I am pretty sure it is in the Birch family, but I am in South East U.S. and only know the Black Birch for sure. Thank you for your help.
This looks to me like the paper birch, Betula papyrifera (also known as white birch or canoe birch), which is very common up here in New England. In Tennessee, you are at the extreme southern end of the native range of this tree. Naturally occurring hybrids are said to occur where the ranges of different birch species overlap, so maybe that's what you've got. Mature trees of the species here in New England usually have more predominantly white bark than the tree (or trees) in your photos, but that is kind of variable, from what I can tell.
There might be spent leaves on the ground left from last year. Features of buds, twigs and catkins also of interest. So far all we have to look at is really only the bark.
Probably turn out to be P. serotina. The pointed shapes already being shown by the developing leaves would fit that one. Looking at the trunk I had wondered if it might be this tree at the start, and looking again at the shot with branches I'm now thinking it could in fact have been seen to be a cherry from how those appear. Look up the cherries that grow wild there and see what seems to fit. If old enough and getting enough light distinctive inflorescences may be seen on it later in the season, with fruits perhaps to follow. There may also be pits from last year's crop on the ground around it.
Ok thank you...I guess memory is failing me. I thought this was what the other ones looked like some years ago when they were smaller. I'll take pics of the leaves popping out on the first trees soon, they are in my back yard. I'll keep an eye on these though, there are several of them in this area. Thank you!
