The ease with which tumbleweeds burn when dry can be a most useful characteristic. Some enterprising people are pressing the dried branches into logs to be burned as fuel. They can produce 6,500-6,800 Btu/lb, comparable to most tree woods. This could be a boon to desert areas where tree wood is not available naturally. As a plant high in alkalis, it has been used in the making of glass, and Mediterranean species have been traditionally used to make soap.
Its medicinal properties are not commonly known, but Russian thistle has been used in the U.S. to regulate blood pressure, as a diuretic, and to treat flu, among other diseases. In Russia a tea made from the leaves is used to lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar, improve weight loss, and improve liver function. It has also been identified as a useful diagnostic for allergens; unfortunately, it can also be an allergen itself. Whether all Salsola species have similar benefits is not clear to me, since specific species names are generally not identified in medicinal notes.
If you don’t want to try out tumbleweed medicines, there is no harm in using them as decorations. Chandler, Arizona has an annual Christmas tree made of tumbleweeds. Some companies sell dried whole tumbleweeds of different sizes as decorations, including three stacked and dressed as a snowman. I suppose they can be painted, used as stuffing to make a nice round shape, and adorned with any number of objects like wreaths.
21 Southwest Highways & Fields
adorned with any number of objects like wreaths.
Although the Sons of the Pioneers made the “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” song popular in 1946, the song was written by Bob Nolan living in Los Angeles in the 1930’s and the orginal title was “Tumbling Tumble Leaves.” He changed it to “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” and it was used in the 1935 Gene Autry Western movie of the same name. Dozens of artists have recorded their own versions of the song, which is recognized as a truly American folk and country classic.
-Susan Decker