not sure whether it is some Heliopsis or Rudbeckia or some such

but it most likely would prefer full sun, so,

next to the Hostas,....

is it very sunny?

and I would pull the weed with the dandylion heads or remove the seed heads, probably a Sonchus

Yes, the ‘dandelions’ do not belong to the plant you are asking about and are a weed. I agree on moving the ‘decent’ plant to a sunnier spot. But shade it to start with.

Looks like a coneflower/rudbeckia to me too. But if it is, it doesn’t belong in the shade with hostas. It’s a full sun plant.

Are you sure the yellow bloom we see in the back is attached to this plant? I’m pretty sure there’s a real dandelion hiding in there.

It is not a dandelion but it it is also not part of the plant in question. Looks to be a Sonchus as Linaria suggested above.

Echinacea purpurea (?)

OK, I know you guys (or gals) know your plants! There must be something wrong here if this plant is stumping you. I was confused. So I figured that the best thing was to get a picture of the flower and/or additional pictures.

This is what I found: there are actually two plants together (which I knew, but thought the one plant was very short. It is short, but their flower is not!). So the pictures I posted were of one plant and the flowers were from the other! Sorry about that! Geesh!

I have a few new pictures.

Now the short plant that produced the flowers is the plant that I want to keep. I should probably just cut the flowers off since they are so tall. But the tall plant that has not produced any flowers is the one I was asking about. The person who gave them to me said the two plants were easy to grow in less than ideal conditions. I believe the short plant is an invasive type---it has dark spots on it.

I’m confused. You want to keep the ’invasive type’? Compare with Hieracium maculatum, Spotted Hawkweed, and see if that's it. It needs lots of sun.

Hieracium maculatum!

There is a native Hieracium that is more attractive than Hieracium maculatum imo. Hieracium venosum.

I ordered seeds for Hieracium maculatum and Pilosella/Hieracium aurantiacum from the UK. I never grew the maculatum, but I grew the Pilosella for a few years. I think it's quite beautiful, but not native, and invasive also. I deadheaded it, so as not to add to the problem.

Floral, yes I want to keep the Spotted Hawkweed because I think it is a cool looking plant! Here is a picture of my friend's---the one who gave me a small plant of the same:

I certainly don't have full sun, but have read that it can be grown in part shade. I also checked to see if it was invasive in my area. Good news! It's not. But Hieracium aurantiacum Orange hawkweed, Hieracium caespitosum Yellow hawkweed, Hieracium vulgatum and the Common hawkweed MS Hieracium x floribundum are.

Jay, that's a nice looking plant!

I will go out and cut the flower stalk off the Spotted Hawkweed. That way, the other plant will be able to be seen more clearly. Maybe if it flowers, then an ID can be made on the other plant? I have a similar looking plant (from the same person) and it is in a sunnier spot and is blooming now. It has also spread by seed I think as I have small plantlets beside it. I'll take a picture of it.

You really need to separate the two plants for both their benefits.

Floral, I want to separate the plants for sure. I was given them together in one pot, but had not intended to keep them together when planting. But I am not keen on the tall one as it is too tall in that spot and I don't have much sun. That's why I wanted to know what the plant is. No use keeping it there if it won't get the sun that it needs or if it is a common plain plant.

You could plant the hawkweed seeds too.

I believe that that the pictures I attach here are of the same plant that I photographed for the post. What is it?

You can see that it has seeded itself. It is tall and kind of bent and leaning on another plant.

This is the flower it produced.

The plant with the flower is Campanula glomerata. It's leaves don't match the leaves of the 1st plant which I still believe is Echinacea purpurea. Campanula glomerata is naturalized in north America. There are 15 subspecies.

Agreed. The original plant is not the same as the Campanula. Take a leaf from each and compare side by side and you’ll see the differences. Shape, veins, leaf edges, texture, etc.

Campanula glomerata spreads by rhyzomes and will form nearby colonies. Perhaps that's what your seeing, and they aren't self sown seedlings?

After looking at your first plant again, I don't think it's Echinacea purpurea. Echinacea purpurea has short petioles and a hairy stem with purple steaks. Can you submit another photo when this plant flowers?Thanks!

Campanula glomerata, yes that does seem to be the plant with the purple flowers! But it is not thought to be the same plant as the first picture. Hmmm. . . I will take a leaf from both. Good idea floral! I'll take a picture too.

