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dave_in_nova

Broad-leaved evergreen shrub/tree ID

I have this evergreen plant that I cannot ID. I had posted on Shrubs Forum, but no positive IDs. Lots of suggestions.

I will probably not be sure until it blooms.

This was a seedling I found in local park. I dug and transplanted to a pot, then to my yard. This is growing in zone 7A, Northern Virginia.

Anyway, leaves are very glossy, alternately arranged (so it's not an osmanthus) on stems. Leaf veins are not prominant. Leaves are fairly flat. No great fold along the mid-vein.

Distal 1/2 of leaf margins have subtle serrations on some of the leaves. So I've ruled out Ternstroemia gymnanthera (Japanese cleyera).

New growth is a nice red. Leaf thickness is too thick and succulent for Photinia unless maybe it's a bizarre hybrid (Leaf thickness is more like Ligustrum japonicum). And Photinia seems to have more obvious veins. Also, Photinia prominant stipules, which this doesn't.

There were some different species of Holly growing nearby. Ilex integra and rotunda, so it could possibly be a holly.

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