Can someone please help me identify this tree?

Hey everyone,

It's my first time actually posting here although I've been reading the forums for about a year now.

I'm going to be starting up a new garden at my mother in law's place using permaculture techniques as best as I know how anyway, and there is a tree in the garden bed that looks like it's a couple years old. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what this is? My best guess is that it's a birch, but I could be wrong of course.

Any thoughts?

well it's not a birch......how old is it ?

My best guess is it's 2 years old. My mother in law just moved into this place so I'm not exactly sure.

I don't think those pictures are going to be enough for most people to be able to make an ID unless they're already familiar with that particular type of tree. In fact, the pictures almost look like two different plants to me! The first one looks like a young tree with a clear trunk while the other one looks like a shrub of some sort, with several main stems.

From what you've given us I can see that it's obviously deciduous with oval leaves that are possibly silver on the underside. That won't get us very far. What I can't tell is if the leaves are simple or compound; smooth, toothed, or serrated; the nature of the midrib/veins; etc., etc. You should give us a close-up of the leaves, if possible.

It would also be helpful to get a better view of the buds on the branches as well as the bark.

Okay, thanks for the info. I'll try and remember to get more details next time I'm there.

Those are definitely two different plants. Don't recognize the second one, but the first resembles some sort of Amelanchier (Serviceberry) to me.

The second picture is a peony in front, with a tree behind, left side.

Many trees look very similar at this stage. Even with enough detail in the picture, it would be difficult to be certain what it (or they, since I don't see a peony in the back of the first picture) are.

It's hard to tell from these pictures but I could swear that is a young persimmon tree. The undersides of the leaves are whitish, soft and kind of downy and the immature bark is smooth reddish tan -- not gray and blocky like the mature tree bark. Do you have persimmons in Canada?