On 9/30/2014 11:35 AM, strqnter wrote:

Can anyone tell me what they are and how best to get rid of them? I've
cut them back to the ground, but by looking at one of them, it has been
chopped down in the past.

Can't tell you what it is, but as other posters have mentioned,
digging it out is the best solution. However, if that turns out to be
too difficult a task, there is a simpler way to get rid of it. First,
cut the tree down as close to the ground as reasonably possible. Next,
find a sturdy water- and light-proof container, such as a metal can or
a ceramic pot. Select one large enough to be a couple of inches wider
than the stump when the container is turned upside down over the
stump. Place the container over the stump, set a rock or brick atop
the container. The stump will resprout, but the container will block
light from getting to it, and the brick will keep the sprouts from
pushing the container off the stump. Given enough time (around here,
we keep the container on for a year) the stump will die. At that point
you can remove the container. The stump can be left in place, or, once
it's decayed enough to be easily removed, you can dig it out.

The area I live in has a major problem with invasive buckthorn, and
this is the simpler approach we use to to deal with persistent
specimens found in garden beds and borders.