some ID help if someone would be so kind

found this in my front yard during spring cleaning



dug it up and stuck it in a pot



and a top shot of the foliage:

re: the scale, that pot is about 15" across and the largest leaf is about 1" +/-



its a mess right now, but looks promising...

any help is appreciated.

I'd say it's Rhamnus cathartica. leaf size and shape look correct as well as occasional orange spots on the leaves.

It is a common weed tree here in the Chicago area. But they are bullet proof. I once dug a buckthorn in the middle of a drought in 95 degree heat in July. I bare rooted it and it didn't even skip a beat. Their roots are fibrous and black.

i did some quick googles on that and it appears you are correct, Dana !

the googles also turned up a thread on this forum...
so yes, i will keep an eye on the berries & flowers.

Thanks much !!!
kevin