No more bullshit. Just the facts.

1. As iconic as they are in Westerns, they're actually a non-native exotic species imported from Eurasia in the 19th century.

2. They're harmful to the environment in at least two ways. First, they compete with other plants for precious water, and then when they break off and start rolling, they damage the crust of soil, which has the ironic effect of making better growing conditions for the next generation of tumbleweeds since they thrive in disturbed soils, the dickheads.

3. SAD. In the former case, the tumbleweed opens mechanically as it absorbs water; apart from its propagules, the tumbleweed is dead.

4. ENEMY OF WHEAT. Most tumbleweed species grow quickly and outcompete other types of plants. In one study, Russian sage sucked up an average of 44 gallons of water when competing with wheat, which can be the difference between a good wheat harvest and a bad harvest.

5. Certain types of fungi called puffballs, or Bovista, also pursue the tumbleweed strategy. Bovista fruit and spores have been used to treat ailments such as discomfort from tight clothing, an inclination to “drop things from powerless hands”, or an itchy coccyx.

6. What a tumbleweed looks like stuck against a fence:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Salsola_tragus_tumbleweed.jpg