I think it must be a morning glory coming up at the base of the other plant--it has bloomed quickly so you don't see the vine. I have the tall plant all over my garden this year--I thought it was some sort of Erigeron and left some to see what the bloom is like.

Show us the flower petiole where it emerges from the stem and then I'll believe this isn't a joke post. If you are serious then junco's answer is the only possible explanation.

@floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK No joke I just have a light habit of phrasing things.

@junco East Georgia zone 8a Thank you! It happened on two of them and I definitely didn't see the vine, but on closer inspection the vine was really prevalent on one of them.

That leads me to the unanswered question. What is this (now flowerless) weed that grows everywhere. I've been trying to figure out what it could be for months. It seems so pervasive, Is there an obvious candidate. Was it goldenrod?

It looks like Conyza canadensis but a closer pic would help.

Yes - it does look like Conyza canadensis and the Morning Glory stems and leaves are now clear in the new photos.

Conyza canadensis is now Erigeron canadensis.

Either name, it's a pain in the butt, but an easily pulled weed. Do NOT let it go to seed!!!

Yes junco it was Erigeron canadensis until 1943 when it became Conyza canadensis.

I have some closer pics. So would you say it's possible to tell without waiting for it to flower to find out for sure, the likelihood of it being Conyza (Erigeron) canadensis?

Yes I would say you can pull it.

My question was more thinking along the lines of harvesting the leaves for culinary use. Haha ;)

Apologies, I read the source incorrectly and thought the name had gone the other way.

I was curious about junco's assertion and found one source saying it had reverted to Erigeron in May last year! I think I'll stick with Conyza for the time being.

Regarding edibility, put the name into PFAF . Plants for a Future It is a brilliant resource for that kind of info.

junco apologies to you! So many name changes, it will be interesting to see if this one holds. They keep us on our toes. Lamiastrum has been added to and taken out of Lamium a couple of times and I read recently that it will likely be included back in Lamium. I am still ticked off by the breaking up of Dicentra.

@floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK Thanks for the tip! I've come across the site before, but had no clue that their database was so big :)