An axillary bud is a sprout that develops in the axil of a plant, which is the angle formed by the upper side of the stem and an outgrowing leaf or a branch.
These embryonic shoots develop exogenously from the outer-cortex layer of the plant at the axillary intersection and then eventually grow into new stems.
Axillary buds have the ability to produce new shoots to promote the growth of the plant and may be specialized by giving rise to either vegetative shoots or reproductive shoots.
Axillary buds may also either remain inactive for some time or generate a shoot immediately after their formation.