watershoots/suckers?

I've seen crabapple trees with suckers shooting straight up all around and I
know that's something they are prone to and that they should be removed.  I
think they are called watersprouts?  Anyway, several years back someone
stuck a Fr. Fiala Lilac in the shady terrace garden at our display gardens.
Eventually they figured out it didn't belong there and moved it over to a
bed that eventually came into the possession of my nursery group.  I need
more room for growing plants for resale and want to move the Lilac, two
viburnums, and a Lavatera  out of this bed that mostly consists of
Hydrangeas and a few Korean Rhodies.  Besides, they shouldn't be in
shade............which brings me back to the Lilac.  This full sized
specimen (about 5 ft, small leaved - I'm unsure of species, but a dwarf of
some kind)  has what appears to be a couple hundred watershoots, about 8
inches tall, at its base.  I've seen suckers from Syringa vulgaris, but not
like this.  It looks like a plant's response to stress  - could that stress
be the result of moving too often or trying to survive in shade?

My main question is whether these shoots might be worth propagating.  Of
course, I won't really know what's there until we dig it up.  If they can be
removed with some roots, I'd like to give it a try.  If they aren't
salvageable, they still should be removed, right?  Any ideas as to whether
this effort might be worthwhile?

Kitty

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