In article ,
Rachel 101 wrote:

I looked around the garden but couldn't see anything similar in the
area (in the hope that a mature tree might give me more clues), so any
suggestions would be welcomed. I am pretty sure that it's not an exotic,
as the garden is not an "exotic" one, and the position of this tree
suggests that it was not planted deliberately, but has arrived as a
chance seedling.

Er, no. Please don't fall into the trap of assuming that there is
any great difference (in the UK!) between native and exotic species.
Almost ALL species, and all but one or perhaps two tree species,
have arrived in the past 11,000 years. What is more, we really
don't know for any of the longer-established ones which arrived
'naturally' and which were introduced.

Exotic species are at least as likely to self-seed as 'native' ones;
buddleia, ailanthus, sycamore, walnut (sic) and dozens more do it
readily.

On this particular plant, what it the older bark like?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.