So it will become a tree with prolonged growth?

Rodgersia is a herbaceous perennial.

Is there any way to establish whether it is growing from the tree stump? If it is, that would presumably mean Aesculus. A City of Chicago website lists Aesculus glabra, A. hippocastanum 'Baumanii', and A. octandra. As Janet noted earlier, only the horse chestnut routinely has 7 leaflets, the other two are five with occasionally seven. It seems an odd place for a Rodgersia to pop up, whereas if it's from the tree there isn't much else it can be except an Aesculus of some kind I think?

It is all around where the stump is as can be seen in the photo. I would assume the stump/roots of tree remain in the area they are growing.

sooby said: It seems an odd place for a Rodgersia to pop up, whereas if it's from the tree there isn't much else it can be except an Aesculus of some kind I think?

That's the clue, it would make more sense if it was Horse Chestnut!

Can we see the bottoms of the stems? If they have grown from 'conkers' then the bigger ones will have been growing for more than a year.

I can't see any old stems at the bottom, it all looks to be new growth to the bottom. I don't really know if it would grow off the roots, some trees do. (I have Acacia dealbata doing just that after the big tree was killed by excessive cold in 2010/11.)

I do know that new stems will grow off the main trunk.

One thing I find odd is the way the smaller (younger) leaves point upwards, in Horse Chestnut they hang downwards as they push out of the buds.

Putting three together (I hope the owner of the internet photo doesn't mind). See the old stem at the bottom of my 2nd year seedling, the new growth has come from a fat tip bud leaving the 'tepals' of the bud behind but also with some going up the new stem.

https://www.google.co.uk/searc...

I will take photos of the base tomorrow to help

Updated photos!!

More pics - leaves curl down

I'd still say horse chestnut.

I can't see any old stem at the base of the plant in the previous photos. If it was horse chestnut I would have expected to see some old stem, they don't grow that quickly from the ground unless they can grow from the roots or part of the trunk which might be under the surface level.

The colour doesn't look right either, horse chestnut is more green even when young, although I have discovered a colourful cross.

https://www.google.co.uk/searc...

Rodgersia is still on the cards, I'm surprised most leaves are still curled under at the edges. I looked for mine but it hasn't shown itself yet.

I wondered if the not-quite-right appearance of the leaves might relate to whatever caused the demise of the main tree. If it had a disease or nutritional issue for example then perhaps that could affect the sucker growth if that's what it is. It would be helpful to take a spade to it and see if the base of any shoots are attached to the stump but the municipality would take a dim view of that most likely

According to my field guide there is no other genus of trees in North America with opposite palmately compound leaves. So if not Aesculus that would mean it's either not a tree or it's some more unusual alien.

Presumably there are other street trees on that road? If so, what are they because cities don't often plant a different tree at each spot?

If it's not a tree then back to Rodgersia, which likes light shade and soil on the moist side which I'm thinking would be unusual in a street, but it's got to be something!

I agree with Sue. It is most likely to be a regrowth of whatever the dead-looking stump was, and, therefore, the same as the other street trees - if any.

Looked at the trees around, nothing similar and it is isolated near the end of the sidewalk in a planter. Weirdly looks like someone dug one of them out. Before it vanishes, I took a cutting just in case.

Here's a long shot, look up the approximate address on Google and check out the street view. It might show the tree if it was still standing when they went by.

Here is context of plant, nothing really similar around it - it's kind of isolated. I did look if attached to stump and took pics. Does this help?

Here is cutting - it's opening up, should I plant it in a larger planter?

I doubt it will root from a cutting. There's no way I can make this into a horse chestnut.

Info on Rodgersia.. check the features of Rodgersia aesculifolia, and look again at this photo noting the stems and growth structure.

http://www.gardenmyths.com/rod...

http://nature.jardin.free.fr/1...

Rogersia is not likely at all. Looking at various websites, Rogersia is a shade plant (or a sun plant if it gets moisture), and it would not be able to grow in a hot dry hole in a sidewalk next to a tree stump. And Rogersia leaves apparently grow individually, each on their own leaf stalk that comes out of the ground, or arranged alternately on flower stalks. This plant has leaves arranged oppositely on stems, so it can't be Rogersia.

Aesculus has opposite leaves, so it is a definite possibility. Since the stems appear to be sprouting directly from the base of the stump or the roots around the stump, they're clearly young stems of a tree, and so horsechestnut or buckeye are likely. As for the leaves not looking exactly like mature horsechestnut or buckeye leaves, that's understandable since it's just a sprout that hasn't fully unfolded its leaves yet.

Cyclaminist said:Rogersia is not likely at all. Looking at various websites, Rogersia is a shade plant (or a sun plant if it gets moisture), and it would not be able to grow in a hot dry hole in a sidewalk next to a tree stump. And Rogersia leaves apparently grow individually, each on their own leaf stalk that comes out of the ground, or arranged alternately on flower stalks. This plant has leaves arranged oppositely on stems, so it can't be Rogersia.

Aesculus has opposite leaves, so it is a definite possibility. Since the stems appear to be sprouting directly from the base of the stump or the roots around the stump, they're clearly young stems of a tree, and so horsechestnut or buckeye are likely. As for the leaves not looking exactly like mature horsechestnut or buckeye leaves, that's understandable since it's just a sprout that hasn't fully unfolded its leaves yet.

There was a tree to give shade. How hot and dry, at this time of year, does it get in Chicago? Surely there would be water held under the metal surround (and slabs) which appears to have holes in it?

Did you check the site which I posted, and which states how easily Rodgersia species interbreed?

Did you check the photo I have posted now three times, of a Rodgersia going to flower, which has opposite leaves on the stalk?

https://namethatplant.files.wo...

Did you read the identifying features of Rodgersia aesculifolia? I posted a clip of it so it was to be read and not missed.

http://www.gardenmyths.com/rod...

I will fill in some of the details to make it more obvious.

Leaf texture: Tends to deflects down at the mid-vein and the apex

These leaves do that.

Veins: Smooth upper surface, only main veins are prominent on the underside of the leaf

If you look back at the photo of the back of a leaf as posted earlier, that fits.

Number of leaflets: 6-7

Buckeye, if you had seen the link I posted earlier, has only 5 leaves. Repeating the quote:

62. Buckeyes (Aesculus species) LEAVES: Opposite, palmately compound (the leaflets arranged like spreading fingers), native buckeyes have 5 leaflets, Horsechestnut has 7

http://www.slideshare.net/mrjo...

The fact that the plants are around a tree stump is no indication that they belong to the tree. They could, but I can't see the likeness to horse chestnut nor any other tree. If anyone has any idea of what other type of tree might have leaves like these, please tell us.

Identification relies on facts, not what we think. Nothing is obvious until proven. If one is going to look at websites, then one must make sure there is a certain amount of credibility attached to that website. The internet if full of wrong information.

Obviously I'm a novice, but does this help you guys? Can I make it flower to help with ID or would that kill it?