NEWSWEEK - A new invasive species of tumbleweed that can grow up to six feet in height is taking over parts of California—and scientists are warning it could spread even further as climate change makes its growing conditions more favorable.
In a study published in the journal AoB Plants, Shana Welles, from Chapman University, and Norman C Ellstrand, from University of California Riverside, looked at how and why S. ryanii has become so successful in such a short space of time.
"Salsola ryanii is a nasty species replacing other nasty species of tumbleweed in the U.S.," Ellstrand said in a statement. "It's healthier than earlier versions, and now we know why."