Hello there, minneapolismike: It's nice of you to be looking out for your friend. It certainly couldn't hurt to root some suckers for your friend, but you know how we cold zoners always run out of summer all too quickly. Rooting plants will still be putting your friend behind a couple of weeks, but it may be all he has. Still, if you root some plants and he plants them in the same place, he may very well encounter the same problem where they just sit there and do nothing. It sounds like he is getting enough sun, assuming 8 hours is correct, although you can never have too much sun for tomato plants. More would be better, but we can only use what we have to work with. Generally, there are a few things that would keep tomato plants from growing. Assuming there is no disease (doesn't sound like it) and no pests (like deer chomping off the plants or hornworms scarfing down the leaves), the things I can think of off the top of my head: * Temps too cold or too hot. Generally speaking folks in our zones have issues with chilly temps in spring, but it rarely gets too hot. If we had sustained temps in the high 90s+ for weeks on end, that would be a different thing. But, we don't. If we did, everyone would be having issues, not just one person. *Insufficient sunlight. Eight hours should be enough, but let's hope that Rod is not overestimating the length of time that his plants are getting photons. :-) * Unsuitable soil. Meaning: soil that is very compacted so that roots can't grow and expand and/or soil that is devoid of important nutrients. If the roots can't grow. such as with compacted soil, it's best to add amendments to improve the soil before planting. Unfortunately it's too late for that for your friend, but if he plants new plants, I would make sure that he digs good-sized, fairly deep holes, loosens the dirt as much as possible, and fills it in with rich, loose soil so that the roots can grow and breathe. One thing that minneapolisrod could try at this point is a water soluble fertilizer, dissolved in a bucket of water according to package directions, and poured on the soil around the plants. Every 7 to 10 days. There are a number of such fertilizers on the market, and it certainly can't hurt at this juncture. It also couldn't hurt if he applied some of it as a foliar feed in addition to feeding the roots, as the leaves will take in some nutrients too. Which leads to the observation that perhaps his plants are not getting enough nitrogen, although I'd expect to see other symptoms eventually, such as some yellowing of the plants. Some mulches can tie up nitrogen so the plants don't get enough, and that could stifle their growth. Cool temperatures can also cause a temporary lack of nitrogen. Anyhow, too little nitrogen can keep the plants puny. The fertilizer, used as above, should rectify that issue. Good luck, and thanks for being such a good friend. Best wishes to...

Might be a Solidago of some sort. Dark wet pictures are tough.

It's hardy, tough as nails. Blooms summer into fall. Continues to expand. Low maintenance, but can appear less than civilized. Not tall or cumbersome like "regular sunflowers", more dainty-looking.

Or perhaps Physostegia or - Edited to add Chelone