Three trees for ID

[Ivor]

Tree 1 - Sprouted in several of my grow boxes. I haven't been able to find the source - could be just a weed.






Tree 2 - Another that has just sprouted and have no idea what it could be.




Tree 3 - I found this growing on a golf course as a thick bush. It grows very fast, especially in the warmer months.





Any assistance is appreciated.

Thanks,

Ivor

[Boics]

1. Looks like a betulas (birch) species to me.

[shibui]

Hi Ivor,
I think tree 1 could be Silver birch. The seed is very light and can travel quite a way with the wind. They do not get the white bark until they are a few years old.

Tree 2 is almost certainly Acer negundo - box elder. It is quite weedy with lots of seedlings sprouting in the area of a mature tree.

3 could be a Coprosma?

[Ivor]

Hi Ivor,
I think tree 1 could be Silver birch. The seed is very light and can travel quite a way with the wind. They do not get the white bark until they are a few years old.

Tree 2 is almost certainly Acer negundo - box elder. It is quite weedy with lots of seedlings sprouting in the area of a mature tree.

3 could be a Coprosma?

Thanks shibui - I think your IDs are spot on as far as Google can show me.

One more question: How are Coprosma as a bonsai? This one seems to be growing strongly and the leaves reducing nicely.

Thanks

Ivor

[Boics]

I too thought Coprosma as well but wasn't convinced.
Leaves look a bit too pointy to me. Also too many leaves.
Certainly not the Coprosma (Mirror Bush) I'm familiar with anyway.

As far as how they go as bonsai have a search for Bodhidharma's Coprosma.
I think you will agree that they go great.

[shibui]

There is only 108 Coprosma species and plenty of hybrids and selected cultivars Boics so you might not be familiar with them all.

The leaves also look very much like Tetragonia tetragonoides - (Warrigal greens or NZ spinach) but I'm not sure if it makes a woody trunk like that. I still think a coprosma species is likely and, yes, many species make good bonsai - very hardy and respond well to pruning.

Birches can be grown as bonsai but can be difficult.
Acer negundo is a very hardy maple and is used for bonsai but I would not bother - maybe ok to learn about the basics of bonsai but plenty of better plants available.