Migrants in the Ditch

     It's that time of year again.  As I drive the roads around my upper midwest home, I see that the tiger lilies, dames rocket, Queen Anne's lace, chicory, and sow weed are all in bloom.  It's lovely.   The only one of these that is considered a native plant is sow weed.  The others are all immigrants, though many of us who consider ourselves natives call them weeds. (Forget that most of our forbearers haven't been here as long as the Queen Annes lace, which was brought here by the early colonist.)  Like most wild plants, these are where they are because they fill a niche; they can grow in ground compressed by the heavy machinery that set the road grade. So when anyone tries to tell you how our country is being overrun by immigrants please point out that they are just filling in a niche where few of  us could survive.  Or maybe you'd like to wash the windows at McDonald's for minimum wage while you learn enough English to stand in front of  the grill all day for a few cents an hour more.