Can Anyone Identify This Shrub?

[TexasPaganGoddess]

We bought this home about 4 1/2 years ago, and there are some glossy-leaved "shrubs" similar to photinia that grow wild around the front yard. They keep coming back year after year. We have NO clue what they are. The first ones to come up 4 years ago are 10 feet tall now, and last year's growth are about 3 feet tall.

https://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9dd03b3127ccec6f8404ece0f00000040O00AbuWbhi2cNWQPbz4C/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

https://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9dd03b3127ccec6f9fd12aed900000040O00AbuWbhi2cNWQPbz4C/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

[The Helpful Gardener]

Did you just get small yellow flowers? Is the area a touch damp?

I think it's Lindera benzoin but not sure as the branching is throwing me...

HG

[TexasPaganGoddess]

It has no flowers.

It's got long woody branches that pretty much just go straight up. It loses all of the leaves during the winter. The leaves are waxy and start with a reddish color to them.

The ones that are a few years old are already about 10 feet tall, so they grow very fast. We like the natural privacy screen! But we have no clue what they even are!!

I just went out and took a couple of new pictures of one of them, now that it has more leaves on it.

https://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9da34b3127ccec68b3aa0d8ab00000040O00AbuWbhi2cNWQPbz4C/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

https://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9da34b3127ccec68ab873f87500000040O00AbuWbhi2cNWQPbz4C/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

[The Helpful Gardener]

I just ran through every plant in a Texas database...

I think this may be Lyonia mariana or stagger bush, but still not sure. Interestingly (to me) is that this is a East Texas native, but a plant of special concern in Connecticut...still a maybe to me, though. The leaves look hauntingly familiar but I can't place it...

Keep an eye out for flowers (that may be smallish or insignicant, but they are there...)

HG

[TexasPaganGoddess]

Well, I found information on that plant on the Texas A&M Horticulture site, and I'm thinking you may just be right! The close up photo on this page looks pretty much like the younger version of these plants!

My gratitude to you for your help!

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/lyoniamariana.htm

[The Helpful Gardener]

Yeah that's where I found it too!

I learned more than anybody on this one; got a good primer in Texas plants; boy you all have a lot of neat natives! Ladybird Johnson would be proud of the Aggies for putting it out there; nice job!

HG

[TexasPaganGoddess]

Yeah that's where I found it too!

I learned more than anybody on this one; got a good primer in Texas plants; boy you all have a lot of neat natives! Ladybird Johnson would be proud of the Aggies for putting it out there; nice job!

HG

We do have some fun native plants here indeed! And the fact that we live waaaaay out in the boonies on densely wooded acreage sure adds to the pleasure!

I was out romping around in my woods last month and stumbled across the most gorgeous flowering dogwood that I didn't even know I had! Who knows what I'll find next year!

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/cornusflorida.htm

[The Helpful Gardener]

We had a bunch in the yard where I grew up, but the dogwood anthracnose has taken it's toll and there are only a few shaky ones left. You are indeed lucky; one of my favorite native trees...

HG