Help with a maple ID

invaderzim

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Hello, all! I was wanting to see if I could get some help with this maple seedling ID please! My plant ID app says its 40% chance that it's an Acer campestre, but there was only one other photo that was an exact match as mine for the leaves. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

2022-08-06T07_55_25-05_00.JPEG
 

Shibui

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It is often harder to match seedlings as the leaves of some seedlings don't look exactly like the later adult foliage.
Can't see properly in that photo but just check that the leaves are opposite on the stem. From that angle they look like possibly alternate growth pattern which is more likely to be liquidamber.
 

penumbra

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It has to grow out more. If it is a maple there are half a dozen it could be that I know of, probably more.
 

Bonsai Nut

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I'm not 100% certain that is a maple. We need a little more time. Also, see if you can take a picture not only of the leaf, but where the leaf stem attaches to the branch.
 

Arnold

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I know its not very plausible but maybe a mischievous bird feasted in someone orchard and there you go.. xD here figs pop everywhere thank to the birds and lizards
 

Bonsai Nut

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I know its not very plausible but maybe a mischievous bird feasted in someone orchard and there you go.. xD here figs pop everywhere thank to the birds and lizards
Though Ficus carica is hardier than many other ficus, I don't think it would make it through the first winter in Oklahoma. But who knows? Perhaps in the south in a really protected area...

If he were in Southern California, it would be more likely. I had figs growing all over the place. One of my favorite landscape trees in my property in Southern California was a loquat that came from a chance seedling from who-knows-where. It is not native to California, but was thriving there without any irrigation water or special care. Loquat fruit is delicious!
 

rockm

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Given your location and the prevalence of the species, This is most likely Acer Rubrum -- red maple.
 

invaderzim

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I do agree that it may be too early to tell as well. Not planning on collecting this since it's so late in the summer, just going to let it ride out the rest of year into spring and hope it survives over the winter with some cover. I don't know of any other maples in my neighborhood, but then again I'm not creeping into people's yards, haha. Acer rubrum was another consideration as well considering location. I have heard of people growing figs here, but not very commonly as we're on the very edge of it's hardiness zone (our temps can get well below freezing here in the winter). Though I would be very pleasantly surprised if that was the case. Either way, it's not something I've seen grow in my yard before so I'll let it grow out and see. It'll either be collected as a project to grow out for bonsai or planted elsewhere if it's something desirable. I'll keep you all updated!
 

penumbra

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Sweet gum doesn't have those rounded lobes however.
True. But it has a better chance of being a gum than a maple.
It may turn out to be some trash tree (to me), along the lines of Rose of Sharon.
 

Shibui

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Thanks for the extra photos.
The alternate leaf pattern rules out any maple, including sycamore.

I still would not rule out Liquidamber. As mentioned earlier, juvenile leaves sometimes quite different from adult foliage. Liquidamber do have a distinct smell though so crushing a leaf could give clues.
All ficus have milky latex sap which makes them easy to Id or rule out so when you pick the leaf check for sap oozing from the cut stem.

Nothing else jumps out yet but if the ideas above don't pan out try again when it is a bit older.
 
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