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Tumbleweed trees

Use what you got.
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Tumbleweeds are round, durable weeds which are prolific along roadsides in the desert southwest. Before they pull up and start to tumble, they stand as leafless, twiggy balls for months and months. I propose these volunteers be trimmed into service as Christmas trees. They would be pruned into the requisite cone shape and hung with lightweight festive baubles to lift the spirit of drivers passing what would otherwise be a weedy median or untended lot. Ambitious pruners might make other tumbleweed topiary or, given properly positioned tumbleweeds, an entire tumbleweed nativity scene.

The baubles should be biodegradable (painted noodles and the like) so when the weed eventually start to tumble, it will not make a bigger mess than they already do. It may be that weeds shaped as biblical figures will be considered auspicious heralds of good fortune as they tumble by.

bungston, Dec 13 2004

(?) Tumbleweed http://www.helimot....with_tumbleweed.jpg
They rule the USA now......Legend has it they're all descended from Russian thistle seeds in a bag of flax seed that went to the midwest back in them 'thar days [normzone, Dec 13 2004]

[link]






       Amusingly enough, this has been baked. I saw a bunch of school kids corral one of these things [technically "Russian Thistle"], and tie it to a fence and put ornaments on it.
normzone, Dec 13 2004
  

       It may be that a conical tumbleweed would not tumble, but instead just roll around in a circle.
FarmerJohn, Dec 13 2004
  

       good idea. where can i get tumbleweeds in australia?
benfrost, Dec 13 2004
  

       Oh, Christmas Cactus, Oh, Christmas Cactus...
thumbwax, Dec 14 2004
  

       One hot California afternoon the Santana winds set free a tumbleweed the size of a truck, and sent it rolling across the freeway.   

       Motorcycles and compact cars with new paint jobs were frantically dodging the giant hogweed. A foolish teenager, driving his mother's 1960's Ford Fairlane, challenged the tumbleweed that dared to endanger the innocent motorists.   

       It was over quickly. Where there had been one, now there were three tumbleweeds, but each one was no bigger than a beer keg.   

       Never did tell my mom about it. Tough cars, old Fords.
normzone, Dec 14 2004
  

       [benfrost] - I'll send you a packet of tumbleweed seeds in the mail.. Just go and shake them around some vacant lot. I'm sure they won't cause any problems.
bungston, Dec 14 2004
  
      
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