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Others possibly arrived from elsewhere in Asia and one species seems to have come from Australia or Africa. The tumbleweeds devastating California, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico, just to mention a few hot spots, are quite different from the garden plants described above and indeed, are not even native to the New World, but were imported accidentally from the steppes of Russia in field grains starting in the late 1800s.

Although widely available in seed catalogs, growing kochia is illegal in many areas. It too breaks off and rolls away at the end of the season, sowing its seeds far and wide. Kochia scoparia), a garden annual that forms a dense ball of apple green leaves that turn brilliant red in the fall and is sometimes used as a temporary hedge. Source: Īnother homegrown tumbleweed is kochia, also called burning bush and summer cypress ( Bassia scoparia, syn. Planting of kochia just staring to turn its bright fall color.

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The Resurrection Fern is not actually a fern, but a spike moss ( Selaginella lepidophylla) and in the wild in its native Chihuahuan Desert, it breaks free and rolls about, spreading its tiny spores. Such dried plants commonly are sold as a novelty plant in horticultural fairs and will green up (although rarely come back to life) when soaked in water. Or you may have tried (mostly likely in vain) to grow a “Resurrection Fern” or “Rose of Jericho” from a dried-up ball of leaves. Source: Nicole-Koehler, Wikimedia Commons The so-called Resurrection Fern ( Selaginella lepidophylla) is one of the rare fern relatives that is a tumbleweed. Boophane and Brunsvigia, two extraordinary African bulbs likewise bearing balls of flowers, are also tumbleweeds. It is sometimes called-and why not?-tumbleweed onion.

Source: The huge spherical umbels of rose-purple flowers of the ornamental onion Allium schubertii break off and roll about in its native Middle East environment. The flower head of the tumbleweed onion ( Allium schubertii) is a typical tumbleweed. You may be growing tumbleweeds without knowing it. Moist soils are an anathema to them: they much prefer drought! They don’t get very far, although may well be present, in dense, green, shrubby environments. Tumbleweeds tend to found in arid climates with open environments where there are few obstacles to hinder their roll-about distribution method: steppes, savannas, plains, deserts, beaches, etc. Tumbleweeds can be flower heads or entire plants that spontaneously break free and roll in the wind, spreading their seeds or propagules as they go. It actually refers any plant sharing the same seed distribution technique. Tough question! The term tumbleweed can refer to many different plants in 10 different plant families. This one is a giant tumbleweed ( Salsola x ryanii), only recently discovered in California. Yikes!Ī tumbleweed can be any plant that breaks off and blows around. And each plant produces up to 200,000 seeds a year. Going barefoot in tumbleweed territory is unthinkable and in many areas, you have to protect the legs of pets and livestock to keep them from going lame.

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Imagine a rolling, burning bush heading towards your home! Their thorny stems make handling them painful (hint: wear thick gloves!) and scratches can cause rashes, itching and inflamed skin in sensitive individuals. Some homes become entirely covered and can’t be recognized as buildings.Īnd Western tumbleweeds can be toxic to wildlife (they’re edible when young, then more and more toxic as they mature), hinder traffic and, being highly flammable, are a major fire hazard.

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You certainly wouldn’t let a child play outdoors when they’re around in any number: that could be fatal! Sometimes so many tumbleweeds build up against homes that people have had to climb out through second-story windows or call neighbors for help. The road had just been cleared by a snowplow! CLICK ON THIS: IT’S AMAZING! Source: Tim Tower, When the big, round shrub-like masses of dry vegetation break loose from their roots and start to roll, they have to stop somewhere … and that somewhere can be drainage ditches, fences, firebreaks, gardens and homes.