Can you please help identify these two plants?

Hi everyone. I live in Halifax Nova Scotia. I don't know much about gardening but have been working hard last year and off to a great start this season. I have been pretty effective at removing the hawkweed and dandelions last year and am now turning to some new plants I am uncertain of.

I have been trying hard online to identify an invasive plant common in these parts. There are two pics of it below. It appears to form into a 7 palmate leaf, although that is only clear in one of the two pics. It spreads rapidly after being cut back and creeps with rhyzomes throughout the yards perimeter. Obviously happy in both heavy clay and drier areas all very acidic. I have no recollection if it flowers.

The second one I have two instances of and no idea if they are weed or some ornamental plant of some sort. As they started greening up relatively early I suspect they are weeds, but not knowing for certain I didn't want to yank them out until I was able to know for certain.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Thane Campbell

The second one looks like lamb's ears, a kind of Stachys.  It is a hardy ornamental.
Just curious, what do you have against dandelions?

Not sure about the top plant...The bottom plan looks a lot like Mullein which is a very useful plant.

The second does look like stachys, (mullein tends to grow more in rosettes whereas this looks like a spreading thing).  The first one looks to me like ground elder or goutweed, which can be a nuisance but has the saving grace of being edible!

the first one looks like a blackberry
with its red stem and fleshy spreading rhizomes

the second looks like a different plant

the third is some else's guess

Regan Dixon wrote: Just curious, what do you have against dandelions?

Thank you Regan. As for the dandelions, I appreciate they are important habitat for bees. But it seems that they were well on the way to doing the grass in. Those large leave and stem systems were everywhere and not nice to walk in. I rent in a home occupied by the owner. Her yard had been ignored, mowed routinely, but not well. Last year I took a very hands on approach to it, endless hours of back breaking hawkweed and dandelion pulling. I learned to mow long, reverting from a gas through electric to a push mower. Repairing and grooming all season left the season ending with a very lush lawn. This year I will be planting my own vegetable and tomatoes for the first time and maybe some flowers. Its all money I don't really have, but with my dog we really get to enjoy the space. I will work to find some alternates to support the pollinating insects.

Ah, it's kind of a barter-for-benefit situation.  Your sweat making your landlady's yard manicured and without dandelions, allows you to play in it and plant what you will.

first one looks like "Aegopodium podagraria" to me. ( we call it Giersch here).
it can be indeed invasive. Its rhizomes break easily and each piece grows a new plant...

good thing, its edible ( taste between carrot and parsley somehow, and rich in vitamins and minerals.
the youngest leaves that are still curled are the most tender and tasty ones.

as well, slugs tend to like it ( they know what's good), so it can keep them at bay.

take care

I agree that the first two pictures are different plants. The second picture looks like bishop's weed. Here, we call it я-их-ем, which translates to "I-eat-them". It's delicious!