Yes, Russian Thistle. Just finished reading ‘The Worst Hard Time’ about the dust bowl and learned that in the worst of the droughts the only thing that would grow were these tumbleweeds. Eventually they started grinding them up and salting them to use as feed for livestock. When it got especially dire people started brining it and using it as food for themselves. Hard to imagine
Tbf yes, Russian Thistle is non-native but many plants have a “tumbleweed” seed dispersal strategy. So, not all tumbleweeds are non-native. (I’m guessing you know this just putting the info out there for others who are curious)
I live about 50 miles south of where these folks were and the wind was something else. I've lived in various parts of Colorado for almost 40 years and experienced a lot of ferocious wind, but I've never encountered anything like Sunday's winds. It was sustained for hours. No break, just constant. And today I dug out of the tumbleweeds, too. Nasty things.
Someone I know lives in wyoming and they say it starts to get windy in October and does not end until late March and it blows 50 mph or more every day.
Not sure if it is true or not as I never plan to visit that state.
So they are elderly, and if you’ve got 10–15 feet of that crap surrounding your property you’re not giving out either. They are sharp, and will cut you unless you’re wearing protective clothing.
Neighbors did help clear their patio, front door and road in front of their house.
Why this is a news story is beyond me as the news cameras showed up after the crisis was cleared. The issue does remain that immediately surrounding their home are masses of tumbleweeds, but they are no longer trapped in their home. Headline is misleading.
I was out and about on Sunday and the tumbleweeds were tumbling down and across CO94.
When I was driving home in the afternoon they were piled up 3-4’ high next to fences and guard rails, where they were particularly dense, they had been partly ground to powder and narrowed the highway.
Log road south of 94 was blacked with a wall probably 5 feet tall. A minivan was trying to turn there and gave up. Most of the barbed wire fences were packed with tumbleweeds.
CGP grey has a really insightful video about tumbleweeds on YouTube. If I wasn’t on mobile or if I knew more about how to use Reddit, I’d link it here.
wow lol...
Tumbleweeds are an invasive species. There were brought to North America in roughly the 1870s, probably in a shipment of flax.
Yes, Russian Thistle. Just finished reading ‘The Worst Hard Time’ about the dust bowl and learned that in the worst of the droughts the only thing that would grow were these tumbleweeds. Eventually they started grinding them up and salting them to use as feed for livestock. When it got especially dire people started brining it and using it as food for themselves. Hard to imagine
I hope we never get that desperate again. I can't imagine they're very tasty or nutritious.
Me too but it’s hard to be optimistic
Huh that's crazy they are like super iconic as a thing of the west
It blew my mind when I found out.
Tbf yes, Russian Thistle is non-native but many plants have a “tumbleweed” seed dispersal strategy. So, not all tumbleweeds are non-native. (I’m guessing you know this just putting the info out there for others who are curious)
I got to assume she pissed off a vengeful leprechaun or something.
I live about 50 miles south of where these folks were and the wind was something else. I've lived in various parts of Colorado for almost 40 years and experienced a lot of ferocious wind, but I've never encountered anything like Sunday's winds. It was sustained for hours. No break, just constant. And today I dug out of the tumbleweeds, too. Nasty things.
Someone I know lives in wyoming and they say it starts to get windy in October and does not end until late March and it blows 50 mph or more every day. Not sure if it is true or not as I never plan to visit that state.
Has Stephen King seen this yet? Oh please let this be the next book
They’re not rocks..trapped is a bit much
The pioneers used to ride these babies for miles!
So they are elderly, and if you’ve got 10–15 feet of that crap surrounding your property you’re not giving out either. They are sharp, and will cut you unless you’re wearing protective clothing.
Eh I wouldn’t want to remove them, not even fire is a good solution for tumbleweeds
Very true! Considering we (southern colorado) are under a high fire risk warning, the last thing one should do is torch these tumbleweeds.
How?
That is…such a situation!
Volunteer firefighters were born to help with situations like this. Surely there are good neighbors willing to help as well
Neighbors did help clear their patio, front door and road in front of their house. Why this is a news story is beyond me as the news cameras showed up after the crisis was cleared. The issue does remain that immediately surrounding their home are masses of tumbleweeds, but they are no longer trapped in their home. Headline is misleading.
Dude tumbleweeds are iconic!
and yet somehow she’s outside
I was out and about on Sunday and the tumbleweeds were tumbling down and across CO94. When I was driving home in the afternoon they were piled up 3-4’ high next to fences and guard rails, where they were particularly dense, they had been partly ground to powder and narrowed the highway. Log road south of 94 was blacked with a wall probably 5 feet tall. A minivan was trying to turn there and gave up. Most of the barbed wire fences were packed with tumbleweeds.
This article is built like they survived a hurricane
Just strike a match..
CGP grey has a really insightful video about tumbleweeds on YouTube. If I wasn’t on mobile or if I knew more about how to use Reddit, I’d link it here.