Desert Scrub

Many plants are able to survive in a desert; indeed, very few areas on Earth have no life at all. Desert plants have adaptations to live in the heat with little water. They are short and grow far apart from each other, so the roots of each plant can collect and store water. Many bushes grow and flower rapidly after a rain shower. Some plants are deciduous during the dry season; others have leaves that remain but are adapted to minimize loss of water. Plants called succulents, which have thick bark, swollen stems, and fat leaves to store water, do well in this harsh environment. Other plants have spines (modified leaves) and green stems to manufacture nutrients. Oases occur where underground water comes close to the ground surface. The vegetation is more lush here, and oases are very attractive to wildlife.