desert plants
The natural world is so magnificent that even in the most adverse situations, plants are able to develop mechanisms to survive. This is the case with desert plants , which, to stay alive, have had to be bold and adapt to their environment. This is because they have become experts at not succumbing to the onslaught of unbearable heat, long and desperate droughts, and sporadic rains.
Despite the common misconception that desert soils are infertile and unable to support flora , or that fauna is impossible, this is not the case. The only truth is that the diverse plant and animal life found in deserts has been forced to adapt. This adaptation is solely due to the extreme climatic conditions, which are extremely harsh.
It's worth noting that deserts are present on all continents, except for Europe, where they are found in small numbers. On the other hand, the largest desert in the world is the Sahara Desert, on the African continent. A desert is any territory where the amount of rainfall falls below 25 centimeters per year. However, the total surface area covered by deserts represents one-fifth of the world's surface.
Regarding human life in these places, one-sixth of the world's population lives in areas where these limitations exist. These locations also vary, because not only is extreme heat the cause, but there are also areas where excessive cold develops, as is the case in the Gobi Desert in Asia.
How do desert plants survive?
Each of these plants has its own unique mechanism and ability. It's also common to develop roots that are much longer than the usual roots of the kingdom. This allows them to grow deeper into the substrate to reach the water they need to survive, along with essential nutrients and minerals.
On the other hand, there are desert plants that are able to conserve and/or store water through their special structures, known as succulent plants. There are also annuals, whose entire life cycle takes place over twelve months, reappearing once the cycle is complete to repeat itself.
Perennials are also common, with a lifespan of more than two years. They have the unique ability to become dormant if conditions require it. This mechanism doesn't allow them to die, but rather allows them to become active again after a strong or extreme season.
Unlike the aforementioned strategies of some of the many desert plants, there are others that do not store water and do not become inactive. Therefore, they are simply capable of withstanding the effects of stress and still survive. This makes it possible to appreciate that the longevity of these plants is longer than one might imagine. This appreciation is reinforced by the fact that some desert plants can even live for hundreds of years.
Human influence on the spread of desert plants
Since ancient times, human impact has been able to generate changes in all aspects of Planet Earth, and this has certainly been reflected in the flora. Proof of this is that desert plants can be cultivated in other places, beautifying gardens or any area in need of vegetation.
Their main advantage lies in their low maintenance requirements and infrequent watering. This is because these plants offer significant flexibility and low maintenance requirements, making them easy to grow even in recreational or common areas.
Today, a significant diversity of desert plants has achieved large-scale integration, where their breadth of species is part of the attraction. It's important to note that just as there are plants resistant to high and harsh temperatures, there are also those that can withstand very low temperatures.
An example of this is the fact that they can even be kept at -25°C. This furthermore makes them easy to manage in different territories, with those grown in Europe being a good example.
Benefits of expanding desert plants to gardens around the world
Spreading the diversity of existing desert plants to different gardens around the globe brings undeniable benefits, some of which are the following:
- Participation in cooperation to protect biological diversity is essential in the sense that it helps preserve species. In this way, those in danger of extinction are able to survive.
- They do not pose any danger due to their high adaptability to different climates.
- They have a low maintenance requirement, so they are ideal for growing and beautifying any area.
- They require occasional or very spaced watering, which means they help preserve the vital liquid wherever they grow.
- They are capable of capturing or conquering the interest of insects, such as normal bees, since the flowers that some produce are good food for them.
- They are particularly beautiful, not only because of their attractiveness and unusualness, but also because of the showy flowers many of them produce. It's worth noting that their flowers have the ability to remain on the plant without wilting for up to five months, throughout the spring and summer seasons.
Curiosities of these plants
The lives of desert plants fill anyone who observes them with intrigue and interest, for they are shrouded in a mystery of survival. This arises from their need to conserve or obtain water, which is extremely scarce. These circumstances give them certain unique characteristics that make them both original and attractive to cultivate.
Some of the many desert plant species possess and develop over the course of their evolution a waxy coating, either along their leaves or on their stems. This coating can cover them, allowing them to significantly reduce water loss in sunlight and high temperatures.
