[Paladin2]

It's the sugar, not the water that counts.

If a tree has no crown where does the sugar come from year after year?

[from occupied ga]

If a tree has no crown where does the sugar come from year after year?

I wondered that too.

[Oberon]

As they used to teach in forestry classes, "Xylem up and phloem down."

Yes, the moisture is coming from the roots. No, there won't be significant sugar without photosynthesis having happened at some point. Which means once you've crowned the tree, it won't be able to deliver any more sugar than is already stored in the tree's tissues.

[Don W]

The sugar comes from the same place it always has, the ROOTS!

That it took this long to learn that is testament to how little we know about everything that matters.