I recently purchased some plants from a woman selling them from her home. She gave me two ?freebies?, which she called star flowers. I planted them and they are doing well. Then on a hike, I saw them along a trail in the wild. What are they?

?Michelle Berezowski, Milton, ON

Oh dear, that?s star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum). Pretty as it is, it?s also one of the most invasive plants I know. This European native was brought in as an ornamental and has escaped into fields, open woods and roadsides. I bought a few bulbs many years ago and I still spend time every year rooting them out. I advise you to get rid of them while you have the chance. There are forms of Ornithogalum such as O. reverchonii that are fantastic, but usually when people are giving things away, it means they are invasive.

?Marjorie Harris, Editor at Large