What seeds did you plant? Pretty sure it's not thyme- leaves are too big. Taste might help, if you only planted edibles. Smell?

Don't taste anything you don't know! That is not wise or safe.

"Weeds" are often the things to sprout up unbidden. At this stage, I'm not positive but I would hazard a guess that it is an amaranth of some type. Perhaps Amaranthus retroflexus, aka pigweed or redroot?

FataMorgana

Balloon - no scent as of yet.
Fata, I had moved the thyme to that spot from the cells -- three of them, in fact -- and as mentioned, to my knowledge, none of them sprouted. I was just waiting on some other edibles to be large enough to move into that spot when I noticed some growth there.

Now having watched for a couple of weeks, it's not anything I easily recognize. It ain't so pretty either, haha. The sheer rate of growth is what makes me suspect it's a "weed"; I don't recall thyme growing this fast.

I looked up the Amaranthus and you may be right; it looks similar. I guess I'll watch it for another week and pull if it is. Funny that two exact seeds should land in the same pot and begin growing. It's next to the chives, basil and green onions -- in the same pot, that is.

Now I really won't taste it! :-D

I suggested tasting because its an herb forum and assuming all planting a were edibles. But, if it had the option of gathering unknown seeds, then that is not the way to start. And if there's no smell, it's probably not an herb. Good luck with the id. Coming from a beginner veggie seed starter that found out this week that my broccoli, eggplant, and tomatillo starts were all mislabeled.

Balloon,

See, smell and taste--that is usually the order I choose! Even with cooking...I will usually taste things raw, even, just to fully understand the flavor profile.

But then I learned the hard way by tasting a taro root raw before I cooked it.

Why the hell aren't these things labeled "toxic when eaten raw" at the market!??! (They should be!)

After thinking I was going to die for about two hours, I am much more cautious of using that particular sense. I'll usually halt at smell and think once, twice and thrice, haha.

Funny! Though I suppose not at the time.

I help manage an herb garden at the community garden where I have my veggie plot. Last year, I thought I'd put my basil over by the fence. First year I'd been there (or anyone else who was around), and it looked like a nice spot. Digging to prep/compost, I kept finding all these funny looking bulbs. Close to 6-7 dozen of them. Just starting out, I hated the thought of throwing them, but hated to have something toxic in the herb garden. Went to two different greenhouses and still couldn't identify. So, I threw them in a couple clumps at either end. Turns out.....sunchokes. Pretty darn good at choking out my basil! But, fun to play with. This year, I'll put the basil in a different spot where it doesn't have such competition for sun & water.

And, thankfully I figured out my mislabeling before planting cold season broccoli--tomatillos really wouldn't make it here right now.

Looks like common mint to me.

My guess, based on the photo, is that you have a sprig of Orange Bergamot Mint in that pot. Why not pick off one little leaf and crush it between your fingers and sniff it? If it smells like mint, then you know.

There is a great discussion about mint on the Alan Chadwick website, under the Techniques section.

Here is a link that might be useful: Alan Chadwick

I also think it looks like a mint - but not possible to tell visually what sort. I can't make out if the stems are square in cross section.

Due to needing the space for other seedlings, I pulled it just a few days ago. Massive root system on it.

But scent-wise, it definitely wasn't like any mint I have smelled. It smelled like lettuce when crushed... :-)

Thanks guys!

Grace