Folks, The US government has proposed that seeds and plants of Alstroemeria aurea and Gladiolus undulatus be banned from importation into the US because they might become weeds. I think they would probably also be banned from interstate commerce within the US. There's a review process for the next two months when the government will accept additional info and comments from the public, before the ban is made official. If there's evidence that the ban is inappropriate, it may be overturned. I'd like to ask your help in collecting feedback for the government. This is just the first round of proposed species bans, and I think it's important that we get ourselves involved in the process. The government has said in writing that it is open to feedback from groups like ours, and I think we should take them up on that invitation. Here are my questions for you: 1. If you are in the US, do you grow Gladiolus undulatus or Alstroemeria aurea today? If not, have you tried them in the past? 2. In your conditions, were they invasive? Were they easy or difficult to keep growing? 3. Do you know of any sources for them in the US? 4. If you are a grower outside the US, have you supplied these species to people in the US in the past? These questions are important because a plant won't be banned if it is already "established" in the US (whatever that means). Also, the government said in writing that it was interested in feedback from us on the invasiveness of plants. You can send comments to me privately or post them to the list. I won't identify anyone by name in the feedback to the government. Previous discussions of plant bans on this list have sometimes turned into venting sessions for frustrations at government regulations. If you want to vent, I won't stand in your way ;-) But I'm going to focus on collecting data -- the regulators said they're open to input from us, and I want to take them up on that offer. Thanks, Mike San Jose, CA PS: The government said the following about Gladiolus undulatus. Do you agree? "Gladiolus undulatus invades grassland, forest edges, riparian habitats and seasonal freshwater wetlands. This perennial spreads by corms and bulbils that can be carried by streams and in soil. It forms dense extensive populations that crowd out native vegetation." Here's the government comment on A. aurea: "Alstroemeria aurea, with its tuberous roots and long rhizomes, colonizes forests, forest edges, riparian habitats and disturbed sites. It forms dense populations that crowd out native plants and prevents their establishment. Recovering easily after cutting to ground level, this herb forms numerous sterile shoots. All rhizomes must be removed to prevent regrowth. Reported by Randall to be a 'garden thug', it is a naturalized, environmental and garden escape weed in Australia. The sap can cause dermatitis." More info: --If you want to see the full list of plants to be banned, go here and click on the PDF file: http://regulations.gov//… --If you want to post your own comment directly to the government, go here: http://regulations.gov//… To post a comment, click on "Comment due" under the Notice posted 7/26/2011