Thanks for all the tips so far. I did look at the Bittercress family and ruled it out because of the leaves. I wish I had taken a good picture of the base and will return to this area next week and try to do so. The best way I can describe them is the plant was about twice as tall as Spring Drapa and had a whorl of leaves at the base that looked very similar to the ones on Spring Drapa (Drapa verna) Because of this, I thought it was Spring Drapa at first glance, but the petals were not notched and it was a little taller, although it had very slender, leafless stems like Spring Drapa. I'll try and get a better picture of the entire plant when I return to the area - bper

One day I didn't check my mail and see what I missed! A fellow sleuth! Hieracium paniculatum is indeed a strong candidate! I never even saw it in my searches. Well done! There's one thing bothering me --above I told Hortster, "Britton makes one observation that seems to rule out Lactuca ssp.: 'Rays truncate and 5-toothed at the summit.'" I was WRONG! Luckily, my cam has keener sight, b/c the petals do have 5 teeth. I've uploaded 9 more photos and the 1st shows the teeth. (Link above.) I wish I knew how to post large photos here as you do. Anyway, there is only one lactuca that it might be, Lactuca floridana var. villosa, but I couldn't find any further information. The most helpful site I found for Hieracium paniculatum is below, in text, a pdf. It says that the undersides of the leaves are glaucous (mine are not) and that "hairs at the base of the stem and on the lower leaves are 3-10 mm long or longer." I haven't looked yet for hairs on the lower leaves, let alone measured them! LOL Of course, we could be looking at different plants, which would be no fun at all. http://web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/abstracts/botany/Hieracium_paniculatum.pdf Here is a link that might be useful: Lactuca floridana var. villosa

I'm only guessing...because I have no idea where you are...as to whether it could be a wildflower. Since you're posting in the Oklahoma forum, I'll assume somewhere in Oklahoma (though I've been wrong about that before). However, I think it is not, but is probably verbena bonariensis. It could be a form of statice though. This post was edited by dbarron on Mon, Feb 9, 15 at 9:16

weedwoman, I agree. I have some that are growing in pretty heavy shade under an oakleaf hydrangea, and love the spring display. That particular bed is bordered on one side by our house and on the other by a walkway, so they've never spread to neighboring beds. Otherwise, I'm sure I wouldn't like them so much!