Beech or similar tree.

Thanks!

Go to a botanic garden, inspect the leaves of elms, birch, and beech in person. Laminate some sample leaves as comparisons. Compare them to the possible seedlings.

Maybe american hornbeam.

Yes, that in particular was the "similar tree" I had in mind.

Sure looks like a Beech to me in every way. It's NOT a Birch. I am gonna say not an Elm, Elms are not found in the wild, in my best guess. I have a Beech I dug from the woods many years ago, they grow wild here, I would bet money, if I had much to bet, I don't .... but, that is a Beech. It's a Beech trust me. Nit to poo poo what Emboth and Logan said, but they are in the south, and ed lincoln must not get out in the woods, sorry guys, it's a Beech.

I got a beech leaf next to the leaf of seedling in question. The smallest leaf is from the tree I would like id'd. Larger leaf is beech.(99%certain)

front:

Back of leaves

thanks for any help!

"Carpinus caroliniana - American Hornbeam"

Told you so.

They are very similar, I must say I would've though it was a Beech. I still kinda am thinking it is still a Beech, I must say. I do see a difference in how the leaves veins are different, how they line up. My Beech hasn't leafed out yet, or I would go look at mine. My Petersons field guide to eastern trees has a pic of the leaf of a AH showing the leaf veins being the same as the Beech. Meaning they line up even with each other on the opposite side. I would say that if the OP has a bunch of Beech trees in her woods, it is likely a Beech, just my opinion.

Too bad the dormant buds weren't still closed, they look darn similar. I'm no expert, but, there should be more of them in the Op's woods then. The AH is related or in the same family as Birch. I guess as the tree goes dormany the OP can see the buds, that should help you to be more sure of an ID. I'm just so used to seeing that and thinking "beech". Later.

Leaf margins are the distinguishing feature here.

If you mean where the veins line up, my field guide shows them as being the same. I'm guessing margins means the outside edges. My field guide shows the Hornbeams edges as having more "points" than the possible Hornbeam leaf shown by the OP

Elms are not found in the wild? Don't tell the bazillions of them that I see on a regular basis... they'd be quite surprised.

"Elms are not found in the wild? Don't tell the bazillions of them that I see on a regular basis... they'd be quite surprised."

Yes, they are found in the wild, but there is a clear distinction between an elm and american hornbeam.

I still am thinking Beech, my opinion, the leaf margins in the field guide show what a A. Hornbeam leaf looks like. I guess we can agree to disagree.

Beech leaves are glossier, as visible in the pic with both leaves. So I say hornbeam

Am Beech has stems which are somewhat coarse & stout, Am hornbeam is more twiggy.

Neither is a weed, both are very desirable trees.

I can see the difference now. I was wrong, it's AH. The leaves are in groups on the AH versus the fewer leaves on Beech's twigs.

Thanks so much for this educational exchange! So this means that I must have a parent close by, right?

here is the seedling. Even though it is less than a foot tall, it has a really nicely spreading branching and wider than it is tall:

I would think that a parent is close by, but, it could be a couple miles away possibly. I am not sure if the seed goes through the gut of birds, bats, squirrels or any other animal. I would guess someone on here knows that kinda stuff. It really had me fooled, thinking it was Beech, though. As for my field guide pic, the leaves must vary, as far as the teeth on the edges of the leaves. Our Beech are just starting to leaf out here in SW Pa. I'll have to take a better look at some trees that i just think are Beech, like up the mountains etc. I know that the local woods are Beech here, unless they look the same in fall, and keeping their tannish leaves all winter. I think that is likely only a Beech attribute, unless someone has info on that, and the AH do that too! I doubt it though. Later.

I think the seeds spread by wind, much like the "helicopters" produced by maples.

Okay, the field guide showed the seeds, but, this is a new one for me. Thanks Logan.

I don't know about the american hornbeam but the european hornbeam will hold its brown leaves all winter long

Beech leaves will be tannish off white mix. So likely able to tell the difference, if the AH leaves are the same color as EH. The leaf groupings will likely help with ID also. Beech tree buds are longer and skinnier I believe also. In the dormant state.

"I don't know about the american hornbeam but the european hornbeam will hold its brown leaves all winter long"

Here they do somewhat, not as much as its european counterpart, but still significantly enough to notice.

I may have found 1 growing in West Virginia at Coopers rock Thats not the right pic

That looks like birch but they are related to the hornbeams so they look kind of similar sometimes

Okay, thanks huggorm.