Desert Plants
Ever wonder how desert plants survive in such a harsh environment? It seems a near impossibility for anything to survive in an area with such hot and dry conditions during the day, sometimes freezing cold conditions at night, with salty soil and animal life in search of every drop of moisture they can get. But to live, the flora in these wastelands have developed a number of physical characteristics as well as behavioral practices that are simply amazing.
Take the Saguaro Cactus for example. These types of desert plants in general, the cacti, adapt in a number of general ways. Instead of the wide leaves their wet area brethren sport, cactus have thin needles to minimize water evaporation. Also, they generally have very thick trunks or stems that often appear to be bloated. This allows them to store moisture far from the surface, again protecting it from evaporation. But the Saguaro has two additional features. First, it begins life in the shade of a "nurse" tree or shrub, to protect it from the sun. Like people, then, it looks for the shade. It also grows very slowly, perhaps an inch each year, to a total of 15 feet high or more. Slow growth in the shade of a protector ensures the Saguaro will reach maturity, when it is more likely to withstand the vigors of desert living.
Many desert plants share standard adaptations. Xerophytes, such as the cacti and specifically the Saguaro Cactus, have the needles instead of leaves and share other methods of gathering and storing water. Phreatophytes are another type of plant that has adapted. They gather water with deep roots that reach all the way down to the water table. Two other general adaptations are important.
Many plants in the desert are perennials, that is plants that live for a number of years. These make it in the harsh climate by remaining dormant during the hottest and driest part of the year. They spring into action when water is available. By continuing this cycle they maintain long, healthy lives.
Another category of desert plants are the annuals, which live for only a season. Unlike the perennials whose strategy is to stick around for a long time, the annuals only bloom when conditions are right. Their lives are short, then, during these arid periods when they germinate and spread their seeds for the next generation.
The floor of the desert, in many areas, is thin with plant life. But with all of the specialized features and characteristics, the subject of desert plants is very thick.