Tumbleweeds have taken over a Utah town, piling up in front of homes and trapping residents under thorny branches.
Heavy winds led to the invasion of tumbleweed in the northern part of the state on Saturday and made cities like South Jordan look like an old Western movie scene.
In addition to heavy winds and balls of dead foliage, parts of the state also experienced snow, forcing residents to scoop fresh powder and sweetgum from the ground.
Dayne Moss, a resident of Daybreak, a neighborhood in South Jordan, said Fox 13 that when the tumbleweeds arrived, “it sounded like a tornado.”
“The whole side of the house, almost to the second floor, was just tumbleweed. And it was like you couldn’t even see the other side of the road because the whole road was blocked,” Moss said.
Tumbleweeds rolled into South Jordan, Utah on Saturday. The dead balls of foliage piled high on homes, vehicles and lawns
Residents tried to clear up the tumbleweeds with shovels, shoveling the branches-filled balls into large dumpsters
Other images showed the countless weeds pushing their way across a busy road that remained covered in a dusty haze.
An aerial photo of homes about 20 minutes from Salt Lake City showed tumbleweeds growing high on residents’ lawns, with some blocking their front doors.
Despite this unusual event, people came out and helped each other clean up the mess caused by the tumbleweeds.
“They stayed for a while and provided some extra help and took some dumpsters and some other things,” said Phi Webb, another area resident.
“So we spend a few days clearing out all the weeds.”
Another photo showed a car nearly consumed by weeds, with only the top of the vehicle visible.
Residents tried to clear the tumbleweeds with shovels as they dumped the branches-filled balls into dumpsters.
The rolling weed balls are known to invade states across the U.S. except Alaska and Florida, according to the Natural history museum. They are most commonly found in parts of western North America and central, especially in locations with pastures and hayfields.
A car was nearly consumed by tumbleweeds, leaving only the top of the vehicle visible. The plants are known to build up on fences, homes and vehicles and can even become entangled in electrical lines and into other plants.
Tumbleweeds contain seeds that germinate in the spring and bloom in the fall and spring. They can also only reproduce by seed. In the photo: Tumbleweeds spread across a neighborhood in South Jordan
Kali tragus, also known as Russian thistle, is an annual plant formed in a round shape and separated from the roots, and is a type of tumbleweed.
Russian thistle is invasive and known as a noxious weed that is poisonous to animals and should not be eaten, according to Lawn starter.
Small rodents and antelopes have been known to nibble on the branching weeds.
Tumbleweeds contain seeds that germinate in the spring and bloom in the fall and spring. They can also only reproduce by seed.
The dead foliage first came to the country in the 1870s, causing one of the largest “plant invasions” in American history, Lawn Starter reported.
Although not known to be extremely dangerous, tumbleweeds can pose fire hazards, allergic reactions, pest problems, and damage nearby crops.
They are known to accumulate on fences, homes and vehicles and can even become entangled in electrical lines and other installations.
In October 2022, a Colorado couple’s property was overtaken by giant shrubs, leaving them unable to open their front door or leave their driveway.
In October 2022, a Colorado couple’s property was overtaken by giant shrubs, leaving them unable to open their front door or leave their driveway.
Fountain, Colorado, homeowner Marlies Gross described the situation at the time as “terrible” and “like a horror movie.”
“It’s very spooky and very spooky,” she said of the weeds overrunning her property.
When Gross and her husband woke up that morning, they found their front yard and driveway “covered” with tumbleweeds due to 60 mph winds over the weekend.
The couple, who called local police and the county for help, were told officials could not help with the situation because it was on private property.
After getting estimates from a landscaper, Gross said the total cost to clean up the tumbleweed would be about $6,500.