Epicormic shoots on stem segments from suppressed striped maple (Acerpensylvanicum L.) grow from poorly developed lateral buds in the axils of bud scales. The nondormant buds on stem segments in water are released by removing the terminal bud. For dormant buds (collected in winter) to grow they must, in addition to removing the terminal, either be chilled at 5 °C for 3–4 months or be treated with gibberellic acid (GA). Treatment with basally applied growth regulators did not release lateral buds if the terminal was intact. Nondormant buds on decapitated segments were totally inhibited by indolebutyric acid, applied either basally in solution or apically in lanolin, and partially inhibited by abscissic acid or 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid. Triiodobenzoic acid increased the number of buds released on decapitated segments but inhibited their subsequent growth. GA and benzyl adenine did not effect bud release but did stimulate subsequent epicormic shoot growth.