It seems like there are some plants that I've probably been around numerous times and even heard people talk about, but for whatever reason they just hasn't hit my radar. This happened to me last year with Tanacetum (Feverfew). I'd seen it often at the school garden, but it wasn't until it started growing in the hell strip in front of our house that I really noticed it. 

This year's "discovery" is Showy Milkweed (or Asclepias speciosa). I first spotted it on my walk along the Poudre river. It looked almost like asparagus when it first started popping up out of the ground. That's what originally caught my attention. (Wild asparagus! Wouldn't that be a cool discovery?) I kept my eye on it as I'd pass that way from day to day and eventually noticed that flower buds were starting to form. They've opened up and the flowers are wonderful -- like a burst of white and pink fireworks.