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21-03-2004, 04:18 AM

In article ,
writes
I'm madly sowing seeds as usual at this time of the year and trying to
use some I had left over from the HPS orders. I was unable to find
mention of this plant in any of my books but on the Internet I came
across a description and found that it is described as a Class A
noxious weed in some American states. If this is the case why on earth
would anyone go to the trouble of collecting the seeds and sending
them to the HPS to be laboriously packed a few at a time in little
packets? I was hoping I would find that it is an interesting grass
type plant. Is anyone familiar with it? Diana

Whether a plant becomes a pest or not depends not only on the plant, but
on the environment. A decorative plant may in some environments escape
from cultivation and play havoc with the ecology or the economy. For
example, Japanese Knotweed, Giant Hogweed, Himalayan Balsam and
_Rhododendron ponticum_ were all introduced to this country as
ornamental plants; they are all now considered weeds. It's quite
possible that a plant is a desirable horticultural object in one country
and a noxious weed in another.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley