Identify

Sprouts & Seedlings

Wild seedlings worth moving to your land, and the invasives that look like them.
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Identify these (9)

Caution

Black walnut seedling

Juglans nigra

Long-taprooted seedlings. Transplant in the first year only, and plant far from gardens because of juglone.

Elderberry sucker or cutting

Sambucus canadensis

One of the easiest wild plants to transplant: dig rooted suckers or take hardwood cuttings.

Pawpaw seedling

Asimina triloba

Small pawpaws in an existing patch. Transplants poorly because of a taproot, so move them very small and protect from sun.

Persimmon seedling

Diospyros virginiana

Deep-taprooted seedlings and root sprouts; move them very young.

Redbud seedling

Cercis canadensis

Heart-shaped-leaf seedlings with a taproot; move small.

Sassafras sucker

Sassafras albidum

Root suckers in thickets. Distinctive mitten-shaped leaves; can be hard to transplant.

Serviceberry seedling

Amelanchier spp.

Small understory tree with early white flowers and June berries. Moves fairly easily when small.

Spicebush seedling

Lindera benzoin

Aromatic shrub seedlings that move easily. Male and female plants are separate.

White oak seedling

Quercus alba

Long-lived oak with rounded leaf lobes. Extremely deep taproot, so move in the first year or plant acorns directly.

Educational reference only. Never eat a wild plant or mushroom based on a website or app. Confirm with an experienced forager, your local extension office, or a mycological club. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. Call 911 for severe symptoms.