Tumbleweeds are invasive and you don’t have to hand it to them.
Invasive BUT they’re actually not that bad for the ecology. The California Invasive Plant Council has found that tumbleweeds have no discernable impact to possibly a small positive impact on the ecologies they invade. They don’t seem to be able to displace native species, instead finding the most success in disturbed soils, which they’ve been found to help stabilize and facilitate the introduction of other plants into (both by providing shelter and by introducing phosphorus to the soil). Even native small animals have come to use them for shelter and hunting grounds. Apparently the worst parts of tumbleweeds is that they’re a nuisance to humans and they host an agricultural pest.
In the case of Tumbleweeds v Suburbs, I find for the tumbleweeds.
At least relative to California ecologies, Cal IPC found that the tumbleweed didn’t significantly change fire risk. In fact, Tumbleweeds don’t usually get dead and dry until the first rains come. Right now, they’re some of the last plants that are still green in the central valley.
