---
title: "What Is Stump? Stump Grinding Glossary | Cincinnati Stump Grinding"
description: "A stump is the part of a tree trunk and its roots left in the ground after the tree is cut down. From the Cincinnati Stump Grinding glossary."
url: https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump
publisher: Cincinnati Stump Grinding
phone: +1-513-587-6772
quote: https://cincystump.multisites.ai/contact
---

Tree

# Stump

A stump is the part of a tree trunk and its roots left in the ground after the tree is cut down.

A stump is what remains once a tree is cut. It is the lower trunk plus the root system underneath. Stump height varies, from level with the ground to several feet tall.

The stump is mostly roots and wood below the surface. Iowa State Extension says large machines chew away the stump and any large lateral roots, typically down 8 to 12 inches. Fine and deep roots remain and break down over time.

A stump may also sprout. Iowa State notes that some stumps will resprout after the tree is cut down. See [stump removal](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-removal) for the ways to deal with one, and [stump sprout](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-sprout) for regrowth. [Stump diameter](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-diameter) is how a stump is sized.

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

## Related terms

-   [Stump removal](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-removal)
-   [Stump sprout](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-sprout)
-   [Root flare](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/root-flare)
-   [Stump diameter](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-diameter)
-   [Natural decay](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/natural-decay)

## Sources

1.  [Iowa State University Extension, Yard and Garden: How to Remove Tree Stumps](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-remove-tree-stumps)
2.  [Iowa State University Extension, Yard and Garden: How to Remove Tree Stumps](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-remove-tree-stumps)