I would probably be equally unpleasant, Bill. It would depend somewhat on what was being pilfered (whether someone snipped a cutting or swiped a seed pod, as opposed to digging up the entire plant). But I wouldn't be happy. Obviously we're talking about two very different classes of "rescue" - those where the plant is in danger of being destroyed or at least is clearly unwanted, and those where it is obviously being tended and cared for by someone. I've done my share of the former, aided and abetted by my long-suffering wife, and in general I think it's at least morally supportable. The latter, not so much ... especially because my experience is that Bill is right, if you stop, knock on the door, and express your admiration for the plant you will likely leave with a start of it. (Depending on the situation, we do try to ask permission from the property owner even in the first case, leading to some memorable comments: "What the *%(! do you want that weed for? (*$#, take all of them!", and "You can dig up that whole &$^% field for all I care!") Steve On 4/25/2013 1:54 PM, Bill Lee wrote: > Why not knock on the door and ask permission to take a small cutting? My house is not really on a traffic street, but if I caught you trying to take a cutting without my permission, I wouldn't be nice to you. > Bill Lee > >