Arizona Wild Flowers
Wildflower Pictures And Photos

Russian Thistle, Salsola tragus

Russian Thistle, Salsola tragus; Glendale March 21, 2003.

Russian Thistle Or Tumbleweed Not Native Plant!	Has Tiny Yellow Flowers Minor Nector Source
Yellow Flowers During Early Bloom	Becoming Pink Flowers Later On

Russian Thistle Salsola tragus, Goosefoot Family ( Chenopodiaceae ), Russian Thistle. Also called: Tumbleweed or Wind Witch. Russian Thistle's seedling and juvenile plant’s bright green, succulent, grass-like shoots, which are usually red or purple striped. Inconspicuous green flowers grow at axils (where leaf branches off of stem) of the upper leaves, each one accompanied by a pair of spiny bracts. The mature plants are spherical bushes up to 5 feet tall. After they turn grayish brown, the plants break away from the roots at the soil line, becoming tumbleweeds that scatter their seeds. Russian Thistle or Tumbleweeds were first reported in the United States around 1877 in Bon Homme County, South Dakota, it is thought they were transported in flax seed imported by Ukrainian farmers. Thus, the name Russian Thistle! Height: Up to 5 feet tall and just about as wide. Flowers: The flowers are small, inconspicuous, green-white or pink, and are usually solitary in the leaf axils. Blooming Time: March - April. Fruit & Seeds: Seeds are round and snail-shaped, white to pink colored, about 1/16 inch in diameter. Leaves: The leaves are alternate the first ones being dark green, soft, slender, and about 1 to 2 - 1/2 inches long. These drop off and the later leaves are short, stiff, spiny, about 1/2 inch long, with two sharp-pointed bracts at the base. Found: Found throughout Arizona. Elevation: 0 - 8000 Feet. Habitat: Found on dry plains, cultivated fields, roadsides, and waste places. Miscellaneous: Flowering Photos Taken , March 21, 2003. In Glendale.