not sure, but compare the first two to:

#1 butter and eggs (Linaria vulgaris)
linaria ct botanical

#2 queen annes lace (Daucus carota)
daucus - ct botanical

both are abundant, and non-native to the U.S.

not sure about the 3rd one

Thanks for the quick id and may I say "darn it!"

A

According to the USDA site, Lily of the Valley are introduced.

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA

Thank you for the information about the lily of the valley. I thought that it was non native. A friend gave me a few for my garden but I'm going to pass on planting them. I'm going to try to find the native plants that are similar. I saw them somewhere. Now I have to tell my friend that I'm not going to put them in. I'm sure she'll understand. Maybe if I find the native ones I'll buy a few for her, too.

there's acutually an american Convallaria ?? -
Convallaria majuscula (I never knew this!!)
not native to NY state (usda map)

the plant I always knew as lilly of the valley (non native) is Convallaria majalis.
considered a woodland plant and can be used for naturalizing- but (as mentioned above) - introduced.

there are native "false lily of the valley"
Maianthemum stellatum
Maianthemum dilatatum (west coast?)

maybe your friend has one of the natives??

Here is a link that might be useful: lilly of the valley Convallaria - usda

A bit off-topic, but -- the plant from your first picture was my favorite flower when I was growing up in Europe! We kids called them "little dogs" because when you squeeze the little flower on the sides, it opens up its mouth :) Do kids here in the US do this? Now thanks to you and bubbleoffplumb I know the plant's English and Latin names, which is awesome. I've never seen this flower here, so your picture made me smile :) It's an odd feeling when being a responsible gardener means pulling up the plants that you loved when you were a kid! I must say, learning that Lily of the Valley is a terrible pest here was my biggest gardening heartbreak! :)

Alenka, if it's any consolation to you, I hear that there are some cherished North American plants that are pests in Europe. Invasive plants arrive in many ways but one of those ways is when someone plants a pretty plant that turns out to be invasive. Cest la vie.

Hi Alenka, I have read that Snapdragons are favorites of children for the very reason you said - they squeeze them to make the little mouths open. They are annuals that are popular here but not native either, alas!

It's amazing, isn't it, what you can learn on these forums. I love 'em.

A

I think the third picture looks like some species of Epilobium - most are called 'willow herb' although the most well known - Epilobium angustifolium - is called 'Fireweed.'

thank you ladyslppr, I googled it and there are so many varieties of Epilobium. I haven't seen one that looks exactly like mine but I think your ID is right. And it is a native, right? I have more pictures of other plants but I'm almost getting embarrassed to have so little knowledge of what's growing in my yard. i'll post it separately and hopefully will get an ID.