I think it might be Verbena bonariensis.

this one looks too shiny to be a verbena. And verbenas havent' yet grown to this size in my zone here zone 5.

How tall is it?

Definitely not verbena bonariensis. VB is scratchy, stiff and leaves are farther apart.

Thinking aloud:

It looks too upright to be a stokesia.
Leaves look a bit too narrow to be a rudbeckia hirta?
Have you ever sown seeds/planted any of the tall celosia such as 'Pink Flamingo'? Is it growing in the sun or shade?

I'm stumped so far!

Cameron

3ft, part sun.

Definitely not stokesia. Obedient plant maybe?

Looks like a weed that grows here,i pulled out a bunch of it yesterday.
Kathi

It looks like a weed to me too Kathi, I'm ripping it out! Thanks everyone :)

Gardenweed, I just looked at the leaves and I believe you are correct! Is the Obedient plant invasive in zone 5?

Does Physostegia get to 3 feet?

I thought it looked like Goldenrod. Solidago canadensis.

Here is a link that might be useful: Solidago canadensis

looks like wild phlox

How about posting it on the Name That Plant Forum.

Goldenrod

I'm sitting here with a leaf from my Angeleonia comparing it to your plant, and they are identical.

My first thought when seeing photo was goldenrod.

Could be Solidago canadensis, canada goldenrod. Very common and spreads aggressively by rhizomes.

Had it in my front yard and it grew everywhere. Definitely a weed. I never planted it, that's for sure. That was one I thought to let grow and see what it did and all it did was multiply.

Looks like goldenrod, I am trying to separate canada goldenrod from rugosa then edit---add Helenium and liatris and echinacea and yank out the mugwort and dock---but then I'm a bit mad and my yard may end up condemned---rugosa blooms a bit later and behaves better. I may add brown eyed susans as well and perhaps monarda--------Weedy (so's my garden)