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  "description": "The tumbleweed is a common sight in South Dakota and other parts of the United States, but does the pesky plant originate here?",
  "path": "/fact-brief-tumbleweeds-first-appear-united-states-sd/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-24T11:40:06.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.sdnewswatch.org",
  "tags": [
    "South Dakota News Watch Quiz - GigafactGigafact",
    "this one.",
    "The fastest plant invasion in the USA’s history",
    "Tumbleweeds, despised icons of the West",
    "South Dakota News Watch",
    "Gigafact",
    "on the tipline",
    "sdnewswatch.org"
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  "textContent": "## Yes.\n\nThe common tumbleweed, a frequent symbol of the Old West in Hollywood movies and a bane of farmers and ranchers’ existence, was first discovered in South Dakota in 1873 but originates in Europe and central Asia.\n\nTumbleweeds, or Russian thistle, first appeared in North America in Bon Homme County, after its seeds were mixed in with flaxseed and inadvertently planted. Tumbleweed thrives in loose soil that has been plowed for other crops, and as farmers in the late 1880s cleared land, the thistle bloomed.\n\nSouth Dakota News Watch Quiz - GigafactGigafact\n\nOnce the plant matures and becomes stiff, it can cause wounds to farmers and animals and lead to extensive crop losses.\n\nIts growth can also be attributed to the fact that it was difficult to distinguish the thistle seeds from other grains, leading to further dispersal.\n\nControl methods are being tested, but the variety of species makes targeting difficult.\n\n_This fact brief responds to conversations such as_  this one.\n\n## Sources\n\nNatural History Museum, Tumbleweeds: The fastest plant invasion in the USA’s history\n\nUniversity of Colorado, Tumbleweeds, despised icons of the West\n\n* * *\n\nSouth Dakota News Watch partners with Gigafact to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to _news@sdnewswatch.org_. Submit a question for us to answer on the tipline.\n\n _**South Dakota News Watch** is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at _sdnewswatch.org_.**Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:** michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org._",
  "title": "Fact brief: Did tumbleweeds first appear in the US in South Dakota?",
  "updatedAt": "2026-03-24T17:48:40.144Z"
}