too bad you're not an herbalist, these plants are good for something! cheers

Kaliaman, that was a mean answer! Very unhelpful. Arietti I suggest you go on to Daves Garden where people try to really help.
I am not promoting DG but I love gardening and I am trying to study as I grow, I find the peer to peer support helpful and so I have registered over the years on several sites. I was simply shocked today that my reading of 3 posts HERE turned up unsympathetic responses in all 3!

Looks like a violet, perhaps.

Welcome to Gardenweb, Arietti and Omedd.

Kaliaman's response is not an accurate representation of the kind of comments usually offered in this forum, as I'm sure you'll see if you hang around a bit. I didn't see the point in adding such a rude comment either. As you probably know, the answers are offered voluntarily, so when someone who knows what this plant is sees this post, I'm sure a genuine answer will be offered.

That's a Campanula, if you dig deeper where you dug that one up you'll probably find another layer of those giant roots. That's why they always come back when people dig them, they don't dig deep enough.

I personally am beginning to wonder if China is deep enough.

Thanks everyone,
I think it is indeed Campanula (rapunculoides) or creeping bellflower. I had identified the flowers last summer but did not make the connection between them and the plant itself.

I do try to dig up its roots but that's harder to do on the rocky slope in the back.

Kaliaman, I am indeed not a herbalist, so no offense taken. If I was one, it would have been a lot more helpful to a) be given the name of the herb and b) be told the 'good for something' that you speak of.

Arrietti, it is enjoyable to look up such plants at the Plants for a Future Database. It includes the uses (edible, medicinal, and utilitarian) of thousands of plants. I included the entry for creeping bellflower below. For more fun, look up violets - perhaps Viola odorata. Lots and LOTS of uses. It does make you looks at your weeds in a different way! Enjoy and welcome to GW!

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: PFAF entry