Abstract: A tool for grasping the stem of a woody shrub or small tree and uprooting same comprises an elongated lever arm pivotally attached at two points at its lower end to a lifting assembly having stem-gripping jaws. The lifting assembly includes a lifter arm having a fulcrum means mounted at one end and a fixed jaw face mounted at the other, and a movable jaw that slides parallel to said lifter arm, having a jaw face that opposes said fixed jaw face and moves in parallel relation to it. Dual leverage ratios are attained by the length of the lever arm, the length of the lifter arm, and the distance between said two pivot points, enabling the jaws to grip a woody stem with a force that increases at a greater rate than the lifting force as the operator pulls said lever arm to uproot said shrub or tree.