Doesn't look like any oak, magnolia, or dogwood I'm familiar with. Did you order any other genus of trees?

Interesting.

Almost looks like something in the Araliaceae family if it's truly evergreen.

Fatsia japonica
Dendropanax trifidus
Hedera canariensis or some ivy

would be some things to check out.

There are also some evergreen maple species if you think it has to be a maple.

Where did you get the seed? Are they supposed to be hardy in your area (which you did not say)?

This post was edited by dave_in_nova on Wed, Sep 3, 14 at 9:49

you need a PAINT PEN ... i like the uni paint pens ... see link

and you paint the name on the side of the pots .;..

also ... plastic knives work better than wood labels.. as they dont rot ... they can be lightly sanded with fine grit.. and you use a common lead pencil on them.. the carbon in the lead will only last a million years or so ... IF!!! you dont stick that end in the soil ... and you dont rub it off ...

i use a medium paint pen.. so it wouldnt work on the knives ... i could never get a fine point paint pen to work... as you have to squeeze the tip down.. to feed paint.. and the fine points just collapsed ...

i dont recognize your plant... my first thought was.. that it wanst a tree ... then i though one of the gums ... but that doesnt even look right ... liquidamber .... man thats a great name... lol

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I agree with "Dave in Nova", it looks like fatsia or hedera or something like that

Oh my Gosh, I see now you are in South Africa.

That opens up a whole new world of obscure (for me) plants!

Are you sure this seed was one you planted? Or perhaps could a bird have dropped it?

This post was edited by dave_in_nova on Wed, Sep 3, 14 at 13:08

Hi guys,

Thank you for all your input! Ken, Great advice on the labeling - much appreciated. Wish I had found this forum before planting the last batch but will do so going forward.

OK to answer your questions, (dont think it is a fatsia. it does have leaves similar to a hedera) I did order a bunch of trees. I am including the list below. It is a long list but a few can be easily removed I think based on comments already made. Could it have been a gift from a bird? possibly...

How sure am I they are evergreen - well not a hundred percent sure as they germinated just before winter and have been growing steadily since. (Would think they would shed or stop growing over winter but they carried on only at a slower rate)

What i find most baffling is that the leaves were initially oval and now the new ones have changed...

list of possibilities:

Name: ACER circinatum

> _____________
> Name: ACER cissifolium

> _____________
> Name: ACER ginnala 'Flame' dw

> _____________
> Name: ACER grandidentatum

> _____________
> Name: ACER japonicum 'Aconitifolium'

> _____________
> Name: ACER macrophyllum

> _____________
> Name: ACER palmatum 'Aka Shigitatsu Sawa'

> _____________
> Name: ACER palmatum 'Omurayama' Dry

> _____________
> Name: ACER palmatum 'Osakazuki'

> _____________
> Name: ACER saccharum Northern w

> _____________
> Name: ACER saccharum Northern w

> _____________
> Name: ACER saccharum Northern w

> _____________
> Name: AMELANCHIER arborea db

> _____________
> Name: CERCIS canadensis 'Alba'

> _____________
> Name: CERCIS canadensis - Southern

> _____________
> Name: CERCIS chinensis

> _____________
> Name: CERCIS occidentalis

> _____________
> Name: CHAENOMELES japonica

> _____________
> Name: CHILOPSIS linearis

> _____________
> Name: DAPHNE mezereum

> _____________
> Name: DAVIDIA involucrata

> _____________
> Name: HALESIA carolina

> _____________
> Name: HALESIA diptera

> _____________
> Name: MAGNOLIA acuminata db

> _____________
> Name: MAGNOLIA denudata

> _____________
> Name: MAGNOLIA grandiflora

> _____________
> Name: MAGNOLIA liliiflora

> _____________
> Name: MAGNOLIA sieboldii

> _____________
> Name: MAGNOLIA virginiana Northern

> _____________
> Name: POPULUS tremuloides

> _____________
> Name: PRUNUS glandulosa

> _____________
> Name: QUERCUS agrifolia

> _____________
> Name: QUERCUS alba

> _____________
> Name: QUERCUS falcata 'Pagodifolia'

> _____________
> Name: QUERCUS georgiana

> _____________
> Name: QUERCUS kelloggii

> _____________
> Name: QUERCUS macrocarpa Northern

> _____________
> Name: QUERCUS palustris

> _____________
> Name: QUERCUS robur

> _____________
> Name: QUERCUS rubra

> _____________
> Name: RHODODENDRON yedoense 'Poukhanense'

> _____________
> Name: SORBUS domestica

It looks like a Brachychiton seedling to me.