On the other hand, there are those that have numerous silver-colored "hairs" that are capable of reflecting the rays emitted by the King Star, also reducing the incidence that it induces.
There are also desert plants whose stomata, the very small openings through which the plant transpires, are located deep within the soil. This allows for minimal water loss through evaporation. However, apart from the above, there are those whose cleverness lies in dropping their leaves.
Characteristics of desert plants
The main characteristics that identify the diversity of desert plants are:
- They are capable of living granting the greatest water savings, allowing the correct management of the vital liquid where they are grown.
- desert plants Those classified as perennials are those that have a longevity of more than two years. For these, when the climatic impact is difficult for them to bear, they become dormant and remain dormant until the weather passes. Therefore, they don't die, and their seeds and the rest of the process are activated to continue only at the right time. Furthermore, they are so clever that they can protect themselves from the sun's rays and still receive the necessary water.
- Some have the capacity to allow their roots to develop very extensively, so much so that they can reach considerable depths to absorb water, mineral salts, and nutrients.
- Those classified as annual desert plants complete their entire life cycle within a single year, with a new plant possibly appearing after the previous one has finished. This means that one cycle ends and another begins without interruption, thus creating continuity between the end and the beginning.
- Many are Succulents or succulents, this means that they have the ability to store water, for example, in their stem, leaves, among others.
- Apart from the normal differences, referred to the sustenance before the climatic incidence, there are many other desert plants, with the singularity of developing protection mechanisms such as the well-known thorns.
Best Desert Plants to Grow in Gardens
Knowing which plants grow in the desert and their characteristics is essential, not only for the knowledge it provides. Its fundamental and implicit reason is that it makes it possible to transplant them to gardens around the world. It goes without saying that they must be given proper care, allowing for their preservation without harm or deterioration. In this regard, the best desert plants that can be cultivated in different gardens are described below:
Zacate
It is a desert plant , scientifically known as "Nolina bigelovii," and is native to North America. Its biological classification places it as a plant with a rhizome, or underground stem, and horizontal growth. It belongs to the Asparagaceae family, specifically the Asparagales order.
Its common habitat is desert-like areas, as well as rocky slopes. The latter are elevations or slopes of the terrain, whose slope between rocks is what gives it its name.
It grows to a height of between one and two and a half meters. It flowers in early spring, and is whitish to creamy in color. Its fruit is shaped like a capsule, while its seeds are longer than they are wide, ovoid in appearance, and grayish in color.
It has woody rosettes, each of which is said to contain a number ranging from 34 to 160 leaves. These leaves have a distinctly spoon-shaped base and are also inflexible, with their laminar organ described as spear-like.
Agave or maguey
This plant is also known as "Agave americana," "pita," "mezcal," "cabuya," or "fique" and is a member of the Asparagaceae family. It has over 300 species, all of which develop in a rosette-like formation. The leaves develop at the base of the plant, spreading and elongating into a distinctive spike-like shape.
These plants have spines along their sides, which help them capture water from the morning dew. It's worth noting that this is one of the desert plants native to the arid regions of northern Mexico, the southern United States, Colombia, and other areas.
It is conjectured that the genus of this particular plant begins with respect to its variation of species approximately twelve million years ago. It is capable of developing a height that ranges from eighty centimeters, while its diameter can be up to fifty centimeters.
It's worth noting that this plant must be exposed to sunlight and grow in a highly permeable, clayey substrate. Another important factor is that it must be rich in derivatives of the igneous rock basalt and also contain the chemical element iron.
Its whitish inflorescence bears only once and can reach a height three times the plant's height. The plant dies after developing the fruit.
Additionally, many of its varied species are raw material in the preparation of:
- Sweeteners
- Paper
- Beams
- leaf fibers
- Spirits (drinks)
- Musical instruments
- Roof tiles
- Needles
- Nails
- Fermented drinks
alkali gold
This plant, scientifically named "Isocoma acradenia," is classified as a "Spermatophyta" (spermatophytes or flowering plants). Its family is "Asteraceae," which describes angiosperms, which are the common inflorescences.
Its habitat is found in arid areas and even in sandy soils, whose mineral composition is alkaline and also contains gypsum. This is one of the distinctive desert plants , native to the southwestern United States, the state of California, and the state of Baja California.
