Looks like a burgeoning patch of chickweed, Stellaria media, that will erupt into bloom any day now.

It's an edible green, cooked or in salads.

It's seeds prolifically. Each plant comes from a slender central stem. Gather in the side stems and pull out from the root every plant you can find or the problem will be exponentially worse next year.

And do not throw it on the compost pile! Pulled plants will bloom and set seed on your compost pile.

I didn't think chickweed came up this early. It can't be sprayed with a herbicide?

Get the Picture This app. It’s great for identifying all sorts of plants.

It is a winter germinating annual weed so as soon as it starts warming a tad in late winter or early spring, chickweed springs to life. In fact, early spring - NOW - is the best time to go after most annual weeds!

@Timi M, it's hard to find an app that is even slightly accurate with plant ID!! There is always someone on these forums that can nail it in minutes. A lot of very experienced plant people hang out here :-)

In regards to "go after" I've seen suggestions to pulling it out of the ground but I have compacted soil (HUGE yard) and pulling it up usually results in roots breaking off in ground and seeds falling off. Any other options for this? I had some Black Medic starting up last summer too. It's weird, I don't have these weeds for 20 years then they start showing up.

Use a broadleaved weed killer intended for lawns. Something like Weed B Gon is targeted for a huge number of common lawn and garden weeds.

Who mows your lawn? Weed seeds are easy to transport on lawn equipment. The Big Box store's stinky garden chemical aisle will have what you need to kill Chickweed.

any broadleaf weed killer, check. I thought maybe more specific, but ok thanks.