After reading about all of your seed snatching stories, I was reminded of my one and only attempt at seed snatching a few years ago.

On a trip home from our favorite vacation destination in southern GA, my husband and I kept seeing some thick green vines that covered entire hillsides. Being the proud owners of a lovely (completely bare) steep hillside that nothing would grow on, we decided to take some cuttings. We stopped at a gas station and gently sliced off a few pieces of the vine (as onlookers gaped incredulously at us), wrapped them in wet paper towels, and placed them in ziploc baggies. Upon arriving home, we dipped the ends in rooting hormone and stuck them in vermiculite.

Only later did I learn that the vine was a 'monster' named Kudzu, and that it is a serious problem in southern states, being nearly impossible to kill and not having any natural predators here in the US.

Luckily, I was not blessed with a green thumb and have had to work long and hard to cultivate said green thumb. Despite my kind and loving efforts, the vines withered and died after a few weeks.

The hillside in question has since grown its own cover, but I will never forget what almost was. And even though we know it would have been disastrous, my husband and I still laugh whenever we pass that gas station in Georgia, where the kudzu is still growing strong.

After reading your postings on seed snatching, I have been inspired to take it up as a hobby. but this time around, I will only 'snatch' from small plants that I am familiar with. and I will never transport an unfamiliar plant across state lines again! I now realize why all of the locals were staring at us like we were crazy. It's a wonder we didn't get arrested before we made it out of the state with our 'treasure'!