Thanks all for the thoughts, tips, and cautionary notes. It just so happens
that I've got a patch well away from the other part of the garden to limit
escapees and my soil is acid and clay so it sounds like a possibility.

I can always pass 'em off to the neighbors as "wildflowers". ;-)

Mike D.

My Dad always used to bury a large tin bath - the one I remember I think was
our "baby bath", and plant the jerusalem artichokes in that so they wouldn't
take oveer the garden. They looked wrather like a small flowered sun flower if
I recall correctly.
Helen