The Romantic Tumbleweed opus 493
| 29 December 2024 1930 Hours | | Botany, Biology, Conservation, Environment, History, Music |
The tumbling Tumbleweed--a Western cowboy song
Which many are able to easily humm.
But sadly, and realistically, this innocent plant
Is a voracious non-native invader from Russia.
Tumbleweed seed was brought into South Dakota
In the 1870's by Russian immigrants,
Contaminating flax seed accompanying them.
Millions of dollars have been spent
To attempt to eradicate this ubiquitous weed.
The song romanticises the poetic tumbling of this floral form,
When actually with each tumble,
It is distributing yet ever-more seed.
This physical means of distribution is devastating,
Engineering yet another non-native to spread throughout the West.
Things are not always what they seem until time often passes,
And knowledge with accurate facts becomes known.