Tumbleweed Mania
Chandler, Arizona, is a typical Southwestern town with one exception: it is home to the tumbleweed Christmas tree. Every year for more than 50 years, Chandler has erected a giant Christmas tree entirely from tumbleweeds. The tumbleweeds are arranged in a large conical frame, spray painted white and decorated with lights. If I hadn’t known it was made from tumbleweeds, I wouldn’t have known. It is remarkably similar to a Christmas tree, which is a good reason to buy these simple shrubs. The tumbleweed Christmas tree lighting is one of the main holiday festivities in Chandler, Arizona. This year, why not follow the lead of the people of Arizona and make your own Southwest-style Christmas tree?
Where can I find tumbleweeds?
Tumbleweeds can be found in almost every western movie out there. Joking aside, they are, in fact, weeds that are predominantly found in the United States and Eurasia. They grow in arid regions and on disturbed soils and just about anywhere else they can. They are generally found in drier climates and require a source of wind to form. The easiest place to look for tumbleweeds is along a fence after a windstorm. They keep rolling until something like a fence gets in their way, preventing them from moving forward.
What is a tumbleweed?
Rolling weeds occur when lowland shrubs break off their base and are blown away by the wind. They are usually from several species of herbaceous plants of the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae). Typically, rolling grass is spherical in shape. They are often a seasonal plant, growing wild in the summer, where when their tiny seeds are ripe, a shrub-like plant dries up and sloughs off its base and is blown away by the winds. This process perpetuates the weed as it spreads a large quantity of seeds where the wind blows them over the surface of the soil. Tumbleweeds can come from a shrub called Russian Thistle. Russian thistle grows best in arid climates with a high concentration of minerals.
Tumbleweed Christmas Tree Materials:
- Wire frame
- Four or more large tumbleweeds for the base or one huge tumbleweed
- Three or more medium tumbleweeds for the midsection
- Several small tumbleweeds to fill spaces
- A little weed for the top.
- Flame retardant spray paint (white, gold, and silver are popular choices)
- Lights
- Ornaments
- Other decorations including glitter.
Where can I buy tumbleweeds?
Believe it or not, there are actually tumbleweed farms in the US where you can find various shapes and sizes of tumbleweeds for sale. One of the best known farms is located in Kansas. They call themselves the capital of tumbleweeds. Without a doubt, the strong winds that blow along the tornado belt contribute to the abundance of tumbleweeds. Tumbleweeds can be found in specialty stores and online.
