Why do lateral buds often grow after a plant's terminal bud is removed?

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Growth Various growth stages of the Emperor gum moth caterpillar (*Opodiphthera eucalypti*).

Lateral buds often begin to grow after a plant's terminal bud is removed due to the release of apical dominance.1

Under normal conditions, the terminal (leading) bud produces auxins, which are plant hormones that travel downward from the shoot tip. This flow of auxin inhibits the development of lateral, or axillary, buds, ensuring that the plant prioritizes vertical growth.12

When the terminal bud is removed, the primary source of this inhibitory auxin is eliminated. Consequently, the lateral buds are released from this correlative bud inhibition and resume growth. This process is also influenced by the plant's nutritional status and the presence of other growth-regulating substances, such as cytokinins, which can promote the activity of these previously dormant buds.31