So for Campanula glomerata, I love the flowers and the color of them. But I don't have full sun nor partial sun which I think this plant needs. So I guess I will have to find a new home for it. I have a friend with lots of sun, but has a walnut tree invading her property. Don't think this plant is juglone tolerant.

Definitely will have to take a picture of the 1st plant when it flowers, Jay. It gets less sun than the one with the purple flowers. The one with the purple flowers is in my front yard which gets some sun whereas the one that hasn't flowered yet is in my backyard in more shade.

So I got a leaf from the two plants and sure enough they are not the same plants.

One of the above leaves is Campanula glomerata and obviously the other is not! I think I see that the "other plant" will flower soon. I am curious as to what the flower will be and wondering if then it can be identified.

My money’s on Rudbeckia.

Mine too nhl. I am fond of Rudbeckia but I have come to intensely dislike Campanula glomerata. It spreads aggressively and also reseeds itself if not deadheaded.

Rudbeckia---does look a lot like that plant I have! But I understand it likes full sun? I may have to find it another garden to live in. Anxiously waiting to see the flower.

Peren.all, the flowers are so pretty of the Campanula glomerata. But I hear you. I can see that it is already spreading in my garden. I am not fond of plants that reseed or spread rapidly---well, at least I have to love them! So I love the flowers, but not that plant! I also don't have enough sun for it. In my garden it grew and then kind of flopped over and I am not going to stake it. I have enough of those kind of plants. No more! (p.s. I'm getting too old for that nonsense! LOL.)

Yes I hear you on enough of those kinds of plants and double yes on getting too old for that nonsense!!

Hurry up---bloom so you can be identified!

I'm getting a strong Rudbeckia fulgida vibe. 🤔🕓😁

Still waiting.

Not sure why the first picture of the flower looks so different to the second. Most of the flower buds look like the second picture.

I seem to have lost my money on this one.

Echinacea! Thank you peren.all! It also might have been more difficult to identify as mine is in a lot of shade. So growth is maybe taller and more sparse? I believe this plant wants more sun than I can give it. Should I keep it? Give it away? Toss it? Separate the Echinacea and Spotted Hawkweed and plant them somewhere?

As for the Campanula glomerata, I did rip it out. I sure don't need this vigorous plant to control. Glad to have gotten rid of it. So not long after that, there it was again---maybe 10 little plantlets growing in the same spot. Oh no!

nhl the Echinacea will grow in sun or light shade. Do you have a spot that is partial sun/shade? They are great for pollinators so if you have a spot I would keep it, if not re-home it.

Definitely separate it from the Spotted hawkweed.

Ugh, now you can see why I have a strong dislike for C. g.! I know you will eradicate those pieces now that you see its true nature. Exterminate, exterminate! ( Any one who has seen Dr. Who will get this) if not apologies lol!

I have a friend with a bigger garden and more sun. Perhaps she would be interested in the Echinacea. Or maybe I will plant it in another spot and see if it grows. Now that the Echinacea is flowering, I guess I have to wait to separate it from the Spotted Hawkweed.

When I saw all those little C.g. plantlets, I said that was what peren.all was talking about! I will use a shovel to dig up the roots. Dr. Who, yes, for sure!

Here is the flower. Probably could tuck it in between a couple of hosta. The hosta will come out later when the Echinacea will be tall enough to get catch some sun and tower over the hosta. I like photogenic flowers. I should get my "better" camera and give it a try.

They are extremely photogenic as you have discovered! Soon you will not be able to get a pic without without a pollinator on it. Bees & butterflies adore them. Crab spiders like to use them as a hunting perch too.

Despite the fact that it is blooming I would still suggest separating it from the hawkweed now. It will only get harder as they both mature.

It sounds like this plant is going to be a lot of fun! I'll definitely keep it!

I am glad you mentioned that I should separate it now rather than later, peren.all. I was wondering about that! I'll do it after our heat wave is over which is soon I hope!

I tried getting a better picture with my other camera. It was a bit too late in the day, but the picture is a little better than the other one I think.

I'm still having fun photographing this flower!

But I haven't got the perfect photo yet!

NhlNHL, that first bud picture has been chewed by some pest……not sure what, but some of mine look like that too!

debra

Oh, so you think it was an insect that ate away at the bud. I hadn't thought of that! Thanks.

The miracle of mother nature.