Cryptic Invasion: Native reeds harbor aggressive alien

A mild-mannered reed native to the United States is getting blamed for mayhem created by an evil twin, says a Yale researcher.

REED TAKEOVER. A Phragmites invader can start a new patch from just an inch of root. Saltonstall

Tall Phragmites australis plants, often just called Phragmites, have waved their tasseled tops over wetlands in North America for millennia, says Kristin Saltonstall.