Okay--we have one here at the store, came from my Grandma's funeral 16 years ago-"irene" as she is known is about 8 feet tall, after being "chopped" down 3 or 4 times, she got ot 12 feet tall like a Palm Tree and slowly bent her head over 1 day and came down on top of one of my employees head. He yelled ,Get that "weed" off of me and I thought he said get "irene" off of me--thus her name. Anyway, she all of a sudden has about 20 "spikes" (look the color of leopard spots) coming out of rolled up leaves all over the top of her. What the heck are they- in 16 years, she's never done that, Even her "babies" which were repotted during the chopping are about 3 ft now and don't have these things. What are they??? Help????

The great responses you all have given have introduced new complications to my black beauty situation. First, when I examined the tree to look for a graft scar/bulge, I can't find one. There is one area that could be so I can't 100% rule it out, but I don't think my tree is grafted. Somehow that leaves me thinking I have a sub-standard tree, do you agree? I bought it from Willis Orchards, btw. If there is no graft, is it just a seedling? If so, does that mean its not going to be a good tree or a good black beauty? From my reading I've come to think that a good tree usually means a desired tree was grafted onto good rootstock, so if there is no graft I'm worried. Should I be? 2.) From what Bradybb said about his black beauty being a slow grower leaves me with even more doubts/concerns about my black beauty. Unlike yours(his), mine grows like a weed....in fact out of 53 fruit trees it is my #1 fastest grower. I am sure it is a mulberry (via leaf ID) but now doubt its a black beauty?

Kill it!? I will do no such thing! As I said I find it to be a lovely tree with a tropical feel to it, and one of the few trees remaining after they cleared the woods; it offers a bit of privacy. And unlike the pesky maples and stalks growing up through my fence and into my yard, it seems content to stay on the edge there for the past few years at least (been here 12 years, just now noticed it). Why on Earth would I try to kill it? (Hell, even if I wanted to, I'm far too lazy.) And I don't really care if it feeds the birds or not -- they have plenty of dogwoods, poison ivy, blackberries, field corn, and as I've discovered, mulberries for that. Just because it supposedly doesn't do something for birds, does not make it a "waste" tree! Just because anything does not conform to your wishes or desires does not make it a "waste" organism! That's entirely the wrong attitude to have, no offense. I digress, I don't think it's a Tree of Heaven anyways. I looked up pictures of both Tree of Heaven and sumac and they look so close as to be in the same family, perhaps the same genus, but I've not the time to look into it. Tree of Heaven looks to have spurs at the base of the leaves and the leaves of this tree are smooth. I was thinking it might be a staghorn sumac, but actually smooth sumac looks closer. I might have to wait til fall to figure it out, and then research how to propagate it. Since this forum sucks at resizing pics, here's some on photobucket (click to embiggen) : Assuming that's poison oak growing up it. Provides a nice screening effect but it might need to go if it interferes with my tree. They certainly do seem to be mulberry *trees*. Funny, I heard of mulberry bushes but not mulberry trees before. This is an excellent discovery; I can use some of the leaves to grow tomato hornworms! I was thinking about buying a mulberry and then I find two barely on the edge of the property, what luck! I just wonder howmany the killed when they tore up the trees. Neat how the leaves change shape/ are asymmetrical as you go up the stem; that's really different from a lot of plants: Still dunno what this thing is: I have to admit it's pretty in it's own way with the splotchy leaves like that, but it's invading my personal space a tad too much. Someone said to dig it up? CBA with that; too much like work and far too much of it. Like I said, it went crazy after they cut the trees down; I guess the trees were out-competing it / shading it out. It runs the length of the fence with a big ole stand of it at the edge of the farmer's field which is creeping into my yard. I figure I'll just chop it down and throw it on a compost heap if I start one (as long as it's not in seed, I'm guessing). And the entire time I was taking pictures a bird was chattering raucously above me. Figured I pissed it off somehow, then I caught of a bit of movement: 99% sure it's a fledgling oriole; he was hopping from branch to branch. Only caught glimpses of the dad as he flitted about; hard to take pics of him with the light behind him.

Yeah, nasty. What about cutting the Ligustrum as low as you can (no need to get crazy about it and risk damaging the willow) and painting the cut stump with concentrated Roundup? Use a paintbrush for accuracy, don't try to dribble or spray. That's what I'd try. I have these damn things seed underneath large shrubs and I don't catch them until they pop out the top a la yours. By then their trunk is an inch across and I resort to the cut and paint trick. Good luck! Sara