Christmas Elf Makes for Roadside Cheer

Oh, Christmas weed, oh Christmas weed, how lovely are thy . . . um, sprouts.

Drivers here are getting a smile from a decorated plant sprouting from the concrete median of a four-lane highway. An anonymous elf has been adding decorations for weeks to the 5-foot, uncultivated plant--conveniently shaped like a Christmas tree.

“I’ve no idea who did it, but it’s a lot of fun,” said Kelly West, who passes the plant on her daily commute from Cerro Gordo.

The weed is now bedecked in red ribbons and tinsel, with brightly wrapped gifts--bricks, actually--underneath. A silver star even hangs upon the highest bough.

Residents say the first ornament, a garland, arrived around Thanksgiving, and other decorations soon followed.