Root Suckering
Pando is 47,000 aspen trees covering 106 acres - but it's one organism with one root system, estimated 16,000-80,000 years old. GE's 2024 split into three companies quadrupled combined market value by eliminating the 'conglomerate discount.' Same principle: apparent independence creates new value while shared roots provide stability.
New shoots emerge from lateral roots, often meters away from parent trunk. Shoots visible within weeks to months. Energy source is root system carbohydrates. Examples include aspen, some poplars, some cherries. Result: clonal colony - multiple trunks, single genetic individual. Pando (Utah aspen colony) is 47,000 trunks connected by one root system, estimated 10,000-40,000 years old.
Business Application of Root Suckering
Organizations can spawn new business units from shared infrastructure and capabilities. Like clonal colonies, corporate spinoffs and divisions can appear independent while drawing from common resources.