Looks like an amaranth; there are some that are decorative (and edible) but it could be pigweed, which is a weed.

It's not chard or a sunflower. It looks very healthy whatever it is, although it looks like a weed to me. I suggest you keep it to see what it is, unless you need the pot for something else.

Linda

Yeah, it's growth pattern does resemble pigweed... amaranth. But there are many varieties, some useful, some cultivated, and some that are just considered weeds.

Another vote for amaranth. Whether wild or cultivated, the young leaves are delicious when cooked. My gardens are mostly free of it now (I think it was introduced by some manure), but I often mixed the young amaranth & lamb's quarter together as early cooked greens.

It looks like a hybrid basil that I grew a few years ago. Sampling a leaf would quickly answer many questions.

Thanks everyone for your input! I think it is amaranth, as it looks very similar to the pictures I found of amaranth on google. It must have come from the compost manure I used from my aunt's farm - she gives me lots of chicken and goat poop :) I don't have anything else like it in my yard... only where I put the compost from the manure.

So... now that we know what it is... Do you recommend that I keep it and eat the leaves, or rid of it asap before it spreads all over?

I'd say keep it to see it's full development to be sure of it's identity. It still looks like a young sunflower plant to me at pre-blooming stage (or at least it looks similar to mine).

If it is pigweed, DO NOT LET IT GO TO SEED! Well, unless you like it, but if it does seed, and you have no use for that variety, you will regret it lol.

Amaranthus - no doubt at all in my mind.

No doubt in my mind either. That is the best stage to harvest leaves from, should you choose to eat it. But unless you want it forever, I agree with @rgreen48 - do not let it go to seed. Pigweed is not the most pernicious of weeds, and is easy to pull... but it produces thousands of seeds if allowed to do so, and could quickly get out of control.

If you find that you enjoy the leaves, just keep cutting off the flower spikes as they appear, and you will have hot-weather greens all summer. I did that once in a previous garden, the plants branched heavily & produced quite a few pickings.