8 desert plants

When you live in an area where temperatures are very high and where the rains only fall a few days a year, and not always in notable quantities, the fight for survival is undoubtedly much more complicated than in any other part of the world ( Except, yes, the poles, where the cold is extreme). The diversity of plants in the desert is considerably less than that in tropical rainforests, but no less interesting for that.

In fact, today we find these types of plant beings in gardens, patios, balconies and terraces of the temperate and warm regions of the world. Why? Because, while it is true that there are some that are delicate, it is also true that there are a large number of plants that brighten our day because of how easy they are to maintain healthy. And these are just some of them.

Acacia

Many are the acacia species that live in the most arid regions of the planet. One of the most popular is acacia tortilis, known as the flat-topped acacia, or the Acacia gerardii being both originally from Africa. Under the shade provided by these trees, various animals gather to rest.

They can reach heights of up to 15 meters, with an open crown, often parasolate, composed of bipinnate leaves. The flowers are grouped in spike inflorescences and are yellow. The fruit is a legume which contains dark brown seeds.

Agave

The gender of agave, called maguey in their places of origin, it is diversified in the arid region that goes from the south of the United States to Mexico. They form a basal rosette of thick, fleshy leaves, often spiny, with colors ranging from greenish to bluish, and sometimes even variegated.

Most reach sizes of about 70-80 centimeters in height by about 40-50 centimeters in diameter.. They flower only once, producing a very, very tall flower stalk or scape, sometimes three times the height of the plant, and with white flowers. But, despite the fact that they produce seeds, the easiest way to multiply the maguey is by separating some of the numerous suckers that sprout from the mother plant when it dries up.

California poppy

La California poppy, whose scientific name is Eschscholzia californica, is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant native to California (United States) and Baja California (Mexico). Reaches a height of between 30 and 60 centimeters, and develops pinnatisect green leaves.

Its flowers bloom in spring, and are yellow or orange. The fruit is a capsule of up to 10 centimeters, which contains a large amount of seeds. In countries like Spain it has become so well naturalized that is considered invasive especially in the two archipelagos: Balearic and Canary Islands.

Date

La date palm, whose scientific name is Phoenix dactyliferaIt is one of the few species of palm trees that we will find in a desert. This particular species lives in the Fertile Crescent, which stretches from Egypt to Mesopotamia. Due to its great adaptive power, it grows without problems throughout the North and the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, receiving little water per year.

Reaches a maximum height of 23 meters, with one or more relatively thin trunks of up to 35 centimeters. Its leaves are pinnate, bluish-green in color, and it produces oval-cylindrical fruits of between 3 and 7 centimeters, edible.

Pimple

El pimple, whose scientific name is Parkinsonia aculeata, is a spiny deciduous or semi-deciduous tree native to the southwestern United States, passing through Mexico and into Argentina. Reaches a height of up to 10 meters, with a trunk that cracks over time. The leaves are bipinnate, green in color.

The flowers are yellow and are grouped in rounded inflorescences. The fruit is a woody legume about 10 centimeters long that contains oblong-quadrangular seeds, and brown in color. It is considered an invasive species in tropical Africa, Australia, and some islands in the Pacific.

Lithops or Living stones

The Lithops are non-cacti succulent or succulent plants native to the Namib desert, on the west coast of southern (southern) Africa. They are popularly known as living stones or stone plant since they blend in with the real stones of the area, thus going unnoticed. This strategy helps them avoid being eaten by animals; they are seldom discovered.

They are characterized by having only two fleshy, coupled leaves, which are divided by a fissure from which two new leaves will emerge as the others dry, as well as the flowers in autumn. These flowers resemble daisies, and can be white or yellow. The adult size is about 5 centimeters high by 3-4 centimeters wide.

Saguaro

El saguaros, whose scientific name is The giant carnage, is the typical columnar cactus that reigns in the Sonoran Desert, in North America. Reaches a height of up to 18 meters, developing a columnar stem up to 65 centimeters in diameter. It tends to branch out at the top as it ages, and is well armed with twelve radial spines and another 3-6 central spines up to 7 centimeters long.

Its flowers are white, measure about 12 centimeters in diameter and sprout at night, only in adult specimens, since its pollinators have nocturnal habits. The fruits are red and edible, and finish maturing in summer, when bats in the region, such as the bale agoutiThey take the opportunity to quench their thirst with them.

yucca rostrata

La yucca rostrata It is a plant native to the Chihuahuan Desert, in northeastern Mexico. Reaches a height of 4,5-5 meters, with a solitary trunk about 30 centimeters thick. Its leaves grow in a symmetrical rosette, and are triangular, sharp (they can do some damage when touched), and bluish in color.

During late summer and autumn white flowers sprout that are grouped in more or less dense inflorescences, and shortly afterwards the seeds full of fruits are formed.

Do you know other plants of the desert?