Columbus Circle is at the southwest corner of the Park. So what do they plant there? A European tree? American? A hybrid? No, it's the Chinese Scholartree, aka Japanese Pagodatree. It's Asian, either way, and the confused, stereotypical names epitomise our knowledge of foreign cultures. Maybe we are the invasive species.






An invasive species enters an ecosystem and displaces native species. In the Park, Japanese Knotweed (above, with fruits) is a chief offender. I give it credit for at least growing, under difficult circumstances. Of course, alien species that behave themselves are highly desirable for their novelty, or the nostalgia they inspire. Such is the case with the English Oak below, which, unlike Columbus, links us to the same land as our language.