[eddie gein]

I have lived in Oklahoma for most (not all of my life). Mostly I lived up and down I-35 with a couple of 2 year stints in Wilburton and Poteau. I had been mostly around Norman and then recently Chickasha.

Recently I moved to Foss lake (temporarily) which is about halfway between Clinton and Elk City just about 10 miles north of I-40.

We have tumbleweeds here.

I bring this up because I had never lived anywhere in Oklahoma that had them before.

I never saw any in Chickasha, Noble and Norman which were the places I lived prior to coming out here. People who live out here are surprised when I say I've never seen one in central Oklahoma (although I never lived in the country)

My question for the forum is whether you have seen tumbleweeds in YOUR part of Oklahoma??

I am curious if there is sort of a "tumbleweed divide" in the state.

Oklahoma is a fascinating state in that it literally is the transition state between east/west and north/south of all these United States. The tumbleweed line is just another evidence of this.

[Synopsis]

It IS a fascinating state in that is one of only four (or five?) states with 10 or more ecoregions. You will see tumbleweeds west of I-35, maybe even a few East of there. The state is so diverse you can practically live in almost any environment that you want. You'll still be subjected to hot summers, but in Oklahoma there are grasslands, prairies, mountains, swamps, forests, arid semi-desert environments, and more. It truly is one of the most diverse states in the entire United States.

[eddie gein]

It is interesting that you mention ecoregions because I have been studying them all day. The impetus of this is that guy ajf 131 (from Missouri) who does nothing on the US board but rip Oklahoma. (I think he has us confused with someplace else). Anyway, I have a ranking of all the level III ecoregions as they are grouped by state. (Level I and Level II are too large to use in a state vs. state. Level IV is probably too precise)

Alaska has 20 of them and all of them are unique to Alaska. Hawaii hasn't been mapped yet. So that leaves the "Lower 48".

California and Texas have 12 Level III ecoregions. Oklahoma has 11 or 12 depending on what source you use. The EPA has us with 12.

Oregon and Washington have 9 or 10 depending on the source.

Oklahoma easily has more ecoregions per square mile than these states and Washington is the only one that is even close.

Alaska has one ecoregion per every 33,163 square miles
Texas has an one ecoregion per every 22,382 square mile
California 1/13,641 sq mile
Oklahoma 1/6,354 sq mile

Oregon 1/9,838 sq mile
Washington 1/7,922 sq mile

So Oklahoma is tied for #1 in the number of Ecoregions in the state

As far as ecoregions per square mile, Oklahoma is #14. However none of the states ahead of them on this list have more than 8 ecoregions.

Tennessee, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania all have 8 ecoregions
Virginia and New Jersey have 7
Indiana and Maryland have 6
Massachussetts, New Hampshire and Delaware (#1 per square mile among all states) have 3
Vermont and Connecticut have 2
Rhode Island has 1.


So as far as diversity (as defined by ecoregions) Oklahoma appears to be #1 if you combine the total number of ecoregions and the number per square depending on how you would want to weigh each factor.

[Mattie Jo]

You are talking to someone that loves tumbleweeds. When I was 7 I asked my dad to get me one, and he refused. I remember thinking when I grew up that the man that would stop and get me a tumbleweed would be the right man for me. Well, my DH stopped to get me one. When we lived in CA we moved out onto a farm that had tumbleweeds around the house. I took a photo while they were still there. In later times I had gathered them up on the hill, and the quail loved them. But alas, I have not seen a tumbleweed in Oklahoma, but if I ever seen one on my travels rest assured that I will bring it home.

And my favorite song when I was 7 was Tumbling Tumbleweeds.

[Choctaw2]

Jessaka

I have not seen a tumbleweed in Oklahoma, but if I ever seen one on my travels rest assured that I will bring it home

.


Just for you ..Google Image Result for http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/tumbleweed-cluster.jpg

Of course if you should order and they start spreading into the country and farmlands ......well (I don't think farmers are very fond of Tumbleweeds)


I remember as a child, hoeing tumbleweeds and sunflowers out of the fields. My daddy used to say he wished he could come up with a way to make money selling the darn things. Well now Sunflowers (highbred of course) are used for everything, even Jerusalim Artichokes are roots from some sunflowers. While looking for a picture of a tumbleweed snowman (they are very easy to make and quite novel), I find you can actually buy them for landscapeing etc. Who knew?!!!

[Cali_Okie_Girl]

tumbleweeds are so western..i always see imagine them in a western movie where there is like gun off or w/e and just a random tumbleweed goes by haha!!

[Synopsis]

This should get you a tumbleweed fix...


YouTube - Tumbleweeds

[Mattie Jo]

okay, it is time to put my photo of my house with tumbleweeds up. but gosh, that will take some doing and i may have forgotten everything i learned from synopsis.

That was a beat Utube. Looks like Creston. Thanks so much.

Thanks Choctaw. First time I had a plant growing in my garden like that I didn't know what it was until it got big enough to identify. I have seen tumbleweeds sprayed white and sit on tables at Christmas time. Had I moved here from Creston I would have brought some with me, but I never saw them in San Diego. The other thing I miss is having pearly everlasting flowers. I know they grow here but I have not found a source in the wild. Just saw one bunch growing.

[Mattie Jo]

Hey, this is cool. I remembered how to do it.

This is a farm house we rented in Creston, CA. We remodeled it by putting on a backporch, paint, etc. My brother said that the only thing that would help the house was a match, but he didn't know our abilities. I miss this place still, but mainly because it was 160 acres and very peaceful with just oats and tumbleweeds.

[Annemieke Roell]

We saw some tumbleweeds in the OK panhandle a few weeks ago on our way to CO.