I scattered wildflower seeds in spring and have a beautiful garden now. But as the season goes on, I have noticed more and more plants that are lacy green and pretty to look at, but without a single flower. There are two distinct types pictured. The first one, with the wider leaves, looks familiar to me; I think it's a weed that I'd seen in seasons past in that same place, and I've already pulled some because they take up a lot of space that could be wildflowers instead. The second one, with the finer leaves, I don't remember ever seeing before I cast my seeds, and they're proliferating more and more. I think I will pull some of these, too, to make room for more flowers. I wonder if the seed supplier intentionally includes these non-flowering plants to add visual interest to the garden. Or maybe they're opportunistic weeds. Or maybe they'll flower eventually, if I'm patient. But they're so abundant and tall and I want to tip the scales in favor of the flowering plants. Just wondering if anyone recognizes them. Thanks!

The 2nd one looks like Cosmos.

I agree, Purpleinopp, the second one does look like Cosmos, of which there are plenty in my wildflower garden, except for 1) leaves are much lacier on this one, 2) this one doesn't branch out, like Cosmos does (with each branch putting out flowers); it grows straight up, 3) this one doesn't flower! Thanks for your comment.

Hmm... I wonder if you've had this one in the past:
Sulphur Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus)

But your new plant may be:
Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

Here's a crazy one @ the side of my house this year. It's taller than I am. (C. bipinnatus)

By Jove, purpleinopp, your photo of the "crazy one" looks indeed a near-identical match to what I've got: tall, non-branching, flower-less! Tell me more: do you know it to be a variety of Cosmos, hence a legit wildflower? Have you had them in the past? And, the money question: do you know if they eventually flower? (I don't see a flower on yours.)

And thank you for the links. The Cosmos with which I am familiar in my garden appear very much like the photos from the first link (Cosmos sulphureus). And my new one's leaves look quite similar to the leaves in this photo I found in the second link (Cosmos bipinnatus).

I think I will let these plants carry on, and I will follow them with great interest to see if they do indeed flower.

Thanks again for your help, and for also showing me (indirectly) how much more helpful it is to take a photo of a plant isolated against a bright, neutral background.

This is a wonderful community.

I'm hoping for blooms on mine, but there are no guarantees. If/when it does bloom, I'll need a ladder to see it! LOL!