Is this a weed or something I've planted?

I have no idea,
but what color!!!

a wild guess a Coleus or Basil ???

Maybe Rugby or Gardencrazy will be thru...
Or Rue or Terry????

Does look something like a Cloeus. I saw one awhile back looked like that was in a Nusery. But I could be wrong just looks like the one I saw.
Jimmy

I thought coleus too but I haven't put any out. I've got these coming up in a straight row at the back steps and in the pot I took the picture of. That makes me think I've planted something there but I can't imagine what.

Not a basil or coleus, I've had them too, but I don't know what they are. My first thought when I saw them was basil also, but they don't really have much scent. They are some sort of wildflower I guess, but I've never noticed them in bloom.

I'm just wondering if they're going to take over if I don't yank them out.

That looks really familiar. But, it is not coming to mind. I'll check my books 2nite.

I found a seedling of this plant when I was pulling weeds in my potato patch. Unfortunately, I had already pulled it. It think there was one more nearby though. It didn't quite look the same, but it was smaller. I'm going to let it grow and see if I can get it to flower. I wasn't able to figure it out looking through my Peterson's guide just from the foliage.

Put a buncha' rocks around it, so it won't crash anybody's party. It looks good and it might get to look better.

You didn't happen to pinch any tips off that big plant that looks like a big cabbage - it's purple? It looks like something they serve at yuppie restaurants in the salad.

I see them in the fall - mostly in big planters outside of institutional buildings, like the library, banks, blah blah.

I have those in one of my flower beds. Have had them for years. I think it may be Russian sage. They get little bitty flowers, then they reseed themselves profusly. I just pull all the little seedlings except for how many I want to keep. I have two out there now that are more than waist high. Of course you have to keep in mind that I'm only 5'2" so my waist is lower to the ground than a lot of folks

Nancy

Was wrong about this being russian sage. I later found a picture and it is basil purple ruffles. It has a licoice (spelling) or cinnamony smell when you crush the leaves.

My first thought is a bazil, it has the growth habit of a coleus but too shiny, bazils are shiney and purple.

here is a bazil purple ruffles:

http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/us/product/2081/1

The leaves are thinner and more ruffly

Have you crushed a leaf and smelled it.

It looks like a Perilla (Shiso), an herb, to me. Are the leaves fragrant? Perilla is one of my favorite plants. It will grow to about 2 ft tall. Prefers a slightly shady area (for the purplest foliage) but will grow in sun too. It often retains more green coloring in full sun. It blooms beautiful coleus-like blooms in the fall and then produces millions of seeds. I would suggest deadheading all but one plant so you don't have the millions to deal with when they start coming back next year. It is a re-seeding annual.

If I come across it, I'm going to keep it - I like as much ground cover as I can get - most of my gardening is 'weeds' anyway.

I just love things that turn purple. It looks 'professional', ya' know?

trynhard - I think you've got it!!

I'm glad I could help, enjoy them.

That is exactly right. A friend last year gave me a pot with Perilla in it and I'll bet it reseeded all over as the wind blew it. It didn't look this pretty in the pot. It wasn't as purple. Your guys are sooo smart.