Some plants are able to survive droughts because of their unique structures. These structural features include the external armor of plants that protects them against water loss, as well as tools to help the plants absorb and store water. Drought-resistant plants can be specially adapted to live and survive in very dry environments. These plants often look quite different from plants living in areas where water is easily available. The drought-resistant plants normally have special "avoidance" (one of the defense adaptations!) features to make sure less water is lost to the environment or that more water gets absorbed and stored in the plant. Plants called desert succulents are a good example of plants that have drought avoidance strategies. Desert succulents have thick fleshy leaves, which often don't resemble leaves at all, and they have a thick waxy layer to prevent water loss. Desert succulents also have extensive root systems that search for water under the dry desert soil. Some succulents have specialized roots that form large bulb structures, which are actually underground water reservoirs for the plant. These plants can survive years of drought using the water stored in their bulbs.

License information: nan
MPAA: G
Go to source: https://kids.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/frym.2017.00058