
You are surrounded by widely spaced low shrubs called creosote bush. Plants such as creosote bush and cactus are desert "resistors". These plants are well adapted to the desert heat and aridity. What makes them different? What enables them to survive under such harsh conditions? Notice the creosote bush has small, smooth, waxy, leaves which help to prevent water loss. See how the plants are spaced to lessen competition from their neighbors. Most "resistors" have shallow roots to capture even the slightest rainfall. Cactus even store water in their fleshy stems and pads for use during times of little rain. Contrary to popular belief, trying to drink water from a cactus is not safe. Water from cactus is highly acidic and drinking it can cause severe diarrhea and vomiting, leading you to become even more dehydrated.
Is there something we missed for this itinerary?
Itineraries across USA

Acadia

Arches National Park

Badlands

Big Bend

Biscayne

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison

Bryce Canyon

Canyonlands

Capitol Reef

Carlsbad Caverns

Channel Islands

Congaree

Crater Lake

Cuyahoga Valley

Death Valley

Dry Tortugas

Everglades

Gateway Arch

Glacier

Grand Canyon

Grand Teton

Great Basin

Great Smoky Mountains

Guadalupe Mountains

Haleakalā

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes

Hot Springs

Indiana Dunes

Isle Royale

Joshua Tree

Kenai Fjords

Kobuk Valley

Lassen Volcanic

Mammoth Cave

Mesa Verde

Mount Rainier

North Cascades

Olympic

Petrified Forest

Pinnacles

Rocky Mountain

Saguaro

Shenandoah

Theodore Roosevelt

Virgin Islands

Voyageurs

White Sands

Wind Cave

Yellowstone

Yosemite

Zion