I spotted this plant on high ground right beside the St Lawrence Seaway, Ontario side. There were only about three scattered around in the one spot. I could only take the picture with my phone while hanging over a wire fence so there's no view of the front of the flowers or close-up. Either looking at it from the top is throwing me off or I have not seen it before that I recall. Does anyone have any ideas from what little there is to go on? I've uploaded it at the highest resolution I can so it can be enlarged for more detail within NGA's limits.

Maybe MIlkweed? Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
http://ontariowildflowers.com/...

I would hazard Hairy Balls (Gomphocarpus physocarpus) based on narrow leaves and what is possibly fuzzy stems. The original name is Asclepias physocarpus. Also known as the balloon plant, the identifiable balloons should be showing up soon.

Thanks both of you for your suggestions. It's definitely not common milkweed and I don't think it is the hairy balls, especially here in zone 4 Canada. It reminded me somewhat of borage but the leaves are narrower and the flowers not blue but the buds did look somewhat fuzzy. It looked like some of the flowers that were open had a green back. I so wished I could have got over the fence to have a better look at it.

I'm sure the owner of the fence appreciates that, but I love the adventure gusto. I'm going to keep goggling because I can't help myself.

OK, I followed the borage trail. I found a narrow leaf borage relative in the Plagiobothrys genus. Most are native to the west coast, but there are a couple varieties that have made it over east. I can't find a lot of great photos online and there are none in the database, seems to be an elusive flower. Maybe that's it?

I'll look into that one, thanks. The leaves of Boraginaceae are alternate usually but can apparently be a combination of alternate and opposite. The plant had opposite leaves at least at the top as far as I could tell. Scrambling over the fence was not an option due to age (mine), precipitous cliff edge, and probable security concern of the facility the fence was enclosing.

I think it is Mirabilis albida, or a close relative.

https://www.minnesotawildflowe...

I think we found it indeed. Just to be absolutely certain, I wanted to throw out that the leaves of M. albida look a little ovate whereas your picture seem to be more lanceolate like M. linearis.

http://www.saskwildflower.ca/n...

I must admit I was a bit concerned about the width of the leaves in some pictures, but from your link "The leaves of M. albida are lanceolate and sessile, while the leaves of M. linearis are linear and have short stalks." I would have said the ID plant leaves are sessile from memory and what I can see in the pictures. If we go back there anytime soon I'll see if I can find any plants that are more accessible.

In the note for M. albida in volume II of An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada (which is where I found it under a synonym Allionia albida) it says "Consists of numerous races, differing in pubescence and width of leaves" so that might explain the variable width in pictures via Google.