What is this Plant?

A friend was wondering what this plant was, that is growing by her back door, and I told her I'd ask you guys, since you're wicked smart (to use a very Boston phrase)(to be truly Bostonian, it would have to be pronounced smaht, of course).

Ahem. Out of the parentheses. Do you know what it is?

There are similar ones growing on the other side of the fence:

And it has these little flowery bits growing out the top.

Anyone know?

More later, or, you know, tomorrow, or sometime. Just wanted to put this out there while I thought of it.