Identify this tree please.

[Timbo]

I dug this up near my house on a hill in the woods. I though it was some type of cherry when I was planning to dig it out....now i'm not so sure. My guess is a Autumn Olive tree got up here some how...they are considered invasive up here.
It looks like a olive and has the speckled silver on the back of the leaves. I'm not 100% sure though.

 

[M. Frary]

Does it have pokey things on it. Autumn olive is thorny.
Its also hard to find trunks. They usually sprout a bunch of leaders at the ground.

 

[milehigh_7]

That last pic looks silver berry

 

[Timbo]

I don't think so @M.Frary...Hairy twigs and thick leaves with silver/spots on the back.
You can see some of the tiny spots in the pic.
I haven't seen the berries or flowers on it as I've only had it 6 months or so.

 

[cbroad]

That last pic with the new growth definitely looks like a type of elaeagnus. If it's somewhat stiff/coarse and pubescent I'd say you're probably right, especially with the silver undersides of the leaves.

 

[Timbo]

I think you guys are right...which one i'd have to figure out.

 

[Timbo]

Here a link to the one's that are suppose to be up here but they said it's yet to be found in Michigan even though it's listed in my county LOL
http://michiganflora.net/genus.aspx?id=Elaeagnus
I get what @M. Frary Is saying but i don't see any thorns or anything on mine or the online pics.
I haven't seen the flowers or fruit so i missing that info...I doubt i would see them this coming year either because i chopped it this summer.
Err...let me clear it up...Elaeagnus commutata (silverberry) hasn't been located in Michigan.
Only Elaeagnus umbellata (autum olive) and
Elaeagnus angustifolia (russian olive). It looks more like Autum olive or silverberry more than Russian. Def on the right track though, thanks.

 

[cbroad]

A few species and hybrids don't have thorns, the ones I see around here never do, I think they are ebbingei. I think macrophylla doesn't have any thorns either, and umbellata and multiflora may not also and they are zone 4-9. Either way, elaeagnus are pretty tough plants

 

[Timbo]

I like the bark/twig color also...we will see if i can do something with it...not sure if i wanna keep it multi trunk or chop off to a single.
Didn't even know we had them here...learn something new all the time. Of course i'll trim off all the low suckers.

 

[cbroad]

I have one here that's climbing up, through, and around a leyland cypress, it's at least 20-25' up there and I get volunteers all over the place...

Hard to tell what's going on in the pics but it seems you have a decent base with a lot going on, maybe constant chops to get some movement and or carving. Multi trunk maybe, but don't know if that works or not with them?

 

[cbroad]

Found this blog, he goes through a ton of species and cultivars with lots of pictures:

http://rslandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2010/08/elaeagnus.html?m=1

 

[Timbo]

The variegated ones are cool.

 

[milehigh_7]

No thorns is likely Elaeagnus ebbingei it's a cross between E. macrophylla and E. pungens

 

[Timbo]

No thorns is likely Elaeagnus ebbingei it's a cross between E. macrophylla and E. pungens

Only Elaeagnus umbellata (autum olive) and
Elaeagnus angustifolia (russian olive) are suppose to be in Michigan /shrug.

 

[Timbo]

Found this blog, he goes through a ton of species and cultivars with lots of pictures:

http://rslandscapedesign.blogspot.com/2010/08/elaeagnus.html?m=1

He has a decent list of tree info.

 

[M. Frary]

I had an autumn olive for a couple years. They tend to want to send shoots out of the base when you cut them back hard.

 

[Timbo]

I had an autumn olive for a couple years. They tend to want to send shoots out of the base when you cut them back hard.

Only took a few years to kill it?

 

[CasAH]

Only Elaeagnus umbellata (autum olive) and
Elaeagnus angustifolia (russian olive) are suppose to be in Michigan /shrug.

Funny thing about invasive species, they do not know they are not supposed to grow anywhere outside of their native range.

 

[Timbo]

They don't check in at the customs office?

 

[M. Frary]

Only took a few years to kill it?

Yep. It got ate by V.C. 2 years ago during the 2015 small offensive. The casualties were high. I lost all of my best trees.