What's this seedling?

[Herb]

We found this growing in our garden several months ago (in Victoria, B.C.) & put it in a pot because we liked the leaves. We've wondered whether it grew from a nut that a squirrel had buried, but it doesn't look like either a Hazel nut or a Walnut. Now we're getting more and more curious about it. Does anybody recognise it?

http://www.pbase.com/mtu_fulani/image/116388007

[viktoria]

...trying to remember whether Viburnums have opposite or alternate leaves...too early in the morning and the caffeine has not yet kicked in...

Viktoria

[Herb]

Viktoria - Thanks for the suggestion. We have two Viburnums - one's a bodnantense and the other's some other sort. I just checked both, and they both have have opposite leaves. So it seems that the seedling must be something else.

Herb

[Tigger]

Lots of possibilities, of course, but this reminded me of a stewartia. We have a native one in the east, but not sure about the PNW.

[Herb]

Tigger -

Thanks - that's a very interesting suggestion. We have a book called Trees and Shrubs for Pacific Northwest Gardens, and it lists four varieties of Stewartia as being probably suitable & a picture we found in another book of Stewartia ovata . Furthermore is says that propagation is usually by seed, so I guess that makes it a possibility - we certainly hope it turns out to be that. Perhaps we'll just have to wait & see.....

Herb

[viktoria]

Closeup of Stewartia pseudocamellia: