Cactus

desert · plants · survival

Spines are leaves. Most cacti don't have normal leaves. Their spines are actually highly changed leaves that defend the plant and help trap moisture and shade.

Built-in water bottles. Cacti are succulents, meaning their thick, fleshy stems store water so they can survive long dry spells.

Stems do the work. Since cacti usually have no true leaves, their swollen green stems carry out photosynthesis to make food from sunlight.

Toughest neighborhood. Cacti can grow in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, and range from Canada all the way to Patagonia.

American originals. Cacti are native to the Americas, with about 1,750 known species. Only one kind also grows naturally in Africa and Sri Lanka.