---
title: "What Is Lateral roots? Stump Grinding Glossary | Cincinnati Stump Grinding"
description: "Lateral roots are roots that spread sideways from the base of a tree, mostly in the top foot or so of soil, often far past the edge of the canopy."
url: https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/lateral-roots
publisher: Cincinnati Stump Grinding
phone: +1-513-587-6772
quote: https://cincystump.multisites.ai/contact
---

Tree

# Lateral roots

Lateral roots are roots that spread sideways from the base of a tree, mostly in the top foot or so of soil, often far past the edge of the canopy.

Lateral roots grow outward, not down. Most of a tree's woody roots sit close to the surface, where air and water are best. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry says these roots are predominantly located in the top 30 cm (12 in) of soil and do not normally extend to depths greater than 1 to 2 meters.

The same journal says they grow outward far beyond the branch tips of the tree. This is why one tree can affect a wide area of lawn.

For stumps, the large laterals nearest the trunk are the ones a [stump grinder](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-grinder) reaches. Iowa State Extension says grinders chew away the stump and any large lateral roots, typically down 8 to 12 inches. Farther out, roots stay put. See [surface roots](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/surface-roots) and [taproot](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/taproot).

[From Cincinnati Stump GrindingStump grinding](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/services/stump-grinding)

## Related terms

-   [Surface roots](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/surface-roots)
-   [Taproot](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/taproot)
-   [Buttress roots](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/buttress-roots)
-   [Stump grinder](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-grinder)

## Sources

1.  [Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (ISA): The Ecology of Tree Roots and the Practical Significance Thereof](https://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/8/8/197)
2.  [Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (ISA): The Ecology of Tree Roots and the Practical Significance Thereof](https://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/8/8/197)
3.  [Iowa State University Extension, Yard and Garden: How to Remove Tree Stumps](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-remove-tree-stumps)