Tree or Something Else?

[roadrunner]

I have this plant that keeps coming back year after year in random areas of my yard; however, it seems it sticks to the shadier areas. Its leaves turn orange and dies back in the winter then comes back again the next year, but I've never seen it produce flowers.

I haven't paid too much attention to this plant until last year, where I allowed one to grow (without being accidentally yanked out) and it died back in the winter, but came back this year; so far it's only grown about 18 inches (45-46 cm) in height and I'm afraid it's going to die back again soon.

Notice the number of branches in the first pic, from this photo it kind of looks like multiple plants, but it's only one plant. The third pic is the stem coming from the ground and the remaining two are just close-ups of the leaves.

P.S. Today I'm going to dig another one up and put it in full sun conditions and see how it does.

Curious if anyone knows what it is?

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

Does it has milky sap?

 

[Chuck]

I have this plant that keeps coming back year after year in random areas of my yard; however, it seems it sticks to the shadier areas. Its leaves turn orange and dies back in the winter then comes back again the next year, but I've never seen it produce flowers.

I haven't paid too much attention to this plant until last year, where I allowed one to grow (without being accidentally yanked out) and it died back in the winter, but came back this year; so far it's only grown about 18 inches (45-46 cm) in height and I'm afraid it's going to die back again soon.

Notice the number of branches in the first pic, from this photo it kind of looks like multiple plants, but it's only one plant. The third pic is the stem coming from the ground and the remaining two are just close-ups of the leaves.

P.S. Today I'm going to dig another one up and put it in full sun conditions and see how it does.

Curious if anyone knows what it is?

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Unfortunately what you have there is a super invasive plant called a tallow tree. Kill it NOW

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Unfortunately what you have there is a super invasive plant called a tallow tree. Kill it NOW

You are right. Best to kill it asap.

 

[roadrunner]

Does it has milky sap?

The milky sap is very hard to detect, but it does have it in the leaves. Probably hard to detect, because the trees are just saplings.

Unfortunately what you have there is a super invasive plant called a tallow tree. Kill it NOW

Thanks Chuck, you're right, it's a Tallow tree. https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_trse6.pdf

I've seen this tree pop up every where for years, but had no idea it was such a super invasive species. Luckily I can control it easily, so far. I guess this is just another one of those things that come with collecting yard waste and mulching into my yard. I've looked around my house and don't see any adult tallow trees, but I have collected yard waste miles from my house.

There are two nice attributes of this tree, one is that it supposedly makes good honey and the second is that its leaves turn a very vibrant orange in the fall, which I saw for the first time last year after allowing that sapling to grow. But I guess these attributes are not worth all the other problems that come with the tree; I'll rip them out by their roots