Completely unknown tree to me

[RPowers]

I have a couple small trees up on my ridge that I can't ID. I am usually pretty good at finding out what something is but these have me stumped. Here are pictures of the bark, a leaf, and the underside of a leaf showing the twig's glabrous surface and buds. They are about 25' tall and 6-8" diameter. No clinging fruits or nuts that I can find. I don't have a pic of wood grain or anything as I've left them standing.


  

  

 

Ideas? Oh, the leaves are completely smooth, and unlobed.

[fishpharmer]

Looks kinda like persimmon.  If they are, the golfball sized orangish fruit would likely have dropped by now, usually they disappear fast to the critters.

[RPowers]

Definitely not a persimmon. I love my 'simmons and know them well. This is almost like an overgrown Rusty Haw but the leaves aren't toothed and there's no fruit.

[curdog]

Kinda looks like silverbell.

[sandhills]

I'd guess cottonwood but the leaves don't seem right, the bark does though.

[Dodgy Loner]

Bark looks like silverbell, but the leaf and twig look like blackgum. Silverbell has small teeth towards the tip of the leaf, they are not completely smooth. Bark isn't right for blackgum, though.

Try this: cut through the outer bark and into the inner bark with a pocketknife. If the inner bark is a rich salmon color, it's probably silverbell.

[WDH]

My first impression was an apple.

[RPowers]

I'll have to do more field research then and see what details I can bring back. I have a lot of black gum, and this is not it. It was right after leaf drop so if it was a wild/feral crab apple or something I guess that the fruit could have all dropped. It didn't remind me of any of my apples in the orchard though.