

I dunno...definitely looks like it could be a stonefruit to me...in what way is it not like apricot?

[kdodds]

Does it flower at all? If so, what do they look like and how are they borne?

[rainbowgardener]

I'm thinking Japanese honeysuckle shrub. If so, it is indeed a huge nuisance.

Best thing to do is wait for a good rain, when the soil is loose and pull them up by the roots. They are shallow rooted and when you get them small like in your photos, they are easy to pull.

Don't cut them down, unless you are willing to poison the stumps; otherwise it just encourages them and they come back more than ever.

[Linda Cohen]

Thank you all for your ideas. I have included a picture with a branch from my apricot tree on top and the nuisance shrub below. While it would seem to me that these nuisances are actually root suckers, they look a bit different. As you can see in the photo, the leaves of the apricot branch are larger and have a more elongated tip and the branch itself is much more red. Is it possible that root suckers can be this different from the tree ? Hope you can see the picture, I'm not too savvy with these buttons yet. [img]https://s559.photobucket.com/upload/albums/lindacohen1954/lawn.comparison.jpg[/img]

[applestar]

Maybe the apricot is grafted on a suckering type rootstock. My European plum throws root suckers all over the place .

Are apricots sometimes grafted onto plum rootstock?

[JONA878]

I have a question for RG and Star.

Do you get Japanese Knotweed over your side of the pond?
This looks very similar to the plant.

It is a major nuisance over here and a lot of money is being spent in trying to get rid of the stuff.
Very polific in growth as it grows from rhizones that spread very quickly.

[rainbowgardener]

[img]https://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss33/lindacohen1954/lawncomparison.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss33/lindacohen1954/2012-04-26_142657.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss33/lindacohen1954/2012-04-14_145931.jpg[/img]

in photobucket it is super easy. Mouse over your photo and codes appear. Click on the IMG code which copies it. Paste it in here (no buttons, just paste the code in).

[Linda Cohen]

Thanks all. I think Applestar is correct. I called Stark Bros. nursery and found out that their apricot trees (this is the sweetheart variety) are sometimes grafted onto plum root stock. Mystery solved.

The next fruit tree I buywill be grown from seedling, not grafted.