JessyKaiser

Tumbleweed

We see them tumble like dried out carcasses in westerns during shoot out scenes. In a John Ford movie a rugged cowboy or his wife rocks back and forth on a rock...
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We see them tumble like dried out carcasses in westerns during shoot out scenes. In a John Ford movie a rugged cowboy or his wife rocks back and forth on a rocker on the boardwalk of a deck while the tumbleweed rolls by the wind.

Be that as it may, have you seen a tumbleweed that bright green and still growing? I have lived in Arizona for nearly 20 years, and I rarely encounter them, unless I hike up a gorge like Bear Canyon.

When I have encountered living tumbleweed, it usually lives near or right beside a large boulder like this grey one.

One thing that is remarkable about the tumbleweed is that it does not sweep randomly in the winds through people's yards and desert valleys.

It gracefully rolls and tumbles through the desert, so it can spread its seeds and let its seedlings grow.

Mule deer, prairie dogs and pronghorn love eating its shoots, and many desert animals use its dried plant skeleton for shelter, or homes.

So next time, you find it rolling in front of you and perhaps even a bit annoying, remember that this displeasing plant is actually a life saver to many.
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