It is a maple of some sort most likely a silver maple they sprout real easily and quickly and EVERYWHERE and are not much account... whatever large maple tree thats near by ...thats the one it is probably from ...If it is a silver keep it in a pot for as long as you like but don't plant it out even at your sons insistance you'll be sorry ;>) David

It depends on where you live. In the NW it is likely to be the native big-leaf maple

Thanks David!

The only Maple that is near me is in my neighbors yard, but hangs over our fence. It doesnt have those "helicopters" on it so I am assuming that these little whirly birds got blown off of a tree somewhere nearby. We can plant it in the ground anyway.. too much ledge.. We will keep it in a pot... My son loves having his own maple to take care of like his mom does.

Ah, the maple bashers are on the loose again. Your son found this seed and has grown it. He may want to have this tree as his own.

OK, silver maples grow very large, so unless you have a lot of space, preferably not very close to the house, maybe you can't use this tree. Maybe he can give it to someone who does.

Anyway, I think silver maples can be very nice trees. They tend to be spreading, tend to divide into several large trunks/limbs fairly low down, so they are not good trees for small front yards, etc. But on a large lot, in a corner or where there is a lot of room around, they can be quite nice.

Yes, they can break in storms more easily than other trees, but many grow into nice specimens without any problems. One of my favorte trees when I was 10 years old was a spectacular silver maple behind the little stone church we attended right next door (my father started up the furnace sumday mornings during the winter). This tree was about 5 1/2 feet in diameter (I measured all the large trees for miles around when I was 10). This tree divided into about 6 large ascending branches about 8 feet above the ground. I could look up into the crown of this tree and see worlds upon worlds up there!

You titled your post "my 10 year old son." I think whatever you decide to do, remember that, if you catch my drift!

--Spruce

I don't care what kind of tree it is. This is about a 10 year old boy who planted a seed and it grew. When that tree is big enough, you need to plant it somewhere where he can watch it grow.

Thanks for all your advise!! As of right now the tree is teeny tiny... honestly, I would be happy if it makes it through the winter.. If it does... and it gets big....in time...I will keep on transplanting it with my son and when it just gets too big... give it to a friend of ours that owns a landscaping company..

Right now, My son, Samuel is just happy to have his own tree.

We have pulled small maple trees that started in the cracks of our paving stone patio and grew them in a pot for two years. One of them is now about five tall in a matter of about three years. Pretty sure the one we planted near the house is a sugar maple.

Spruce I am NOT a maple basher just a silver maple basher ..I had one as a kid too and we had a built a tree house in it ...it was easy to clinb with all those low branches ...but it was a constant mess with falling branches shaded no grass lawn and no fall color with the leaves ... basically a junk tree...I also had a sweet gum I grew from a tiny arbor day tree at 6 years old ( me) til last year .. 50+ years but it was junk and was nothing but trouble ..I felt no remorse or sadness when it was taken down in my 90 year old mothers yard at my request . I have silver maple seedlings coming up in every square in of any untended areas of my yard from the neighbors and they truly grow 10-15 feet in some years ... so i would in addition to calling it a junk tree call it a nusance tree as well. I think all kids should grow a tree ( or three) but it would be nice if said tree was worth growing so it can last a lifetime and one to be proud of like said sugar maple or any # or beatiful non troublesome trees readily available...David

David:

Well, I can admit to liking some trees more than others, but my list of "junk" trees has 0 names on it. If I were to try to rank my trees 0 to 100 in order of preference, silver maple and sweetgum would not be at the bottom. I know some people have a problem with the seed cases of sweetgum, but the beautiful form and wonderful autumn colors give this tree a rather high rank for me. I have already said my peace about silver maple. But I can understand that some people can't tolerate some kinds of trees, and some people like virtually no trees, which I feel very sorry about.

Anyway, if you have read these forums for very long, you know me as a tree defender, and a defender of maples especially against the likes of Ken, who can't tolerate any maple. Anyway, no hard feelings--for me all this is great fun!

--Spruce

No biggie Spruce just not a lover of some trees most yes some no ...I guess I am bit more picky than you ;>) The sweet gum is troublesome to me but they have "supposedly " developed a male seedless variety ..a good start. Not to take up time in the maple forum but here's my justification of putting sweetgums in the well maybe junk is too strong, best left for Silver maples, Sycamores and Illinois Mulberries,Chinese elms etc lets put them in the pest category since I agree they are nicely shaped and have good fall color trees but troublesome as follows ..#1 spikey seeds they are prevasive and must be raked up each fall and they get pushed easily in the ground and sprout they do not mulch and cannot be mowed and mulched #2 the leaves are totally acidic and won't compost #3 that same acididty makes them not a great candidate to mulch with your mower. #4 they sucker everywhere from roots from trunk etc. #4 they are a very vertical tree which is not especially good for shade #5 they are relatively soft and ice storms love 'em it's like jenga during a good ice storm. I finally took three 30 year old ones out of my yard three years ago and had the stumps ground ..but they are still coming up on a daily basis everywhere trus the the pwest category ;>)But generally I am in sure heaven each fall with them out the yard care has become a pleasure rather than a chore!! David

David:

I think a lot of the disagreements about what are the best trees and/or which are "trash" trees comes from how different trees grow in different parts of the country. I think you are out of the best range for growing sweetgum. Here I am a bit too far north and west, but I never see them sucker, and seldom see breakage. Go to eastern MD and south and they will knock your socks off. Of course there are the seed cases, and I can understand peoples feelings about those. But if I love a tree, I ignore such things.

I have tried the male seedless variety--or at least one of them, and it was ill-adapted to this area and had to get rid of it. It seemed to be too far north for it. No color--the leaves just froze off in December.

I posted "In praise of hackberries" a few months ago and although many people agreed with my opinion of the tree, others in different areas described growth habits/problems I had never seen here. Here they are often so perfect in form and generally magnificent I could never imagine anyone not loving them. I posted because many people cannot identify this tree and it is almost never offered for sale.

Sycamores! Wow. Here in Winchester, VA they are wonderful--not just my opinion. It is probably the most commonly planted tree here in developments, along streets, parks, etc. And they are stunnning! I can't imagine what you are seeing there.

So what trees are loved and by whom is not just a question of personal taste--often it is how a tree grows in one area as opposed to another.

BTW--Ken hates maples because they are not good for growing hostas under! Ha--I will never be "hosta"le to maples!

--Spruce

Spruce you may be right about growing areas...I like Hackberries too I am not in love with them but find them fast growing fairly hard wood trees here they grow mostly in fence rows but are ok they do get big their bark is COOL ...Sycamores are horrible here ..yes pretty from a distance but leaves are large and don't mulch bark exfoliates everywhere and branches break like match sticks...they are a messy messy tree ...and to top it off they get a disease here every spring perverting and denuding the leaves causing them to fall and create spring as well as fall mess ..by summer they grow back only to be repeated the next spring ..not a tree I would ever plant We call the SICK a MORES here I think it's because they always are sick looking but I personally think it also has to do with anyone planting them being a little sick in the head to do so...BTW you seldom see a young one folks have grown to know better only old "sick" ones ;>) david

David:

Sycamore is a good example of what I am talking about. Here In the 6 years I have lived here, no anthracnose, and no signs of prior infections. In DC occasional infections. At my western MD timberland, anthracnose (and late and early freezes) precludes their use.

--Spruce