ithere is no stump, maybe that is a rock put there to keep the rabbits out. btw these rabbits do not make burrows so maybe they are hares. how can we tell?
Even though it is a rock, not a stump, next to those branches, they look more like suckers to me than seedlings. Is there something growing on the other side of the fence? Unless you really like the plant, you could try pulling one of the branches up and see if you find roots or rhizomes or if it just breaks off. Vancouver Island, has no native rabbits or hares. The only species of rabbit found here are the Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus and the introduced European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus. Both were introduced and are considered invasive. Rabbits and the Wildlife Act
SUCKERS!! no not you, that is what it looks like. does it look like a silver birch lying on the ground to you? about 3 inch round!! thanks
If they're coming off a stump with bark like that then I return to my original impression of black cottonwood.
Wow! Lucky you @anon125 - your very own black cottonwood tree! I read the lateral roots can spread >15 meters. Don't think you can thank the birds for this one.
pics of what is maybe a cottonwood nearby. bark looks the same as our sucker plants. there are a few trees there but later in the year cottony things float down.
