I've spotted this in several separate locations here in far Northwestern California now.....anyone know?
TIA......
Sherry

The leaves reminded me of an echium but I know you are familiar enough with those so it probably isn't correct. But it looks so familiar to me!

I don't think echium ......there are just so many plants up here that I've never encountered before....

You know, Sue...I keep looking at that plant and my first thought was also echium...e. pininana, but I've grown that and something about the leaves just doesn't seem quite right. There is a house a block away with a small stand of these and I pass it all the time, seems as though I would surely have noticed them when in flower if it's e. pininana, but......that's also the only possibility that I come up with, thanks..

So far it's the only thing I came up with. I thought maybe they weren't in an ideal place and look different.

The foliage may be different here, possible. The plant and leaves look the same in each of the locations I've seen them here. I only brought one small pininana up here with me, in a tub and it didn't make it. I will have to watch these guys and see what happens with them...there are mature e. pininanas around here, but the foliage looks different.

if the leaves are abrasive and there are very fine hairs /prickles on stem I would also say ECHIUM

The one behind the store in town, that one I'll go take a closer look at...they look nothing like the echium pininanas that I grew in SoCal, but climate must account for that. It's good news because there was a stand of them up the coast a bit where I could snatch a few seeds...lol..
thanks.