General location on planet earth might be helpful to narrow it down a bit.

Certainly looks like one.

Does the tree have a grafted area at the bottom of the trunk?

A close up of the terminal bud would help.

Looks like it's planted too deep.

I am in southeast nebraska, zone 5. I tried to add that to my name and didn't have any luck. I do not know if it has a grafted area, I will look closer and get another pic tomorrow. Thanks!

Twist my arm, Freeman hybrid.

Of course the ruddy thing was planted too deep, if was human planted and not planted by one of three people on earth.

"Looks like it's planted too deep." Yes, it does. Try to gently expose the root flare by removing material from around the trunk.

Hard to say if it's a silver or not, a close up of the buds is needed. I thought red maple at first, they're easy to identify by their big, swollen red buds.

As far as pruning, I would remove/thin the suckerish looking shoots.

The buds on reds are more round and in clusters.

Was this a bought tree from a nursery? Then it very well could be a Freeman of some sort.

Raymond, is the cattle guard to keep cattle in or out?

I did not plant this tree so not sure what it is. I am sorry I forgot to come back and answer this post. The cattle guard was put in by the previous owner who had a horse. There are cattle across the road so I guess it could keep them out. Course they could just go through the fence if they want in bad enough!

Judging from the amount of growth from last year, the tree is doing pretty good! By now you should be able to post a picture of the leaves? Right now we're pretty sure it's a maple. :-)

No leaves yet, Bill. I will post as soon as I see them. I was thinking silver maple so I didn't bother pruning it, now I wish I had if there is a chance it is a freeman maple. That should be more desirable don't you think?

No hurry to prune anything. When you do, just the crossed branches and damaged ones. You could take that mess of water sprouts coming off the lower main branches. After the tree flowers would be better than now and the tree is still pretty small so the wounds should close quickly.

From the pics I'd bet it's a sliver but will need more info to say for certain.

I have leaves! Can anyone tell me what kind of maple this is please?

Acer saccharinum , (silver maple) (if not a grafted tree).

I will get a close up of the trunk. If it is a silver maple grafted on to another maple does it become a hybrid maple of some kind? I do not know much about grafting.

Grafted would be hard not to see. A red on top on a silver common, but then the leaves would look more like a red. Several commercial names.

I'm convinced yours is straight silver.

Oh of course it is:) Everyone says that silvers are undesirable because of weak wood. Right now I just appreciate something growing in that spot. I did pick up a sugar maple that I was going to plant on the other side. Now I have to decide if the silver stays. Thanks for your help!

In a large open yard as it appears you have, I wouldn't mind having a silver myself. Some can take a reasonably decent form. I'd pick the best soil/location I had available for the sugar. Some place where it would be a center/show peice. Maybe a high knoll in the front yard.

I had thought about the front yard for the sugar maple also. Over on the landscape design forum it was suggested to plant three trees of the same type on each side of the entrance with some evergreens at the far corners. I was thinking maples and black hills spruce....Thanks again for the tips.

yw.

You have a nice place.

Let's see some pics next summer/fall when you're done. :)