Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds

Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds are part of the Western lore, songs and landscape. It is believed the original seeds were brought in with seed shipments from Eurasia.

We have lots of them. They like open, disturbed soil. They start to sprout in the late Spring as the night and day time temperatures get warmer. This is one from our back lot that we’re keeping open so we can sell our house some day as a horse property.

Whenever I’m out in the back I kick these little suckers out of the ground which is easy to do because they are designed to have shallow roots. If not removed, they can grow to a significant size. Years ago, before the houses around us were built, I had one blow into our yard that was as tall as me. It’s more common to be about the size of a basketball.

During the following Winter they die. In the Spring the dead plant with it’s shallow roots break off in our Spring winds and, yes, they tumble.

During this tumbling, they break apart and scatter their seeds as they go along. If a plant can be considered a pest, the Tumbleweed would qualify.