It appears as what is called a subshrub, which means that only in its lower part of the woody stem does a characteristic between grass and shrub appear. This is dense and is capable of developing heights that range by the meter. Its stems are erect, whitish to yellowish in color, which turns yellow to gray over time.
At the top of the plant, the inflorescence develops, clustered and yellow. Its fruit is dry, with a single seed, the pericarp of which is not attached, which splits open naturally to release the seed. Remember that the pericarp is the outer area of the fruit that also covers the seed.
Saguaro
This plant, also known as "Sahuaro," with the scientific name "Carnegiea gigantea," is the exclusive and only species of the Carnegiea genus. It is native to the Gila Desert, also known as the Sonoran Desert, located in North America, occupying territory in both the United States of America and Mexico. It can withstand temperatures as low as -9°C, while the maximum is 50°C.
This desert plant species is among the tallest cacti, and its initial growth and development are remarkably slow. As evidence of this, it barely grows one meter in its first twenty-five years.
It has an estimated longevity of two hundred years, during which time it can eventually grow to over eighteen meters in height. Its branches develop after reaching a height of two or three meters from the substrate, where the number of branches varies widely, even absent. This aspect is limited by the prevailing climate in the area.
It's important to note that the more humid the area where the tree is located, the more branches will develop on its trunk. In this sense, the absence of these branches is possible, which corresponds to the response to being in places with an arid environment.
Its trunk can reach a diameter of seventy-five centimeters, and it is used in housing construction. The whitish flowers bloom in the months of May and June, opening in the late afternoon, lasting only twenty-four hours. Its ovoid, glossy red fruits spontaneously release seeds.
Date
This unique plant, also known as "Támara," "Palma," "Fénix," and other names, is one of the few species that can thrive in certain desert areas. It's not common to see a date palm in these regions. Its scientific name is "Phoenix dactylifera," and it has the remarkable ability to withstand droughts and the resulting scarcity of water.
Its geographical location extends from Egypt to Mesopotamia. It produces a highly prized edible fruit called "date," a berry that means fleshy or fibrous fruit. It is a dioecious plant, meaning that there are both males and females.
The best time to be planted is when spring begins, until mid-summer. Its multiplication can be given, either, by means of seeds, by suckers or by in vitro propagation.
It's worth noting that this desert plant has a wide variety of uses. Its fruit is edible, and its fronds can be used to create everything from hats and baskets to mats and fans. Furthermore, its leaf sheaths are used for their fragrance, and the wood from its trunk is used in construction and as fuel. These are just a few of the many diverse uses this unique plant finds in the different regions it inhabits.
Lithops or Living stones
This unique plant, also known as the "Stone Plant" or "Stone Cactus," has the scientific name "Lithops spp." It is native to Africa, specifically the Namib Desert. Its name is attributed to its impressive ability to take on the appearance of stones, often imperceptibly blending in with the rest of its surroundings.
The reason these desert plants have to develop this clever strategy is that various animal species choose to eat them, thus avoiding detection. They have only two leaves, which are fused together and completely fleshy. In the middle of each leaf is a fissure, through which the next two leaves sprout, emerging only after the previous ones die and dry out.
From this middle part, its flowers also sprout, which bear a striking resemblance to the so-called "daisies." They can be either whitish or yellow in color, and also have a distinctive and pleasant aroma.
Stonecrop requires sunlight to thrive. Furthermore, when transplanted or cultivated, it is common for it to be planted even in areas with less direct sunlight, adapting easily. It flowers during the summer and winter seasons. Its growth, after propagation by germinated seeds, develops during the spring.
This plant is characterized by its extremely slow growth, reaching a height of twenty centimeters in an average of ten years. It can tolerate temperatures between 8°C and 45°C.
joshua tree
This unique desert tree , scientifically known as "Yucca brevifolia," is found in both the California and Arizona deserts. It is characterized by its slow growth rate and an estimated lifespan of two hundred years. Its leaves have a pointed, succulent appearance, which allows them to capture and retain water.
It can grow to over ten meters in height and can reproduce by both seeds and rhizomes. Remember that the rhizome is the stem found underground in the substrate, which has several buds that develop horizontally. These buds have the ability to generate roots and, along with these, normal shoots.
