mystery tree (?) in new house yard

This is our first summer in our new house in Saskatoon, as we've discovered quite a few mystery plants. We're very inexperienced gardeners so have no clue on this one (photos attached).

The elderly neighbours recall that a nearby stump was from a plum tree, and thought it might be that trying to regrow?

It's about 2 feet high, and looks to be several stalks (?) all coming from the same base (sorry, that picture didn't come out very well). It will have to be removed or relocated as its blocking an area where drainage work needs to occur, but would love to find out if it's worth trying to move it and what part of the yard it would need to do well, what size it will get to etc.

 

If you want orchard fruit you'd be better off buying and planting grafted specimens of known named cultivars thought suitable for your climate.

 

(and the reason for that is what is regrowing may be rootstock)

 

We're not interested in orchard fruit at all - just want to identify it for planning purposes.

 

Then you won't have any use for this.

 

Wow, was kind of expecting it to be a little friendlier around here....I'd say "thanks anyway" but since I didn't actually get an answer to my question I'll just leave.

 

Ron can be a little brief sometimes, but he's never unfriendly -- just efficient. The answer is that it is likely the plum tree that the neighbours remember. However, it is also likely that it is the rootstock from the plum tree that is growing back. Rootstock is often not particularly useful for above ground purposes -- it is rarely ornamental, and it won't produce the same sort of fruit as the graft / scion. You are better off to get rid of the plant and replace it with something that has the desirable characteristics you are looking for, in the site that you prefer.

 

Ah ok, thank you! That fills in the holes perfectly.

 

Presumably identification was provided at link to discussion of rootstock - which I did not open. Some root-stocks used are hybrid cultivars involving more than one kind of orchard fruit, others are seedlings of appropriate (compatible) species. Plums on their own roots may also sucker to form thickets. Since it was not possible to determine what specific variety was present from the material available (and there was a strong possibility of it not being worthwhile, including the failure of the original planting perhaps showing it was not adapted to that site) it seemed far more productive to buy and plant complete (scion + stock) new trees of known characteristics.