Does anyone know what this seedling is?

[_#1_]

My first time examining these things myself lol. Ripped a pic off the web of river birch seedling.


Top looks to be Tree Of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima). The samara looks just like it when I pulled out the seedling. Bottom is the summa Beech. Them pseudo leaves are just sooo different on the Beech!


But of course the best way to identify is to wait for some true leaf to appear I think.

 

[Hyn Patty]

My first guess was Beech but as you say, wait and see. Beech sure make for beautiful bonsai but you would want to put it into the ground for some years before you do more than root training. Meanwhile you could do internet searches on Beeches as bonsai for inspiration. They also make lovely forest planting’s if you can start or find several more!

 

[_#1_]

Thanks Hyn. I think I'll move the little guy to the grow bed in the fall and forget about it for awhile.

Would love to try Paper Birch forest someday though..

 

[Cable]

Ok, I didn’t notice the base was different than mine.

 

[Solaris]

Paper birch will make an awesome forest or grove. Although I read they're short lived.

By the same metrics that you're short-lived. They live about a century in the wild. Not sure if their lifespans are genetically or physiologically restricted; cherries are short-lived to the tune of a few decades, but as bonsai can live much longer.
Birches are easy to kill if you mess with their roots wrong. Not sure how you mess with them right, though.

 

[_#1_]

I must of got something mixed up lol. Somehow I thought they lived only to about 30-50 years. Either way, I think I'll give them a try next season when my yard is more orderly.

Time to do some research!

 

[Solaris]

I must of got something mixed up lol. Somehow I thought they lived only to about 30-50 years. Either way, I think I'll give them a try next season when my yard is more orderly.

Time to do some research!

You're right about trees in urban environments; birches don't like bad air and compacted soil.
One of those, at least, you should be able to avoid.

 

[leatherback]

You're right about trees in urban environments; birches don't like bad air and compacted soil.
One of those, at least, you should be able to avoid.

Yeah, but how to avoid the bad soil

But don't worry. It is not Birch. It is beech

 

[americanelmer]

When I lived in NY I had a monster Purple Beech on my front lawn. Every other year it make thousands of beech nuts. It seemed like about 99% were sterile. But that being said I would get 20 to 30 seedling in the lawn and the rock garden. I was never able to keep any of those seedling beyond the 2nd year. I was in zone 6b in the Hudson valley.

So I guess I am saying in my experience they should be overwintered in a cold frame or in an unheated shed out of the wind. Unfortunately I never did those things. They are very fragile as seedlings.

Have fun with it.

A_E

 

[_#1_]

was never able to keep any of those seedling beyond the 2nd year. I was in zone 6b in the Hudson valley

Thanks for heads up @americanelmer. I'll definitely protect it from winter wind IF it makes it to winter.

The leaves got bigger but I don't see any new growth. And they're kinda yellowish too. Is this normal?

 

[Cable]

My birch seedling is still yellowish. Not sure yet if it is a problem or just a growing pain.

 

[TN_Jim]

Could it be more shade/indirect sun need? I did some homework on my Carpinus last night and I think the 4-5 hours direct sun is preventing new leaves from reaching full chlorophyll..moving them to only dappled light to test this.

 

[_#1_]

hmmm I wasn't considering more or less sun. But the seedlings are all near north facing wall. My American Hornbeam is in mostly shade and it's doing great! They do like water alot cause I water the dickens out of it and it loves it.

 

[leatherback]

Beech suri=vive in the shade. However, to really take off they want full sun. Beech are the silent killers of forest diversity. They slowly live and grow in the understory untill thei either reach the canopy, or till sunlight is created when a nearby tree dies. Then they can take off and claim a spot in the canopy, shading out the plants underneath.

This in contrast to carpinus, which in many forest is not a canopy species but an understory species typically in oak-based forests. As such, they are much less happy in full sun (Although I do have them in full sun, which does not seem to stop them as long as you water them heavily).

 

[_#1_]

Thanks @leatherback I'll move the Beech to a sunnier location and see how it does.

Never thought I would be messing with seedlings and here I am lol

 

[leatherback]

Just keep in mind that trees burn as well, if they have not seen a lot of sun...

 

[_#1_]

Just keep in mind that trees burn as well, if they have not seen a lot of sun...

Good thing I unknowingly placed it where it gets some morning sun only lol. Yellowy blotch leaf and it just lost the pseudo leaves. Above it in the pic I think is Tree Of Heaven, or ghetto palm. But these trees are anything but heavenly when they bloom. I heard the flowers smells awful. I might need to snuff that one as they are considered weeds.

Speaking of shade, do you guys mean fully shaded as in covering above from the sky? Or just out of the sun but exposed to the open sky?

 

[TN_Jim]

Good thing I unknowingly placed it where it gets some morning sun only lol. Yellowy blotch leaf and it just lost the pseudo leaves. Above it in the pic I think is Tree Of Heaven, or ghetto palm. But these trees are anything but heavenly when they bloom. I heard the flowers smells awful. I might need to snuff that one as they are considered weeds.

Speaking of shade, do you guys mean fully shaded as in covering above from the sky? Or just out of the sun but exposed to the open sky?
View attachment 193952

Burn that tree of heaven! ghetto palm
They’re a terrible invasive species.

For my Carpinus, I moved them to a point below the edge of the canopy of a pin oak in my front yard. This way they are never in direct sunlight, but constantly getting dappled sun flecks as the light comes through the oaks leaves. So..it’s not truely full shade.

I may be crazy, but the trees seem happier already in such a short time. I collected them this year, so a soft touch really seems best...maybe slowly into the sun if they start growing like mad...already budding well, these are making me very pleased.

 

[TN_Jim]

This is a good interesting paper:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.e...=The_importance_of_sunflecks_for_forest_u.pdf

 

[Cable]

Anyone? This sprouted on the rootball edge of my collected big Yew. Was in the crappy soil too. Yanked it out, broke tap root in half in the process. Stuck it in better soil and it now have two leaves. Tell me this at least make nice flowers! Thanks
View attachment 191599

How's your magical mystery plant doing?