Merida72- here's my thought:
Pampas grass can have a huge roots system (rhizomes), so even though the grass is dead above ground, it doesn't mean the root system has disappeared. They can be very big, and multiply below ground, into a giant mass of heavy, hard to pull out roots. So, I'm thinking the rhizomes are what looks like the carrots.
Then, if the twirlie thing landed where the pampas grass had been growing, roots developed and they grew into the pampas grass rhizomes making it appear that a tree was growing from "carrots".
You also mentioned gophers in the yard. They probably love eating the rhizomes, so you've got a food source in the yard for them. They may have even killed the pampas grass. OR you think the pampas grass is dead, only because it's constantly being eaten by gophers.
Looking forward to the photo.