It's worth noting that this is one of the desert plants that exhibits a fairly slow development and growth. Its growth rate is as low as one or perhaps even two centimeters over the course of twelve months. It blooms with a whitish and yellowish coloration during the spring months. This means it begins in February and lasts until April, depending exclusively on rainfall and the duration of its duration.
During the flowering process, the Joshua tree inhibits the growth of new branches until it later resumes them. Additionally, its flowers are pollinated by nocturnal butterflies.
pitayita
This particular member of the desert plant community , scientifically known as *Mammillaria dioica*, belongs to the *Cactaceae* family. This means it is a cactus and also possesses numerous spines. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is listed as "Vulnerable" on its Red List. This makes it a threatened species, so cultivating it helps to ensure its survival.
As a plant native to the western Gila Desert or Sonoran Desert, it is common to find it naturally in various rocky riverbeds. It prefers to grow at altitudes of over 1,500 meters above sea level.
During its development, it can grow more than one trunk, which also gives it the name stem, and whose average height is around twenty centimeters. These can also reach a height of thirty centimeters individually.
Its inflorescence, made during the spring season, has a whitish to yellowish hue. These can be given only to the female gender, as well as to both genders. The organ that it provides from the flower, which is the fruit, has a bright reddish hue and occurs during the summer season.
water barrel
Also known as the "barrel cactus," its scientific name is Ferocactus wislizenii. It is a species in the Cactaceae family, named for its distinctive appearance. Native to the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, it is one of the most widespread desert plants in the world. This is evidenced by its presence in a variety of gardens, making it well-known, admired, and highly sought after.
In its natural environment of characteristic desert, it is common to get it where there are rocks and sand. That is, when the altitudes are in the range of three hundred and sixteen hundred meters above sea level. It is not able to withstand low temperatures. Their longevity ranges from fifty to one hundred and thirty years.
The development and growth of this unique plant is rounded, in which, internally, it is capable of storing all the water that can be imagined. On the other hand, the number of thorns that can be seen are its leaves and they have the virtue of contributing to the least possible normal outflow of water from the plant.
Its flowering has various shades, the most common being yellow, orange and pink. These grow and open in the upper part of the plant, which is flattened, growing either in groups, with up to three flowers together, or alone.
This plant reproduces solely through its seeds, which are dispersed by birds and various rodents. Germination will not occur if the seed is in darkness, and its ideal temperature ranges from 20°C to 30°C. This plant can produce approximately thirty thousand seeds in a single year.
white peach
Also identified with the names of "Red Duraznillo", "White Nopal", "Yellow Xoconostle", or "Chaveño Nopal", it has the scientific name "Opuntia leucotricha". It is characterized by being a "Spermatophyta" or spermatophyte species, also called phanerogams. These are the ones that make up the genus or class of vascular plants that in their development come to generate seeds and also belong to the “Cactaceae” family.
This desert plant species is native to Mexico. Records show that it is commonly cultivated in Bermuda. It is also naturalized in the state of Florida, USA. Its preferred altitudes are between 1,600 and 2,300 meters above sea level.
In its development and growth it can reach heights that are normally in the range of one hundred and eighty centimeters to five hundred centimeters. On the other hand, its crown shows a narrow prolongation or amplitude.
The small trunk is colored grayish-brown, with a scaly texture. At the young stage, the entire trunk is protected and covered with a large number of long, whitish hairs.
Its flowers are greenish-yellow with light red markings, and its fruit is obovate. This term means "egg-shaped," with the widest part at the tip, or apex, resembling a large drop or teardrop.
Governor
This particular plant, also identified by the name of “Creosote Shrub”, has the scientific name of “Larrea tridentata”. Its name is given to it after showing a behavior in which it represses and inhibits other nearby plants from developing, without leaving aside its unpleasant aroma. It is normally found in the deserts of North America, as far north as the Chihuahuan desert.
This member of the desert plant family is classified as an evergreen shrub, meaning it retains its foliage year-round. It grows to a height of up to three meters, and its inflorescence is a striking yellow. It is widely used to treat ailments such as:
- Tuberculosis
- sexually transmitted infections
- Chickenpox
- snake bite
