Looks like tiny tree things, either seedlings, or , more likely, root suckers. Any plum trees, wild cherrys, poplars near by? Felled a tree recently?

Yes, looks like root suckers from a tree.

i get crabapple from seed .. and red ones.. from red leafed trees ...

at that size.. you might find what is left of what was dropped ... like a rotting crabapple.. a cherry pit ... etc ...

if the lawn was recently installed.. root damage on grading..might cause suckers ....

ken

ps: you dont have a decorative pear tree around.. do you ?????

'.....all over our lawn....' sounds much more like suckers than seedlings.

That study stalk has me thinking its a sucker as well, but...

'.....all over our lawn....' sounds much more like suckers than seedlings.

My neighbor gets a lawn filled with maple seedlings each year that are cheek by jowl, so it depends on the seed.

tj

Yes - when I wrote that I thought 'except maples'... 'and ash' .... but they usually get mowed before they make it to more than 1 or 2 true leaves.

However, the plant in the picture has no cotyledons and isn't one of the common self sowers. And as you say the stem looks too robust. For a tree to be that tall from seed it would need to be a few months old, not just popped up in a short time.

it's a baby treeeeeee.