Plant #1 Shrub

Thought this was a crepe myrtle and looked at a bunch in nurseries, now I am not sure. I know zero about crepe myrtle and they are all so different! Vase shaped, branches are alternate, leaves are not. It grows and grows...it's about 10' now, had been shaved to the ground last year. Bark is not quite smooth and appears to want to exfoliate. It's in very poor soil, full sun and looks quite healthy. Leaves have filled out considerably over the summer. I keep waiting for it to do something but it just grows and grows. VERY little was planted with intent in this yard. (a good thing for my opinionated self).

Plant #2 Shrub

Thought this was a laurel (as in cherry) in spring but am clueless. Thick, waxy leaves like a laurel. It's all over the woods, naturalized, both oak and pine areas, full shade and sun. Does not seem to prefer either, equally healthy in both although more new growth in part sun. Leaves are dark green - darker than in photo. I found no flowers or anything on them in spring or summer. New growth was in spring and a distinct bronze red. Bark has a distinct red tint to it.

Plant #3 Tree
This thing is a pain - suckers!!! From the roots, quite vigorously. Leaves are shiny, waxy, thin and bright green. Growing in poor soil, dry sun. Now the leaves are rust spotted and turning bright red, even with the rust still looks healthy and had retained leaves. Lot of growth in spring, none since. No flowers that I saw and I was looking. Everything flowers, so I don't know what the deal is with that.

Plant #4 - Colony

Random - probably need better photos. Thought (hoped) it was maple leaf viburnum but now I don't at all. Leaves are much wider and rounded, smooth edge, bumpy texture, about 3" across. This colony was shaved to the ground and is maybe 3' tall now. In part sun, dry acid location and happy with that. New growth this spring was quite maroon red.

Thanks in advance. I always feel that I should know these thing. Funny how different one set of woods is from another.

#2 looks like sourwood.

#3 looks like black gum (Nyssa sylvatica).

#4 does look like mapleleaf viburnum from here. The leaves can be very variable - I've seen plants that look very different from others. A close look at the newly forming leaf buds for next year might help.

I'd LOVE the second to be sourwood. There are several here - wish one would flower. Two weeks ago I looked at sourwood to buy (complex story - get 'em off our lot for super cheap thing) and didn't recognize them. They weren't in good shape.

Nyssa sylvatica is also desirable. I just took a walk and found a tree form down the road - very dark bark, gnarly and lots of personality. Something I have read up on and wanted. Too bad the photo one is growing 4' away from a native magnolia. Have to see if I have other good specimens...

Thank you for the help. I'm having a time with the identification issues. Previously I had no great need to name things - it either belonged in the woods or not. I did try to hire an arborist but that didn't go well - they had far different ideas than I and it became clear quickly that I'd need another type of tree person to assist. It's actually quite difficult to find someone with the same ideas. A lot of the natives are just labeled "junk" and dismissed - like various pines. NO WAY will I take out all my pines. It was eye opening for me.

Also looked a a zillion photos of sourwood and some look maybe like mine, others not at all...guess I'll keep with my "everything flowers" theory! I have those trees in 70'-80' and all last year, this year looked for flowers, seeds, got nothing. Prefers shade is all I discovered. The adventures of a backyard explorer are trying I tell you. :)