Should I leave it or cut it out?

Question: I have this bush that I don’t know if it’s an invasive or a plant I should leave.  I’m trying to get rid of blackberries and ivy near a wetland.  There are native dogwoods and pacific willows surrounding this plant.

I can’t identify it, I’ve seen no flowers on it but has this unusual butterfly type leave on the sides of a larger leaf.

responder: Jacki D., Master Gardener Diagnostician Volunteer (Washington, Multnomah and Clackamas Counties) Oregon State University Extension Service Volunteer Metro Master Gardeners (http://metromastergardeners.org/) Replied July 14, 2023, 1:20 AM EDT
response: I don’t recognize the plant using these photos. My instinct is a hawthorn. There are native and non-natives growing in this area. Provide more photos please. Cut a stem and isolate it for a clear view. Another photo showing it in the larger plant community will illustrate size and growth habit. Finally, pick a few leaves and lay them out to clearly show the shapes. Also, describe the plant more: is this a clump with multiple plants? Can you pull up just one by the roots? Is there a single trunk?

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 14, 2023, 12:39 PM EDT
response: ﻿﻿It has multiple stems, no thorns over 51/2 ft.  What is distinctive to me is its smaller “butterfly” type smaller leaves around its bigger leaves.  Stems are round.  Sent from my iPadOn Jul 13, 2023, at 10:20 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 14, 2023, 12:39 PM EDT
response: Download full resolution imagesAvailable until Aug 13, 2023﻿It has multiple stems, no thorns over 51/2 ft.  What is distinctive to me is its smaller “butterfly” type smaller leaves around its bigger leaves.  Stems are round.  Sent from my iPadOn Jul 13, 2023, at 10:20 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿

responder: Jacki D., Master Gardener Diagnostician Volunteer (Washington, Multnomah and Clackamas Counties) Oregon State University Extension Service Volunteer Metro Master Gardeners (http://metromastergardeners.org/) Replied July 15, 2023, 10:58 AM EDT
response: It is a hawthorn, but which one? I think it’s our native black hawthorn, Crataegus douglasii. On this Oregon State Landscape Plants page, you’ll find a description of the black hawthorn and to the right, a column of hot-links to other hawthorn species. Here is information from East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District, and there’s much more online. There aren’t mature leaf photos that exactly match on these pages, as the juvenile sprout or sucker has the “ruffle” before thorns form. The thorn is a specialized stem (hope some extra botany information is okay). Thorny bushes make good barrier shrubs which may be a consideration in keeping or cutting down this plant.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 15, 2023, 5:57 PM EDT
response: Thank you very much for the help.  My apple iPhone app gave me 8 different names from poison oak to elm etc.  I will continue to observe, look to see if thorns and flowers and berries develop to help me confirm or if it is another species of Hawthorne.  I will need to trim back part of it since it’s it’s encroaching on a pathway but leave it since it’s beneficial to birds.Sent from my iPad On Jul 15, 2023, at 7:58 AM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