Desert flower seeds can stay dormant for decades waiting for a single rain
In the scorched landscape of Death Valley, wildflower seeds employ a high-stakes survival strategy by remaining dormant for decades until rare, heavy rainfall triggers a spectacular and brief desert transformation.
Death Valley is the hottest place on Earth, yet it supports over 2,000 plant species through a remarkable 'boom-bust' evolutionary strategy. Annual wildflowers like Desert Gold and Notch-leaf Phacelia leave their seeds in the soil's 'seed bank,' where they can wait for decades in a state of suspended animation.
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