I too have an ornamental plum like that shown in this thread, but it suffered severe damage in a recent windstorm. (I can't post a photo, no camera yet.) All the locals call the erect shoots "watersprouts" and have advised me to cut them all off! My question is, could I leave one to act as a new "header" where the branches above got ripped off by wind? I was planning to cut back to main branches otherwise, but now I'm not sure. What to do?
Even if I could see the photo, it might be hard to explain how to prune it. Can add though, that I rarely remove all the watersprouts from plum, pear or apple.
OK, may I ask why? As an ornamental, I don't expect to vase-prune, but the locals tall me they "take the vigor" from the rest of the tree.??