Desert survivors

When dry, resurrection plants close down and curl up to preserve moisture. After rain, the leaves unfurl in a matter of hours.

Dried plant

Spiny leaves with sharp tips can grow up to 5 ft (1.5 m) in length.

Shiny, triangular leaves are arranged in a rosette.

The high, thorny branches can be eaten only by giraffes, with their muscular tongues.

The dense cushions of leaves of this poisonous plant trap water inside.

The echeveria plant and the Queen Victoria agave retain water by trapping it inside their fleshy leaves. Their leaves also have a waxy surface that reflects the sun’s rays and keeps the plant cool. The resurrection plant can lose more than 95 percent of its weight during dry periods, shriveling into a dry ball. It can survive

Bitter fruits contain fatty seeds used to make oils and biofuels.

These white patterns mark where growing leaves pushed against each other. The fleshy stem makes food for the plant by photosynthesis.

by law, baseball plants nearly went extinct due to overcollecting.

The young leaves of this tree are eaten and sometimes used as medicine in Ethiopia.

Pebblelike leaves camouflage this plant in rocky deserts.

like this for several years but quickly comes back to life when rain soaks its leaves. Like cacti, the baseball plant, living stone, and African moringa store water in their stems. Plants are fairly uncommon in deserts and semideserts, so many predators eye them hungrily. The camel thorn and century plant defend themselves using sharp thorns or spines, while others, including the llareta, protect themselves with poison.