OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

Tumbleweeds are one of the most fun plants to watch in the desert! They start their lives as small, green, bushy plants growing in the ground with roots just like any other plant. But when they dry out, something amazing happens. The whole plant breaks off from its roots and starts rolling across the ground in the wind!

As a tumbleweed bounces and rolls across the desert, it drops thousands of tiny seeds along the way so new plants can grow everywhere it travels. One single tumbleweed can carry up to 250,000 seeds! This clever trick helps the tumbleweed spread to new places without needing any help from animals or people.