fruiting/nut tree identification

ok. another what is this tree? sorry guys. when I had a book (Ithink it got loaned out end never returened) I was confused more often than not and not certain about what I found even after going through the steps to identification.  

anyway if someone knows what this is right off the bat or a can at least toss some ideas out there so I am not sorting through hundreds of leaf shapes and such that would be awesome.

the little 'fruits' (or soon to be hard nut shells ??) are about the size of an extra large grape right now. as I approached it I thought persimmon. but the fruits don't look right (don't see any blossom remains) and the leaves are much more serrated than any persimmon I have seen. the growth habit is completely different also. all the persimmon I have seen have been very quick to reach up through the undergrowth and develop a crown of foliage and fruit. this one is small and emerging through vines and brush as much out as it is up. so I think (just from my experience which is hardly wide ranging) I have ruled persimmon out.

don 't know..the fruits look a little like a peach but the leaves don't..hard to see from the picture..guess in a few months you'll know for sure wont you..!! looks fruitful anyway.

Leah,

It looks like a plum to me. I have no idea what kind, but I'd guess plum. Cut one of the fruits in half. If it has a large pit forming in the middle, that's what I'd guess. If so, you'll have to see if it's a tasty one or not.

Dave

thanks! the fruit does look very plum-like. I will go back out there today and cut one open just to see whats inside. so far that one tree like this is the only one I have seen out there....or at least the only one fruiting....I'm not sure another would stick out to me in all that vegitation without the fruit. I hope its plum! even if its not a fresh eating variety I would think that it would be fine dried, sweetened and chopped into granola type bars or made into jelly. 

well whatever it is it is obviously going to have a lot of fruit on it..so you have something to look forward to..any kinda fruit would be good dried in them there granola bars..and if it was nuts rather than fruit..similar statement, i love nuts in almost anything..and a good protein source..

bet if there is one there are more, as you probably have some cross pollination going there to have a good fruit set...need to get out there searching girl.

your probably right. there have got to be more out there. it is sooo thick in most places its probably just that the others didn't happen to have part of the path cut near them so I haven't found them. and I might never!!! I crawled through some impossible thicket areas to get some bones that I could see in there (deer it turns out). it was amazing how just ten feet 'in' it got so dark and cool with absolutely no sun reaching the ground. lots of small trees a few feet from each other like some kind of eerie miniature forest that I was a giant intruder in.

Maybe you guys could back the brush hog up into some of that underbrush and get yourself a clear area under a tree, where you can put a few chairs and tables and have a cool retreat to get to..they do say that trees are like giant airconditioners..

we had a huge ash on one side and a huge maple on the other side of our house before the housefire..and it was always really cool in there..the new house we sat back 40' behind where the back of the old house was..cause..the huge ash tree kept getting struck by lightening and blowing walls out of the house..which happened the night of our fire..

i hope you find lots of other fruit and or nut trees