What is this tree and if i plant the pot into the ground will it stop it growing any bigger?

[fitzykev]

What is this tree and if I plant it into the ground with pot will it stop it getting any bigger?

 

[JohnD]

Impossible to say.

If you post a close-up of a twig showing the leaf arrangement, and a closeup of a leaf, that would be a start.

Have you looked in the pot for a label?

 

[RandomGrinch]

I may be completely wrong, but there's something reminiscent of a Japanese cherry, in the leaf shape and bark.
Has it flowered before?
Whatever it may be, I feel that small a pot will severely limit its growth.

 

[Alec_t]

if I plant it into the ground with pot will it stop it getting any bigger?

Not necessarily. If the pot fractures due to root expansion, or if a tap root can escape through a drainage hole in the pot base, then it might grow more than you want it to.

 

[HERTS P&D]

FREE THE TREE!

Plant it in the ground.

Andy

 

[Mottie]

Has it self-seeded from a nearby tree?

 

[Dextrous63]

There are free apps that you can use that will identify the plant (PlantMe is one I use now and again). Once you’ve got that then google is probably the best place to look.

Edit.. did a screenshot and the app tells me it is indeed

Prunus serrulata​

 

[Why Not Indeed]

Looks like a cherry to me.

 

[fitzykev]

We moved to a new house It was in the pot when we arrived. Not much space to plant it and let it grow big. But would like to keep it

 

[Why Not Indeed]

It's hard to say exactly what it is. Cherries come in a variety of sizes, but they are not what I would call "large" trees [ie like sycamore or beech]. It's not going to suddenly become a large tree, so plant it and if it looks like it's going to be bigger than you'd hoped, cut it down.
It doesn't look too happy, I wouldn't expect the leaves to be turning already. None of my cherries have. If you're going to do something with it, do it soon.

 

[StephenStephen]

Plant it, and prune it if it gets too big.
Cherries can be fussy on what time of year to prune them - I can't remember the details, check the RHS website.

BUT, something to bear in mind is that cherries can send out very long lateral roots, which can dry the soil, lift the lawn - just keep an eye and chop them off if you need to.

 

[Odds]

Plant it, and prune it if it gets too big.
Cherries can be fussy on what time of year to prune them - I can't remember the details, check the RHS website.

BUT, something to bear in mind is that cherries can send out very long lateral roots, which can dry the soil, lift the lawn - just keep an eye and chop them off if you need to.

As a rule of thumb i like to prune fruit trees in early spring - late Feb/March - to encourage new growth. So long as the weather isn't wet or too frosty, it works out okay. I don't think the tree in the pot looks to be a fruit bearer though, so maybe a little off the top this autumn wouldn't hurt. That way it can spend the winter delving new roots into the ground, rather than staying cooped up in that pot.