The infamous tumbleweed is an iconic symbol of the American West due to its appearance in many western movies. The official name of the plant is called the Russian Thistle. Tumbleweeds are a result of the force of strong winds that remove a diaspore which breaks off from the stem and roots of the main plant. The reason that they tumble is so that their seeds or spores which are apart of the main structure can spread over a large area.

I asked some students about how they felt about tumbleweed. 

Manny Nodal, ‘20, exclaims, “Tumbleweed is my all-time favorite plant by far. They are so cool with how they move around and are constantly in motion. I want to study botany because of them!

“I was inspired to be a tumbleweed for Halloween this year after watching the movie Tumbleweeds. It was awesome. I got so many compliments,” says Jack Fleck, ‘22.

Ellison Richardson, ‘21, says, “I don’t get it. What’s with all the hype around tumbleweeds. They’re just dead plants roaming around rent-free. They are very disruptive to the locals who live in areas with lots of them and because tumbleweeds are highly flammable they’re an accident waiting to happen.