I posted on your Plant ID forum thread; here is my reply. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/namegal/msg0121502231960.html?15 That's probably Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) given the very limited information provided. wgreenlee1 could assist by saying WHERE these plants are growing. From your post here on Trees, I'm going to surmise Missouri - where Red Mulberry would be perfectly at home. I am pretty sure that there are no Tilia sp. with this kind of bark characteristics. It doesn't fit any of the birches either. Not even close on poplar or cottonwood (Populus sp.). Since these plants have been observed by you over a long period of time, I'm certain you would have observed Tilia flowers in passing. You should have seen Mulberry flowers, too - whether male or female. This tree is plenty old to have flowered. Those leaves look large enough, within the range of morphology, and appear coarse enough (along with the written description) to fit right in with Red Mulberry. Lobed leaves are just one expression of Mulberry species leaves, but not the only expression. Your location is significant in answering your question, and additional images of the dormant features like buds, stems, and - be still my heart - the WHOLE tree, make a huge difference in offering lucid opinions to the identity of this tree. Here's an old Red Mulberry trunk for comparison.

a crushed leaf... for a brief second or two.. might smell like rootbeer but sometimes not ... but all 3 will smell the same.. if the same.. rootbeer or not... ken

Ken, I guess you didn't catch my previous post, with detailed pics of how I assemble my plant I.D. tags. Here are pics: The 1 1/2" single-sided round tag with the loop on it which is exterior to the main circle. You then personalize it by filling out a couple of lines and clicking OK. Example: Hosta Dinky Donna I get them at www.pettags4less.com. There was a recent sale at www.drs.fostersmith.com, with the aluminum pet tags like this selling for 99 cents each, which I posted, but I don't know if that sale is over. The first place sells them for $2.29. The 9" aluminum tent stake. I like this brand, as the coppery color looks nice in the garden and harmonizes with the mulch and soil a whole lot better than the red, purple, blue, etc. ones I've seen. This is the Coghlan 9" ultra lite tent stake of anodized aluminum. It won't rust and there is no paint to flake off, so it stays this color. I remove the pull-string and utilize the hole it was threaded through. The brass 1/8" diameter screw posts. I found that the 5/16" length was perfect to fasten the plant I.D. tag to the tent stake. The one in this picture is a tad longer than 5/16", but it gives you the idea. The threaded part screws into the tubular part, which has an internal threading. Neat, out of the weather, doesn't rust. They also sell screw posts in stainless steel, aluminum, and plastic, but not all come in the 1/8" diameter, which is a new product. The assembled finished product:

1st is a Breynia, 2nd is some kind of variegated Poliscias / Aralia. 3rd is variegated Dizzygotheca elegantissima or False Aralia. I don't know the 4th, maybe a Ficus of some kind. Nice whatever it is. It's great that you've got them in what looks like somewhat fast draining mix, but I might have left them in plastic pots, so they don't dry out as fast. Great looking group, nice haul.