Took these some time ago, (7/20/2010), in Spokane, WA. It was growing in a wild area that is just downhill from a residential area, so no telling if it is wild or a volunteer. It's about 3-4 ft tall and 6ft in diameter, or .91- 1.21 m tall and 1.8 m in diameter. The flowers are minute. Didn't see any leaves then but noted a few single bracts in the picture.
The site linked to above isn't correct in calling the mapped states the plant's "native growing region". It is instead native to Europe and N. Asia. Note also, as indicated on the same site the plant is a listed noxious weed in WA.
Too bad that it is a noxious weed, but the place where it is growing is primarily Centaurea stoebe so it will probably feel right at home. The area also contains Dalmation Toadflax, Potentilla recta, Burdock, and Poison Hemlock as well as Poison Ivy. :) Poison Ivy being the only native plant in that list. There is a small open building erected by the Parks dept that someone ran a car through an 8x16 railing the first week it was open. The floor of which has a few holes in it (about 1/2 the original flooring is left), where the druggies have set fires to warm thenselves when they get high. Gang signs everywhere. So I actually thought the Gypsophila paniculata was a bright spot. Probably won't survive the Spotted Knapweed though. Haven't been there this year to find out. It is really a shame as it is a wonderful small bird area, and there are as many native plants (Choke Cherry and Service Berry are the main shrubs) as intros. The work it would take to clean up the area at this point would be staggering though. The last I heard the city was going to tear down the building, so maybe there have been major changes since last I visited. Anything would be an improvement. Sorry about the long reply above, but that place irks me. A lot of people have spent a lot of time, money and effort at this place, with the work they do essentially destroyed by a small minority.
Lots of similar places east of the mountains. I can just see it. Over here Himalayan blackberry etc. often get going and form thickets on open ground not being managed so as to prevent this.
