Yes, the Jerusalem Artichokes function as a hedge. Make sure they are in full sun, or at least about 8 hours during the morning through afternoon. One word of advice on these -- I found it necessary to cut them back at least once, preferably twice, to about 4 to 6 inches tall as they are growing in the spring -- first time in early June, second time late June. Otherwise, left to their own devices, they are too tall, and flop all over the place in the fall. Cutting them back doesn't hurt the harvest at all, and makes them bushy and self-supporting, and a bit shorter as well.

As far as the Chinese Mountain Yam, well, I have these, and I haven't found too many places they won't grow. All they ask is something to climb upon, as they are very vigorous growing vines, getting about 8 to 10 feet long. Also, you should be aware that they have the potential to be invase, since they grow a ton of little arial tubers on the vines in the summer, each about the size of a Thompson Seedless grape from the grocery store. Left to their own devices, these tubers fall from the vine in late summer and root anywhere they fall. I found a relatively simple solution to this problem, though -- I pick them from the vines when nearly ready to fall, gather as many as I can, wash them, boil them whole in their skins, and make them into potato salad - they taste exactly like boiled tiny new potatoes, just perhaps a bit less starchy. Works for me, and keeps the population of them under control. I never get them all, anyway --- this winter, for example, one come up in my Chinese Hibiscus tree's pot in my living room, and was quite content to climb up the trunk of the tree and into the foliage canopy. For now, it's growing with the hibiscus, which I just moved outdoors to the patio for the summer, but if it looks like it's going to strangle out the tree, it may have to go.

That sounds interesting, the plant being edible and from what I have read, has a cinnamon sort of fragrance as well?

I haven't located any where to get a small amount of the seed- any recommendations? I have a tall porch that needs some softening and if the air tubers are edible, so much the better.

When you cook these, just to fork tender or???

Um, to my sense of smell, the flowers are more vanilla scented than cinnamon scented, but it's not too pronounced of a fragrance.

Yes, I cook them until they're tender when forked, usually about 12-15 minutes in the microwave in a bowl of water, covered with saran wrap.

Well, I have never found this plant to be particularly difficult to control, overly agressive, or problematic. As I stated above in my posts, I have no real trouble controlling it by harvesting and eating the tubers.

Blanket statements about what should and shouldn't be "banned" here, there, and everywhere really bother me. Some plants truly are invasive and problematic in many regions, but things should be evaluated on a case by case basis. And, if we took the attitude that anything non-native shouldn't be grown because it might potentially be invasive, North America problably wouldn't be able to feed itself, and our ornamental flora would be greatly limited.

What really bothers me, though, is being told what I can and can't do in my own garden by others. The Michigan legislature, in its infinite wisdom, debated a bill a few years ago, in 2005 I believe, which would have made "possession," defined as having a plant growing upon one's land, whether or not it was there by intent of the landowner, of a whole number of "invasive" species punishable by fines of up to $250,000 and up to 5 years in prison. The fact that the vast majority of these plants, things like purple loosestrife, yellow flag iris, and Japanese knotweed, were already rampant in Michigan didn't seem to register with the geniuses in Lansing, most of whom wouldn't know an invase plant it it bit them on the (well, you know where!). A group of professional growers and amateur gardeners got together and were able to get this horrendous and stupid bill defeated. Had it been passed, as written, it would have turned hundreds of thousands of Michigan landowners into felons overnight.

Endangered and threatened native plants should be preserved, but banning plants from gardens isn't the way to go about it -- time would be better spent cleaning, improving, and protecting the specific habitat of threatened natives and learning to grow them in cultivation to preserve the species.

Well, much of protecting an endangered plants habitat is keeping non-native competitors out, so not planting invasive species is the largest part of that battle after not bulldozing the area.