Plant identification please

[cantfixstupid]

I moved into my current house last summer and at the time this plant was growing in the middle of a seating area. It was right in the middle so looked quite random. It was about 4ft tall then, not many side shoots and just generally looked odd. I assumed it was a weed/shouldn't have been there so cut it down to a few inches.

I didn't have time to get the root out so I placed these bigger stones around it so I didn't trip over it and added it to my list of things to do. However, now it's growing as in the photo, it's somehow forced its way through the stones.

Does anyone have any idea what it might be please? Thank you

It looks like Ash to me

@HasaDig, Wow, thanks for your quick response.

You think it's an Ash tree? Thank you. I really wonder what on earth the previous owner was thinking when planting it there.

It may well have planted itself. Or the previous owner might have been concerned about Ash dieback and deliberately planted it.

(or I might be wrong about what it is but it looks very much like my young Ash trees)

Yes, ash. Almost certainly self seeded. I get masses of them.

Thank you. I did wonder about self-seeding as it's in a really strange spot. But the stones there are quite deep so it's done a really good job of nestling in.

Their usual modus operandi is to seed themselves into the middle of a plant or bush, so you don't see them until they emerge from the top, and by then their roots are half way to Australia. So you try to get rid of them by cutting them at ground level, and they just produce new shoots - the battle carries on for years.

Yup defo ash tree, they will sprout everywhere and if left will grow very quickly and massive, I'd advise you to remove it or if the roots are already established you might just have to keep cutting it back, unless you'd like to keep it obviously xx