Avocado?

Hello! I need an ID on this little tree. I discovered this plant in a corner when it was about 2 feet tall and thought it was or could be an avacado seed I'd planted and forgot about. I moved it to it present location two years ago not really expecting much but it's sure growing like crazy now. Makes nice shade for the patio but is dangerously close to the side of the stairs. Never lost any leaves this winter and even had a tad of color in the fall. Any idea what kind of tree this is? I'd kinda like to know before it gets so big it heaves the stairs rail and is too big for me to handle cutting down. I have close up's of the leaves and trunk if anyone needs to see that.

Can you do a close-up of the leaves, please?

Any evidence of flowers? (could be inconspicuous small green things, of course)

Resin

Here's the close up. Thanks for taking a look Resin.

I don't remember any flowering last year..but it may be too soon this year.

Looks like a Camphor tree to me.

Oh Lord! I just looked Camphor tree up and they get HUGE!!
The leaves looked variegated on the one I did find a close up of tho so hopefully not. It's size right now is perfect. It's making wonderful dappled sun for my plants. I'll hate to loose it but where it is is not a place I want a forty foot tree. You see how close it is to the side of those stairs. The leaves sort of remind me of my ficus only bigger. But it loves the sun.

Any way to bonsai it the way it is???

Tear up one of the leaves and if it smells like campho phenique, it's a Camphor tree. They are an invasive weed tree all along the gulf coast. My guess is that a bird landed on your fence and pooped out the seed. If you cut it down, make sure to paint the stump with brush killer, or it will send up dozens of sprouts.

I should also add that Camphor wood is brittle and prone to breakage.

Yup. It sure does :)
OK... down it comes while I can still get to it easily. :(

Thank you escambiaguy for the ID.


hmmm.... if it does send out sprouts I could let "one" grow straight up again for a couple years... let it get this big for it's shade.... then cut it off again ...perpetually. ha haha

Maybe I'll wait till summer's over. Then get a replacement ....in a container.

Actually fall would be the best time to treat the stump with herbicide, that's when the sap is flowing back down in the roots. If you want something smallish, look at the "Little Gem" magnolia.

I'll try to get some pics to show the magnitude of the camphor sprouts.

This is a clump that come up on my property line. The birds sit in the oak trees and poop the seeds. I cut these down last year but I didn't treat the stumps because I was in a hurry that day. These are the sprouts which I sprayed about a week ago.

Oh my! It want to live doesn't it! I'll be sure and take care of those. I looked up the magnolia. Lovely! I have a tiny mimosa that I grew from my sisters tree's seeds last year. It's in a pot doing great. I was thinking I might let it grow in a container. That area is bricked and the camphor tree is in the flower bed. I should never have let a tree grow there but was so sure at the time that it was that Avocado seed I'd grown on the window sill with toothpicks then planted on that corner when it got too big to be in the house. Plus I was so new to gardening I knew no better. Even if that's what it had turned out to be those get HUGE too.

I bet you are correct about the bird. A fish turned up in my pond once when none had been in there for a LONG time too. Someone suggested a bird had pooped the egg. How else ?