A symbol of the Old West plains, the tumbleweed – that spiky rolling bush from cowboy movies – is actually an invader. Also called Russian thistle, it hitched a ride to America in the 1870s in shipments of flaxseed from Russia. Settlers in South Dakota were startled by strange thorny weeds and their unique way of spreading seeds across their prairies. Now you can’t drive across Colorado’s dry lands, without seeing tumbleweeds. So next time you see one tumbling by, remember it’s a Russian immigrant, not a native local.
Growing Home - Tumbleweed
