Scrophularia, Figwort. The flowers aren't showy, but they continually make a lot of nectar that draws pollinators and hummingbirds. A piwerful pollinator magnet! If you deadhead them they will rebloom, and it can be done a few times in one season. I grow them for the pollinators and hummingbirds and I deadhead them to get them to rebloom. The seeds take weeks to ripen, so there is plenty of time to deadhead them without worrying they will self seed. They prefer part shade and look better if planted behind other plants that favor the same conditions. There are 2 species in the east, Early Figwort,(Scropularia lanceolata) and Late Figwort.,(Scrophularia marilandica). They are almost identical, with different blooming times. I deadhead my Early Figwort so it does bloom later on as well. They can be clipped back to look neater. They put a lot of energy into growth in early spring, and then slow down later in the season.

https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/late_figwort.htm

I just saw Scrophularia californica at the beach last week!

The flowers are very small, but they certainly are interesting up close.

They are cool up close, worth keeping around and it's not often I have something new that's native show up on its own. Surprising that the California version can even survive at the beach, it sounds like these are pretty adaptable.

Thanks for the help!