Tumbleweeds are a predator weed that invades disturbed soil all across the country.
It is also called Russian Thistle or Wind Witches. The plant gets it Latin name, Salsola,
from the word sallere, meaning salt, because it tolerates salty soil.

Russian Thistle arrived in the United States about 150 years ago when farmers in
South Dakota imported contaminated flaxseed from Russia. Ever since it has steadily taken root across the country, exploiting native ecosystems.

Virtually everyone recognizes a mature Russian thistle, which looks like the skeleton
of a normal shrub. Plants may be as small as a soccer ball or as large as a Volkswagen beetle. Most people, however, would fail to recognize the seedling and juvenile plant’s bright green, succulent, grass-like shoots, which are usually red or purple striped.
Inconspicuous green flowers grow at axils (where leaf branches off of stem)
of the upper leaves, each one accompanied by a pair of spiny bracts.
Mice, bighorn sheep and pronghorn eat the tender shoots.

When it dries, it rolls around and disperses seeds. Each plant averages about 250,000 seeds, which is why transporting or composting the plant at this stage is a problem.
It is best to get rid of the plants while it is still green.

There is an excellent article in the National Geographic magazine called
"The Weed That Won The West".
December 2013 issue.

THE TOWN NEEDS YOUR HELP
TO CONTROL TUMBLEWEEDS

Mow before the plant goes to seed. Compost or transport while it is still green, otherwise you will spread more seeds. Each plant is capable of dispersing 250,000 seeds.
Burn when plant is dry. Check our pages on the burn window and fire safety.