Looks like scabiosa, not a weed.

looks like knautia macedonica bud and bloom to me.

I'm glad I didn't kill it. I noticed around mid April, the leaves that were showing up were totally different from other weeds.

Thanks! :)

It will reseed prolifically, though. Happy weeding later, v1rtu0s1ty. :-)

:D Is it considered invasive though?

I wish mine would reseed, I would like more of it.

My very first thought was a knautia, followed immediately by the thought of a scabiosa. I will be honest and say I have both and can never remember which is which.

At the moment, whichever one it is, is blooming and I think it's knautia. I think this because I've noticed this plant, which I WSed two years ago, reseeds. I've gotten store-bought scabiosas which don't seem to reseed for me, so I've concluded that this particular plant blooming in my garden now is the knautia, and it looks very like your photo.

If yours is knautia, and if mine is knautia, lol, I wouldn't say it's invasive. It's only my second year with it, and I've got a few new reseeded plants, but I like the reseeding and don't find it alarming... yet. But again, only my second year so maybe others will know more.

:)
Dee

I think it's knautia too. I have scabiosa on the other bed and the edge of the leaves are different. The scabiosa leaf on the outer has a zigzag pattern.

It's nice -- now I want knautia! How come MY weeds never look this good? :)