Not an oak.

It might be a mulberry tree. I don't have one growing near by to compare it to. There are different varieties.

Mulberry tree leaf images ...

Humm, a mystery then. Other seedlings of the acorns these oak trees (I THINK they're post oaks) throw have looked so similar, even though the adult leaf it WAY different. It seems to be thriving so I will just let it grow. Obviously it belongs here. Hopefully someone will know definitively what this tree is.

Post oak tree sprouts ... googled in case it might help. Let us know when you find out for sure. The folks on the tree forum might be able to ID.

I'm very interested to find out what it is as I have two of those same trees growing on my property, too. I ended up moving one into the greenbelt. Seems to be fairly drought tolerant. One was originally growing in one of my pots and another is growing under a crape myrtle bush. I tried a tree identification app where you take a photo of the leaf, but it didn't work well and all the suggestions seemed way off. Looking forward to figuring out what they are!

I'm going to take the picture to my favorite horticulturist at the nursery I frequent next week. They specialize in trees, so I'm pretty sure he will know what this is and I will report back. I have over a dozen really large, ancient post oaks on my property, and we always have sprouts from the acorns all over the yard, in the flowerbeds, and in potted plants, anywhere the acorns fall, and the leaf on those sprouts looks vastly different than the adult tree's leaf, but, sadly, all were mowed down so I can't compare. Post oaks are somewhat considered a "weed tree" here where I live, so there are not very many pictures of yearling sapling post oak trees for me to compare. I'm more curious at this point what this tree is. It's cute, though, and definitely a survivor.

I have a friend who had one that looks similar and the extension agent said it was a mulberry. An app I really like is Garden Compass. You can send them a picture and usually get an answer back within 24 hours.

I looked it up and I really think you're right. The leaf really does look like the white mulberry. What I'm wondering now is where it came from. I have no mulberry trees anywhere on my property or the neighbors' properties I can see. Maybe a bird brought a seed. This did sprout under my tree. Makes sense. Anyway, thank you and I'll go check out that app.

My friend's was also a white mulberry and she has no idea where hers came from either.

I've got post oak seedlings in my gardens now. I'll get you a picture in the morning. They look nothing like your picture though.

I'd love to see pics of the post oak seedlings, for future reference.

I'm convinced my tree is a white mulberry now. I did a bit of reading about them and I think I'm going to just leave it. It's obviously very happy. My lot is a forest of trees anyway, mostly native post oaks, a couple of pecans, a maple, peach, hackberry, couple of willows. What's one more? :) Thank you, everyone, for your help on this. Hopefully this post will help someone else ID his or her tree.

Glad to have an idea of what they are now. I'm sure the birds will appreciate it once it gets to fruiting age. Thanks for tracking that down!

Thank you so much for posting the pictures, PKponder. I appreciate it very much. Skeeters bad in my forest, too.

Okay, talked to the horticulturist and he didn't blink an eye before proclaiming it, indeed, a mulberry. He suggested I pull it. I'm undecided about that. It's sure a pretty sapling. It's in the backyard, so berries wouldn't be a problem. Anybody have one of these? Is it a problem?

My friend kept hers but it did die in a hard freeze when it was about 6 feet tall.

My mother in laws neighbor had one and she had a lot of volunteers. I would pull it.

Mulberries are very messy, dropping thousands of berries that stain your shoes (and dog feet) and track into the house.

I was looking up facts about Poplar trees (my good friends next door have one, not sure of the variety, but it is probably 80 to 100 ft tall and leaning my way) and came across this site listing 11 trees never to plant. Lombardy poplar was among them as was Mulberry.

1. Mulberry (Morus)

"Big surface roots, lots of pollen, messy fruit, and shade
so dense that grass refuses to grow underneath. What’s to like about
the mulberry? If you’re a silkworm, the answer is: Plenty! The mulberry
is the silkworm’s only source of food. Silkworm farmers should plant
away! Otherwise, you’ll be happier with a different kind of tree in your
yard."

I've noticed that some years Mulberries tend to get covered in web worms.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/photos/plants-trees/bad-trees/slide/1-silver-maple-acer-saccharinum/#ixzz3ZeRFm3rz

Ragna, Keep us informed about the poplar dilemma. This ongoing rain is loosening up soil all over. On the good note , I was out back and found lots of new trees being born and some good endangered ones too. These years have been tough on tree replacement rates in the countryside.

Mara and all, I just posted a query with pictures of the tree. If anyone has any ideas let me know. I am reluctant to suggest something that might cost my neighbors hundreds of dollars, but that would be cheaper, depending on their home insurance deductible, than replacing part of their house. It would make a big mess if it fell my way as well.

Okay, I have dogs (a white one, at that!) and I'm a neat freak, so sticky berry residue on my floors isn't giving me a warm-fuzzy feeling. I love trees but that one is probably not going to get to stay. I have a lot FULL of trees (literally a forest) so the one spot this guy occupies really could be better utilized by something I really want, like another peach tree or my fav tree, a bald cyprus, which grow great here, or even a baby REAL post oak. Thank you everyone for your advice and information. So nice to have a place to come with so much collective knowledge.

If ever in doubt, give it a year and see what it becomes. Mulberries are the best! Delicious free fruit that isn't sold in any stores. Fast-growing. Texas native. Tolerates shade well. Strong handsome wood. Works well underneath canopy trees (doesn't compete with them or fight them). Great for wildlife. Our yard has become the most popular bird hangout in the neighborhood this spring because of our Mulberry trees. Better than any bird feeder. The people complaining about the "mess" are the same folks that complain about the "mess" of any fruit or nut tree or any fallen leaf or any seedling sprout. If you want an immaculate lawn with sterile alien specimen trees, then Mulberry isn't for you. If you like nature, then Mulberry is for you. I can't think of a better understory for a Texas forest, except maybe Persimmon or PawPaw.

Well. . . after some thought, I elected to leave it for a year. I love birds so I think I can tolerate any mess that may come years down the road (by the time that little tree produces fruit, my old white dog may not even still be with us). My property is definitely the more cottage-in-the-woods with natural type of landscaping rather than tract-mansion with uber-manicured lawn, so maybe it does just belong here. I'll post an update picture as the tree progresses to help someone else in making a decision to keep or eliminate a native tree sprout that seems to be thriving.

Awesome

White Mulberry trees are either male or female. If it is a male it is called a fruitless mulberry because it flowers (looks like a berry) and then falls off. The females look about the same except the flower turns into a berry. They are messy and do stain. I am not sure if this is a white mulberry but if it is it has a 50% chance to be "fruitless".

Thanks, Gary, the horticulturist I talked to identified it as a white mulberry, so I'm pretty sure it is that. I didn't know that about the male and female versions of that. Guess we'll have to wait and see. . .

Actually I looked back over my notes and it is a Red Mulberry. The White Mulberry is from Asia and is the one you would buy at the nursery. Red Mulberry is native. I did find out that most are either male or female but some have both types of flowers. The native (red) mulberry have the more oak like leaf (lobed). They are a fast growing tree, have weak wood and are not considered a very desirable tree. But if it is away from the house it does provide a good (sometimes too good) shade.

I once had a doberman that loved the red mulberry fruit and would raise up on his hind legs, sniff the berries and if it was ripe would eat it off the tree. I had another that loved tomatoes.

Mulberry grows quickly, yes, but it has very strong wood. Red Mulberry is much more delicious and better performing in Texas than White Mulberry. I hope it's a Red Mulberry.