Vancouveria, aka inside-out flower, but not sure what species. And this is a western US native :-)

Vancouveria hexandra

If Menispermum canadense and Epimedium had a baby. Berberidaceae.

Thank you both for the ID! How interesting that it's a western native, I am not sure how it got into the garden, but assume the seed might have come in with another plant.

So here is another plant, saw this recently in a public garden near the train depot. The bees were all over it. At first glance I thought some sort of thistle, but it doesn't look like it.

Echium vulgare. Vipers Bugloss.

It's a shame that it's considered invasive in parts of the US. It's a lovely source of blue in the garden, and native to Europe and Asia. But especially in the NE US, it easily escapes and can out-compete native plants.

Thanks for the info on the Echium guys. Now I wonder if it was planted or naturalized as it was growing along the edge of the public garden. It is pretty, and the bees appeared to love it, even moreso than the Nepeta growing nearby. I was planning to grab some seed but will need to research first.

Actually, the echium has more of an invasive presence on the west coast (PNW specifically) as it is registered as an official invasive species in WA, ID, MT, WY and AK. Also present and listed in British Columbia. Only listed in WV in the east although naturalized pretty widely.

The Invasive Plant Atlas of the US shows it as widely invasive in northeast and all of Mass (I live in eastern Mass).

https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=5564

However, it's not listed on the Massachusetts Prohibited Plant list (as yet?). This was the first time I've seen it growing anywhere around here. I might collect some seed and grow it, and keep an eye on it, primarily because it appeared that the pollinators love it.

Look at that map again......carefully :-) That only shows where the plant has naturalized, not where it is considered invasive and there is a big difference between the two! it is only the much smaller map to the right that lists exactly where this species is a listed invasive.

Yes you're right. The invasive part is in red in the smaller map. And I am aware of the difference. Well I'll definitely collect some seed then! :)