Do new leaves emerge with a covering shield?

Hope you can see it in the pic.

I can only say at this point that it is a possibility. The leaves look a little different though. Michelia leaves have V-pointed tips. Yours are a little curved before the tip.

The other plant that have shields covering new leaves are those that belong to the ficus family.

In any case, a seedling will take years before it flowers. And that's only if it's planted on the ground and allowed to grow huge.

But you can use it for as a root stock for grafting new plants on.

You can search on ficus.

I picked one out

This is a ficus septica

This post was edited by Tolip on Mon, Sep 9, 13 at 23:24

Thank you

It sorta resembles the michelia maudiae I have.

But if it really is a ficus, it should bleed a milky sap/latex if you cut a leaf.

Here's my michelia maudiae leaves

I pinched off a leaf from the stock and it did have a white substance. It resembles several plants ....ugh...Just want to know what it is :/