The first time I saw the invasive common buckthorn plant it was the veins in the leaves that I noticed. They are prominent parallel indentions that stretch to nearly the edge of the leaf. They appear like tidy ravines cut into vegetal flesh--thin and sharp. It almost seems as though the veins seek to escape their leaf outlines, creep out, and continue stringing themselves into the surrounding air. And ultimately, the vein appearance is indicative of the plant as a whole. The buckthorn is on a sly, creeping mission to establish a monoculturistic population in Vermont woodlands, roadsides, wetlands, and even backyards. With continuous vigor it finds a home quite easily and displays its indigestion-causing black fruits like a gas station shelf of week old donuts. The seeds are a creepy bunch too, finding a way to grow and thrive even after fifty years of dormancy. They lurk in almost every natural area managed by the Winooski Valley Park District; hiding in the woods, sprouting when exposed to the smallest bit of sunshine.