We had noticed a few brittle tumbleweed skeletons lying around. But that was to be expected. Salsola tragus, as it’s properly called, or Russian thistle, has become ubiquitous in the West.

Tumbleweed is one of the most iconic symbols of the old American West, made famous in hundreds of movies. But this invasive plant did not actually reach US shores until the latter part of the 19th ...