Rip it out immediately, if not sooner. Are you sure it was a friend who gave it to you? LOL I looked, and it seems to be Adenophora confusa. Awful, awful stuff.

Marcia - I looked up a picture of what you thought it was. That's not it. I have seen that, and will pull it right away if I see it again.

The plant has pointier leaf tips , sort of like a pot plant, the blooms are in clusters and have four petals, look a lot like lilac blooms, and they smell like lightly peppered lilacs. It's so pretty, I hope it's not a weed.

Any other thoughts?

Naf,
Could it be Dame's Rocket: Hesperis matronalis?

Yikes! It could be a Dame's Rocket. I hope not. I really like it.

I'll have to go out and have a closer look. I can't find a good detailed picture on the web that shows the whole plant in detail. I've also looked at so many pictures, I'm going cross eyed.

Do you know where I could find a detailed picture to compare?

Lynn, check out the link below. Lots of pictures of Hesperis matronalis. Why are you hoping it isn't? That's nowhere near as bad as Adenophora! Only thing, this year more of it is in the path beside its bed than in the bed itself. :>

Here is a link that might be useful: Hesperis matronalis

I just indoor sowed some Dame's Rocket on a whim. I thought it was pretty well-behaved??? Someone tell me if I'm going to regret it...

From North53's suggestion, Marcia's link, and Wikipedia, I'm about 99% sure I've got Dame's Rocket. I'm glad it's not one of the other evil plants. Thanks for the help =:)

Northspruce and I won't regret having it, will we? It's so pretty.....

Dames Rocket does self seed, but it is easily pulled out and does not become too invasive here.
Caroline

Here in Z4a(almost a 3!), I started some about 8 years ago. They colonized readily and I'm now in the process of pulling them out. They are not too invasive, compared to farther south. Down there it is more of a problem then us lucky folks in the North. I wouldn't worry too much about the Dames Rocket.

Thanks everyone!

I've decided to keep it. I'll just make sure I don't let it self-seed too much. It's against a wall of the house with a sidewalk close by, so hopefully it doesn't jump far.

Thanks for the advice. I'm fine with deadheading seedy things, as long as I know what to look out for. (ahem, verbascum)

I may also be nurturing a weed. When my seeds emerged I found a stray plant growing among my fountain grass seedlings. I thought it looked exactly like my rudbeckias, and thought I must have been careless with my seeding.
But now it no longer looks like the rudbeckia, but I'm still waiting so see what it is. I'll try and get a picture of it so you all can help me identify this stray.

Oooooh - verbascum!! There's another thing, for sure. And they aren't that easy to pull, unless you get them really little. They have a tap root that goes down to China. LOL And you know, i've taken their seed heads and shaken seeds down the side of our road - nothing. Same with poppies. We have a field just up from us that looks awesome when the daisies and buttercups are blooming but no poppies or verbascum have ever shown up. Go figure.

Yeah I had a feeling about verbascum the first time I indoor sowed it, I'm pretty sure I got more seedlings than I planted seeds for. :S I have it at home and work and I cut the spikes as soon as they're done flowering. My mom didn't and she has seedlings all over her paving block forecourt.

I've got them all over the place too, but i want to let them grow up this year as i'm hoping to replace a yellow one that - gasp! - died out. It was close to my lythrum and looked great with it. Last year it was gone. If these are the regular pink ones - out they go!

All of mine are yellow. V. nigrum with the purple middles. Let me know if you need seeds Marcia.

Uh, with my track record on invasive plants, i think i'll pass on that offer, Gil! LOL Thanks anyway! (Unless i plant just one!)