What tree/bush is this

Apanachi

This tree has just grown out of nowhere in my MiL's garden, she hasn't a clue what it is (me neither ) she doesn't know what to do with it, leave it or dig it out, it's growing at a very rapid speed, so she asked me to find out what it is, can anyone tell me what it is)

Thanks

looksee

Hard to say, I suspect it is a weed/something self-seeded. A pic of the whole plant to see the growth pattern, stems etc would be good!

Nonmonotonic

Or wait till it flowers like it appears to be going to do in pic no. 3.

pinky 06

Hi, this looks like an ash tree. They seem to grow anywhere! I'm always picking seedlings of them out of my flowerbeds

Apanachi

Nonmonotonic wrote: »

Or wait till it flowers like it appears to be going to do in pic no. 3.

Yes, I didn't actually notice that, but I was at my MiL's house yesterday and it had started to flower, the buds actually look like those fluffy buds on a willow tree, I dind't have my camera with me so I couldn't take any pic of the buds, but here's more i took a few days ago

Thanks for your input so far

looksee

Its not an ash, they have completely different leaves, I think it is a dogwood. The stem is like willow, but again the leaves are usually narrower.

slowburner

That's definitely Willow

planetX

+1 willow. They self seed absolutely everywhere, and grow at speed.

Ophiopogon

Could be a goat willow with the broader leaves but I would have thought it would be deeper toothed than it looks...

As someone said see how it flowers/fruits

looksee

I'd still put money on dogwood, be interesting to see the flower

Nonmonotonic

+1 for Dogwood.
This is a different one but look at the leaves. Opposite and curved veins



But then the 'fluffy buds" = Catkins?
So it must be a birch


No the leaves are alternate and veins are straight


But they are serrated......


Its a Dogwood!

looksee

You had me worried there for a minute - then I got to the bottom of the post! I'd give you a 'thanks' but your pic is too big and has put the button off the page!

Nonmonotonic

Your welcome!

I've discovered a flaw in the system, I cannot edit that post either because the picture has pushed all the icons off the bottom of the page!:)

slowburner

Willow for sure - here are some pictures of my Willows - I use them every day!:)

slowburner

Apologies for the poor quality images

Git101

Handy way to help identify dogwood.
Fold a leaf across the veins until it cracks, gently pull the 2 pieces apart. It the veins remain intact in the gap it's dogwood.

looksee

slowburner wrote: »

Apologies for the poor quality images

Hmmm so you should apologise, this is important stuff

I may have to reluctantly concede you may be right. We await flowers.

Apanachi

Nonmonotonic wrote: »

But then the 'fluffy buds" = Catkins?

Catkins that's the word I was looking for, all I could think of was "fluffy buds", I've really been living in Germany too long, I'm forgetting how to speak English :eek:

But, anyway, thanks a bunch folks, I'll take a look in MiL's garden today or tomorrow to see if the bush is flowering, but from what I've seen, I think it might just be a (goat???) willow, it looks a lot like the photos that slowburner posted, but a few of the Dogwood photos I found on the net look pretty convincing too...

..well at least we seemed to have narrowed it down to a choice of two, that a hell of a lot further than I was previously.

Thanks again folks

prospect

I thought dogwoods usually have multiple stems growing from the base, as opposed to a single main stem like in the photo.

I'd say willow to.

slowburner

looksee wrote: »

Hmmm so you should apologise, this is important stuff

I may have to reluctantly concede you may be right. We await flowers.

I accept your concession, oh Sleuth of the Shrubs, reluctant though it may be.

Nonmonotonic

Well done Ophiopogon ( with an honorable mention to Slowburner ) for the correct answer.
Fluffy Buds?

looksee

HANG ON A MINUTE! Its a bit late in the year for willow to be flowering isn't it? Whereas dogwood...

Ophiopogon

Oh please let me be right...my plant id has been shocking lately!!!

slowburner

Ophiopogon wrote: »

Oh please let me be right...my plant id has been shocking lately!!!

You are, you are, you are.

slowburner

looksee wrote: »

HANG ON A MINUTE! Its a bit late in the year for willow to be flowering isn't it? Whereas dogwood...

I don't think they are flowers at the intersection of the leaves and the stem - they are leaf buds. The picture shows my Willows as they are today: a week or so ago the leaf buds looked just like the buds in the OP's picture.[Embedded Image Removed]

Apanachi

I can offer a (very blurry ) photo of the white buds (catkins???)

slowburner

A bit blurry alright but even more evidence to support the case for Willow.

Nonmonotonic

Apanachi wrote: »

I can offer a (very blurry ) photo of the white buds (catkins???)

See link in #21. It appears to be Goat Willow. Your MiL can now get a goat.:)

Apanachi

Nonmonotonic wrote: »

Your MiL can now get a goat.:)

Oh, I wish she would!!!!

We used to have a pet billy goat when I was a child, he was so cool, I loved him to bits.