First thing that came to mind for me is Pokeweed, but I'm not 100% sure.

Karen

Is that a pink bud on the middle on in first pic??

Nope, no buds. I just checked again Just another set of leaves.

They look a lot like my peonies, only shorter, but then again you're in NH so probably a week or so behind us growth-wise.

Caryl

definitely not peony.. which look more like asparagus ...

it looks so familiar.. but i am blanking ...

but i can tell you the ephemeral is at the link below

ken

ps: wait.. WAG!!! ... balloon flower.. platycladus????

Here is a link that might be useful: Chionodoxa

Ken- funny you should post that Chionodoxa link...just off frame are just two of those flowers: {{gwi:205777}}
I thought they were just an oddball thing next to them, but maybe this IS Chionodoxa. Except that the leaves don't look anything like the Chio...
But now my question is this: where the heck did it come from?! I've never bought/planted it. I've never heard of it...I've never sown it...
Is it invasive? Since I don't remember planting this mass, it almost looks like an intruder.

is that city compost???

what about the balloon flower suggestion

ken

city compost...no, I make it myself (about 10 miles away from the nearest "city"). Why?

Balloon Flower- I have no recollection of doing any of those, either. I know I sowed Clustered BELLflower, but no balloons.

Not balloon flower. Not Chiondoxa, not asparagus or peony. Could be Joe-pye. Could also be some kind of lysmachia, did you have any of that? Also sorta looks like physostegia (obedient plant). Almost too early to tell, there are seveal that look a little like that when they first come up.

Agree, not balloon flower, which looks more like asparagus when it emerges. None of my Joe Pye weeds are that shiny, so unless it's another variety, I vote no on that too. How about a penstemon? Not Huskers Red, but possibly another variety?

First thought - purple loosestrife (lysmachia). I went to the garden where I have a patch and clipped off a piece coming up to match with yours. Your picture is very close but not exact to mine. Same coloring and growht habit, but the leaves on mine are not serrated (flat edge). Are your stems squared off? Loosestrife has squared off stems.

But I bet this is the same family.

Purple loosestrife is highly invasive almost everywhere and a real problem in waterways in some states. I've never had a problem with it here, but if what you have is loosestrife, you should check with your extension service to see if it is a problem where you are.

good luck,
Nancy

looks like penstemon to me too.

Outside possibility of Veronica spicata??

Hmm, my thought is none of the above, except for maybe the penstemon. Not much help as to what it is, but it looks edible! Any possibility it might be a leafy vegetable that re-seeded?

Cripes, I hope it's not PPL loosetrife. I've heard SUCH bad things about that stuff!
Penstemon- I've only ever had a couple of those, and they were about 30 feet away. Died off a couple years ago.
Leafy vegetables: not unless it came in with the compost. This particular spot is right in front of my house (flowers only) and my veggie patch is out back.
The only thing I've done 'edible' near this spot is butterfly stuff: parsley, dill, fennel.

Hmmm...Ok, my next question as I think about what WAS planted near here...what does turtlehead look like when it just starts to come up? I got that from a swap a couple years back. Could this be that?

You just might have solved the mystery yourself :). The leaves do look like the pictures I've seen of turtlehead.

Yes it could well be Chelone. It's clearly not seedlings of anything but rather shoots coming from an underground rootstock.

I just posted on the WS forum, my turtlehead looks just like that. Its the pink one, if that helps.

I doubt that it is turtlehead. Mine hasn't appeared yet. Too early for it in NH and you wouldn't have that many plants if you haven't had it in your garden before.
How about Skunk Cabbage?

I found this link.
http://tonypratt.com/2008/04/13/skunk-cabbage/

mmqchdygg - I'm going to weigh in on the side of turtlehead/chelone because I went out and checked mine that's up a few inches and they're very similar. Mine is the white 'alba' rather than the pink but I'll try to get a photo posted for comparison purposes. I WS turtlehead seeds from Hazzard's last year and they not only sprouted, I got a few blooms as well.

Jerusalem Artichoke?

I just came in to see if I could identify the same thing. Thought maybe I got it from the swap. It is coming up where I have turtlehead. I don't remember it coming up like that though. Gonna go investigate further.

Hi Marsha!

I was checking my perennials today and I found my eupatorium )Joe-pye) coming up--and I know that is what it is--and it looks exactly like that. I knew I had seen that plant before.

MM,

my choc. joe pye weed looks like that too but so does my heliopsis lorraine sunshine..

Lisa

Well, I DID have Choc Joe Pye a few years ago...in a different bed across the lawn. I did move it the following year into this bed...about 10 feet from this spot because it was too tall where it was in the other bed, and then it died...or maybe it didn't (insert Twilight Zone music here).
I pulled it out when I thought it was dead, but never moved it again, so unless it 'jumped'...

CJP would be nice to have back.
If Turtlehead, it's a nice big patch.

I guess if it's either of those two, I won't know for sure until late summer...I'll put up another pic as it gets bigger.

I think it is heliopsis, Summer Sun. You could have gotten it from me at the swap, cuz that's one of the only plants I bring, lol. If it is the heliopsis, you will love it. Google it and check out the wonderful pics. It is a carefree plant and blooms all summer long. And please bring some to Annie's Swap, so we can see it just to make sure.

I believe this is most definitely turtlehead now:

{{gwi:205778}}
{{gwi:205779}}

I do not think it is turtle heads. It took years before I had any popping up that I could dig up and swap Bring one of these creatures to the swap.
Annie

So has it bloomed? Any clues? inquiring minds wanna know...

So, what was/is it? Physostegia? White? Let us know.

sooey