I have not seen Trappa bicornis for sale in grocery stores here yet – perhaps I am not looking in the right stores or at the right season. The related Trappa natans (introduced from Europe in the nineteenth century) is a serious invasive pest in some parts of northeastern North America. Not only is it a threat to native flora: it’s said that the horned seeds wash up on beaches and make the beaches treacherous for bare-foot bathers. Eleocharis dulcis corms from the grocery store make an easy way to get a start with this species. The leaves are about the thickness of soda straws and three or four feet long. It’s very poetic to see a dragonfly perched on one of these in late summer. Now is probably a good time to look for them in the grocery stores; in my experience many do not grow, so buy more than you think you will want. I look them over for signs of sprouting before I buy them. Plants are not the only Asian delicacies making themselves at home here: the Asian snakehead, an aggressive, somewhat eel-like fish, has become established here in the greater Washington, D.C. area. When local authorities first became aware of their presence, there was a burst of activity directed at their control and elimination. But by then they were already established, and each year it becomes apparent that they are more widespread in the area than previously thought. And is the Asian oyster already established in local waters? Probably, although no one is admitting it yet. There was a program to establish this species in the area, and the study used “sterile” oysters to study their adaptability to local conditions. Asian oysters are said to be much more productive than the native species under the conditions which now prevail in Chesapeake Bay. I’ve heard rumors that breeding Asian oysters are in fact on the loose here, and if so that probably means that the native oyster is doomed as a separate species. Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone 7 My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/