Mystery Volunteers - Maybe A Bonsai Adventure?

[redwoodbsq]

Hello!

I have been growing plants indoors, mainly herbs and a few flowering plants. I moved my amaryllis pot and found these two growing in my window box. I think they might be oaks. We have both red and white oaks in Cleveland. I have never had a bonsai before but have always wanted one. I thought maybe these volunteers might be the universe's way of giving me a hint.

Can anyone help me ID these guys and tell me what to do with them?

Info:

I live in Ohio, but have also had this planter with plants in it in Colorado.
I did put it outdoors for a few days during the fall last year, but it's been indoors for a long time.
It's indoors in the southeast window of the house. We have diffuse plant lights in the room to get the plants through the winter (which still hasn't left!)
House is usually 60 (F) at night, sometimes more like 55ish since the polar vortex won't leave us alone!
House gets up to 70ish during the day if lucky
It's normal potting soil, nothing fancy.
The only thing growing in the pot is my sweet basil.
I've had thyme and thai basil in this pot but they died a while ago :'(
I also like feeding birds and sometimes a few seeds make it into my planters, but I've never seen volunteers look like these

I'm completely new to bonsai, but pretty ok at regular plants. Any direction would be very appreciated!

Thanks!!

[rainbowgardener]

Well, no ... not likely an oak. Some kind of tree with large unlobed leaves, I'm not sure what. Maybe avocado or citrus, maybe magnolia, maybe pawpaw.

But the size of the leaves compared to the size of the tree make it an unlikely candidate for bonsai. Bonsai is generally done with small leafed trees and shrubs so that when the size of the tree/shrub is miniaturized, the leaves still look proportional.

Volunteer trees aren't usually hard to come by. I dug 6 good sized ones out of flowerbeds already this season, getting the flower beds ready for spring. Walk around your yard or your neighborhood.

[tomc]

I'm not at all sure its even a tree. Looks basil-y to me.

It is for sure not an oak.

[rainbowgardener]

There is basil, but the volunteer trees are between the basil and the potted bulb plant. Clearer in the second picture, the hand holding the big leaf. If you double click it, the picture will enlarge.

[redwoodbsq]

Thanks for the replies! I'll plant it out in the backyard. After looking at a million pictures of leaves, the best I could guess was a chestnut oak, or a chinapin oak. I just can't believe that I would miss an acorn being buried when I was taking it in our out. But the edges don't like up with anything else I looked at.

I guess we'll just have to wait for the little guy to grow up to figure it out.

[rainbowgardener]

I really don't think it is an oak tree. Both the oaks you name have way more serrated leaf edges:


https://www.carolinanature.com/trees/qumu60715.jpg

I'm still thinking avocado might be a decent guess, but you would think you would know if there was an avocado pit in there, too.

If you are going to replant it, dig down below the bottom of the tree and lift it up carefully and you may well bring the seed/nut/ pit or whatever is down there up with it, which would help identify it.