What makes this even stranger is that I have extensive ornamental gardens too--all mulched with wood chips. In fact the veggie garden is only a couple of feet from very large beds on two sides--no digging at all in the ornamental beds. I've spoken to several people who are pretty good on wildlife and guesses range from skunks to raccoons--though the coon would have had to climb the fence--and I've never heard of them doing that unless they're after corn. And I've seen no scat around the yard, and when I had a coon a few years ago and had only a single strand electric fence and a short galvanized wire fence that I stepped over, the coon didn't attempt to enter the garden until the first corn was just about ready. I just hope it never happens again; after all how long before it starts on the bed?. I'm quite nervous about tonight, I must admit.

Thanks! I could not find that one in any eastern tree cricket search or in my guides. I'll check for the Latin name now that you've pointed it out.

If it's a high-rise or commercial (steel framing, fireproof concrete construction type), the floor could be gypsum concrete. I think it has to be sealed with something before new leveler can be set on it. Casey

The plot thickens! Something instinctively told me it didn't seem like the other Morus seedlings I'd seen, but I admit I gave absolutely zilch thought to alternate vs. opposite. There is a Hydrangea 'Honeycomb' about 6 feet away. Now I'm wondering, could it just be a very distant sucker!? I've never seen a Hydrangea sucker anywhere near that far, but, OTOH, I have more far experience with mopheads than H. paniculata...'Honeycomb' is the only PG I've grown at all. OTOH if it is a seedling, it is 100% a first time occurrence for me. NEVER seen Hydrangeas self seeding in my garden. I wouldn't have even considered that, but, now that I think about it, it could make sense I suppose. Floral do mopheads self-sow in the mild climate of SW UK? They certainly do in the Azores LOL. So far my most 'aggressive' ornamental self seeder is...drumroll please...camellias. Now I think I'll dig it up tomorrow to see if it's attached to 'Honeycomb', if not, plant it somewhere else. No harm in seeing if it has some desirable trait.