small woody plant ID request - Ask Extension
I have this small plant growing in my woodsy yard. I think it has been growing here for a couple of years. Would you be able to identify it? Its curre...
Knowledgebase
small woody plant ID request #354249
Asked August 18, 2016, 11:50 AM EDT
I have this small plant growing in my woodsy yard. I think it has been growing here for a couple of years. Would you be able to identify it? Its current height is about 7" and it has a bushy habit. The bottom of the main stem is woody. I have attached 3 photos of the plant. I removed one leaf to refer to while searching a tree field guide; you can probably see the leaf stalk for the removed leaf in one of the photos. Thank you.
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
We'd guess this is a hardwood tree seedling, probably a maple.
cm
cm
I could not find a matching maple in my Audubon Society Field Guide North American Trees Eastern Region, so I wondered about shrubs with similar leaves. Could it be a maple leaf viburnum or other shrub with leaf similar to a maple leaf?
Maple leaf viburnums do not usually pop up unless there is a parent nearby. Maples on the other hand frequently show up. With only your photos for information, we cannot give a definitive identification. Maples commonly interbreed and it is not uncommon to have ones with leaves that do not exactly match those in the tree id books. vw
