What does tumbleweed look like? Do you grow well in America?

Tumbleweed, also known as Russian thistle shrub, has two forms, one is the state of favorable weather. Abundant water environment makes it grow particularly lush and looks lush, which is no different from normal bushes. The flower feels like a white film, crystal clear and unique.

But on the day of water shortage, tumbleweed will open a second form-hay form. After vigorous growth, in autumn and winter, they ushered in a withering period. At this time, the green leaves turn yellow, and the joint between roots and stems will become fragile. When the wind blows, the whole plant outside the root will be taken away and scattered with the wind.

Rolling tumbleweed lost its life, tissue cells will no longer grow, just a "corpse." It seems useless, but it is a unique breeding method of tumbleweed. It carries a lot of seeds, and a dry tumbleweed like a headshot can carry 250 thousand seeds. These seeds will go into dormancy when they mature, and the water content is only 4%. Wherever tumbleweeds blow, seeds are scattered. Once sown in the right soil, they will wake up, take root at a depth of two meters and breed in a new place.

Strictly speaking, tumbleweed is not native to the United States, but was brought to South Dakota by a group of Russian immigrants. They just wanted to take flaxseed with them when they immigrated. After all, flaxseed can be eaten and used to grow cloth. It is a good thing. As a result, some tumbleweed seeds were mixed into flax seeds. Coupled with the uncontrolled local species, the United States has become a paradise for tumbleweed growth.

The expansion of tumbleweed has led a very moist life in the United States and once became a representative element of American cowboys. For a time, it lived in harmony with the American people. When tumbleweed dries up, it is a good fuel. At that time, American families all had fireplaces, so they became the best fuel in winter, saving Americans a sum of money.

In winter, tumbleweeds can be piled up and turned into assembled decorations, and the effect is beautiful. Best of all, in the 1930s, the United States was hit by a sandstorm, resulting in the destruction of many local forage grasses. Seeing that livestock were starving to death, tumbleweeds appeared.

It happens to be a substitute for forage grass, which cattle and sheep like to eat, helping the local animal husbandry avoid a crisis. However, the friendly relationship did not last long. After the unrestricted reproduction of tumbleweed, many problems appeared. The first is blocking people. In the endless desert and Gobi desert, tumbleweeds can roll unscrupulously. But once obstacles appear, it is easy to gather.

Many short fences can't be prevented at all, and they gather together to block human houses. This thing has some small thorns on it, which is difficult to deal with when it is dry, so a large number of tumbleweeds have become a disaster. Secondly, when this thing spreads seeds, it is easy to be hitchhiked by insects. Many harmful microorganisms, such as Ailanthus altissima and mites, will board it and persecute crops everywhere.

At first, it was fine as livestock feed, but after a while, everyone found that something was wrong. This plant contains some unscented micro-toxic substances, which are poisoned by cattle and horses after long-term consumption. Since then, the farm has stopped using it as feed.