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This plant is growing in the backyard on its own, 1.5 foot tall now, blooming (May-June) now, has pink flowers growing in a bunch or cluster. Leaves thin and long. Faint fragrance is there. It seems to be seeding itself as I see another plant nearby.

Each flower in the cluster has four petals. It looks like there will be about 30-40 flowers in a bunch.

The best research I have done tells me that this is Dame's Rocket and that this is considered a noxious weed, not-native to California, USA (SF bay area). Can someone confirm? If so, I will get rid of this right away.

[flower bunch pink thin long leaves[1]

flower bunch pink thin long leaves

flower bunch pink thin long leaves

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That's not Dame's Rocket (Hesperis martronalis). Here's the wikipedia photo:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesperis_matronalis#/media/File:Sweet_Rockets.png

Note that the Rocket's anthers are recessed and in your photos they're quite showy. Rocket's petals are equally sized, whereas the ones in your photos seem to be unequal (two on top shorter than the two on the bottom. Rocket's buds are not in a tight cluster, either. The leaves of Rocket at much wider than what I'm seeing, too.

Based on Calflora (https://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/specieslist.cgi?where-family=BRASSICACEAE), I think you have a non-native Iberis (Iberis umbellata). Here's their photo of the flowers: https://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/viewphoto.cgi?arg=/app/up/entry/53/16000.jpg

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  • No. I do no think it is Hesperis matronalis: it doesn't look like it: leaves (they are largers), flowers (not glomerate). For me it is an other family. May 27, 2019 at 8:39
  • @Giacomo Catenazzi I agree, which is why I ID'd it as an iberis. :)
    – Jurp
    May 27, 2019 at 23:54

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