A Picturesque Nuisance
I would be remiss if I didn’t eventually talk about the tumbleweeds in the West. My dog and I like to watch the sunset over the mountains and frequently we will catch a picturesque passing of a tumbleweed. The locals have good reasons for the distaste of these trespassers, but I can’t help feeling like I should look for a classic cowboy showdown. Unfortunately, as much as I love imagining myself in a John Wayne film, the tumbleweeds are invasive and problematic for the wheat fields. In Eastern Oregon, the only two things you are sure to find are wheat fields and whiskey.
Tumbleweeds and Their Troubles
Tumbleweeds need space to roam and go where the wind takes them (do I sound Western yet?). So the open fields and desert-like areas are a perfect environment for them to thrive until the wind blows through the town and they get caught up on buildings, vehicles, and fences. Before you know it, a pile of tumbleweeds are blocking the road. Then to accelerate the danger, wildfires have been known to devastate our beautiful fields and endanger the lives of Oregonians. Tumbleweeds become the perfect tinder in such situations.
The Impact on Agriculture
As tumbleweeds tumble, they are capable of releasing their seeds over miles and can survive up to three years. Just one tumbleweed is capable of absorbing over 40 pounds of water from the soil of a wheat field. In such a dry environment where water can be scarce, tumbleweeds are fierce competitors. I found an article from Oregon State University that discusses the Russian Thistle, one of the most common weeds that turn into tumbleweeds in the Pacific Northwest (check out the link below).
Efforts to control the spread of Russian Thistle have dated back to the 70s with little success. It has been classified as one of the fastest plant invasions in the United States. The concern is that this plant in particular is building a resistance to glyphosate (a chemical commonly found in herbicides), which puts our wheat fields at serious risk of being outrivaled. Researchers and farmers are working together to find alternatives to eliminate tumbleweeds in the Pacific Northwest and the threats they present.
The Love/Hate Relationship
Despite all the trouble they cause, tumbleweeds have cemented their role as an iconic symbol of the West, even when their noxious ways seem to be more in line with an antagonist. Fortunately, most Oregonians prefer to have sanguinity over living in the high desert. Tumbleweeds are even used as decoration in parades on top of their horses instead of bouquets. But isn’t it so purely Western to have such a love/hate relationship with the land?
Learn more about Russian Thistle and its impact here.
• Lots of love and prayers,
Lexie
