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Daily Bucket- Tumbleweeds, Pest Plants or Potential Problem Solvers? [1]

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Date: 2022-10-24

With all the rain we've had, our tumbleweeds are HUGE.

Let’s clear up our terms. Tumbleweeds are a description of several species of plants. But the one that hogs all the attention is the one I will be talking about, the Russian Thistle. Kali tragus for the nerds among us. A lot of people don’t know the story behind the ubiquitous tumbleweed. I for one just thought of it as a plant that has been present in America since Wyatt Earp was roaming the west in all those movies. Not exactly true it turns out.

Russian thistle was first reported in South Dakota in 1870. It was brought in with Flaxseed from Russia. So it is highly unlikely that it spread to every corner of the west before the “wild west” was won and that silly song was written.

First let’s talk about the problems this prolific plant produces. Ever try to pull a mature tumbleweed? Ouch. The seeds are sharp and numerous. They cause extreme skin irritation. The pollen can be a headache to those who suffer allergies. When dry, they pose a huge fire danger, blowing over firelines and causing more work for those poor folks fighting it. They have been known to be on fire and settle against a building, like mother natures molotov cocktail. But they can also produce some fairly good humor. In 1989 the town of Mobridge, South Dakota was buried in tumbleweeds as they dried out and blew in off the dry bed of Lake Oahe. Around Richland, Washington on New Years Eve 2019, tumbleweeds piled up to 20 feet high, closing Route 240. In both instances snowplows were required to remove them so people could get out of their cars and houses.

The Beet Leafhopper, responsible for the Curly Top Virus, survives off of tumbleweeds and presents a huge risk to agriculture.So yes, these plants are a pain.

But are they completely miserable monsters that should be removed from the face of the continent (like that could ever happen)?

Well, yes, at least in my yard. But they do have some interesting qualities that can be useful.

During the dust bowl years, hay crops failed all over and tumbleweeds were credited for saving the cattle industry. As young plants, they are considered edible to humans. You can throw in a salad or stir fry. They are said to be good tasting as a pot herb. But if you are allergic to spinach, don’t eat em.

Lots of range animals have incorporated them into their diets as an emergency measure. Prairie dogs love them. Birds eat the seeds, as do rodents. The seed is high in amino acids and proteins.

How many seeds are in this picture? Tens of thousands?

Tumbleweeds are tough plants. They thrive in alkaline soils and have been considered a pioneer species. Tumbleweeds don’t produce mycrorrhizal fungus. They will grow where no other plants can, the fungus then attacks the roots of the plant, stunting it and even killing the tumbleweed, multiplying as it does to the point that there’s enough fungus to grow other plants that normally wouldn’t have a chance. The dead plant above ground proves shade for seedlings of other plants to take hold. Tumbleweeds have successfully been used in Phytomediation, removing toxic chemicals found in soil.

Turkey is experimenting with tumbleweeds chopped up and mixed with other organic material and pressed into bricks for rural fuel sources for heating and cooking. As a substitute for straw, tumbleweeds have been used in adobe or cob houses. Check out that link. It is really cool.

So like a lot of things in life, tumbleweeds are all about how you look at them. They are here to stay, so we better put them to use.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/10/24/2130194/-Daily-Bucket-Tumbleweeds-Pest-Plants-or-Potential-Problem-Solvers

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