Not any of the above, but it is a weed. It grows here too. Not even sure that it is a member of the Apiaceae family, but the leaves sure indicate that it might be. I would dig it out. I have Queen Anne's lace. The white umbels are 4 inches across and have the tell-tale small dark red-violet flower in the center. It was long ago said to be a drop of blood from poor Queen Anne. that is not Queen Anne's Lace. It's not Sweet Cicely, Poisonous Hemlock, Wild carrot, Wild Parsley, Wild Celery or any others in that family, but it grows all through the woods and in abandoned fields and roadsides and in many gardens (wink). I know what it isn't, but not what it is! (he he he) ~Annie

Mia, You're welcome. I used to grow tons of sunflowers right in my garden. They are so beautiful and I love them all. However......they also attract some insects, like stink bugs, that are hard to control and can wreck a garden. Stink bugs and leaf-footed bugs are my worst tomato pests, so I wouldn't grow anything near the tomatoes that would attract them. I no longer grow sunflowers within the fenced garden where I grow tomatoes, but I'll grow them in a different garden plot---like having all the tomatoes in the front garden and the sunflowers in the back garden. One way to use sunflowers is as a trap crop away from the garden to attract the pests that like them away from your actual garden to a different area. That is how I use them now, having learned a few years back that I had a lot less stink bugs in the garden if I grew the sunflowers as far away from it as possible. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: Trap Crops for Stink Bugs/Leaf-footed Bugs

Got some other responses and I think it's a West Indian Nightshade (Solanum ptycanthum dunal). The description - including size - and pictures match perfectly. Yep, it's considered a noxious weed, but so are some other plants used in wildlife gardening. Reports of toxicity are varied but all seem to agree that a considerable amount of the berries and/or plant itself would have to be consumed to cause serious harm. I don't have to worry about children accidentally eating any of the berries, my yard is fenced and locked, and since the plant doesn't grow very large, I may try starting a few from seed since the mockingbirds appear to love the berries. Everything I plant is for the birds or butterflies; had to get rid of the grape vines since the only things eating the grapes were possums and my dogs. After relocating a litter of 7 "teenage" possums and realizing I would never keep my dogs and the grapes apart (grapes and raisins are very toxic to dogs), I reluctantly had my vines relocated to someone else's yard. Thanks again - if I see any Chinaberrys, now I'll know what they look like! Gretchen

Thanks for the further input! There are a few reasons I think I'll get rid of them. One, this isn't MEANT to be an informal spot, lol! But the bed has been neglected and gotten overgrown, and I'm trying to reclaim it. I do leave certain reseeders in for fillers, but this bed has gotten full of them and I need to remove many of them to put in other plants. Two, they aren't doing anything. Like I said, they look exactly as they did in May. I have very little sun in my garden and want to fill it with plants I want and plants that perform. If they are perennial rudbeckia they should have flowered this year, no? Three, while I will remove most of them, something tells me they'll be back and I'll have another opportunity to decide whether to keep them or not! The photo shows about one square foot of a bed that is at least 20 by 10 feet, and there are MANY of these seedlings, so some will certainly be missed, or roots will be left, etc. So I'm sure there will be some next year too! And actually, when it comes down to it, because I do have such a hard time ripping out seedlings, I'll probably end up replanting one or two in a suitable spot and see what happens.... Thank you everyone. As always, your input is much appreciated! :) Dee