My apartment lease states it is my responsibility to “cut and remove all tall grass and weeds over 6 inches in height.” During my first spring, I was faced with how to apply that open ended, yet legally binding, statement to a yard of new growth that I knew nothing about. It felt wrong to hack at any greenery that didn't immediately serve a conventionally aesthetic purpose. So I spent the summer learning about each plant emerging in the yard, which grew into this project. 

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In my research I found myself looking at each plant’s origin, as well as their impact on our current environment. This led me to discover a collection of botanic neighbors ranging from native to invasive, with a handful of benign non-native species. The irony was not lost on me as I removed invasive species that likely traveled the same boats my ancestors did, neither of us descending from the land we both currently reside on. But unlike a plant programmed for growth, I can choose to reduce my harm and work toward making a positive impact on the community I have found myself rooted in.