Gobi Desert

The Gobi Desert is a colder desert than most. This means that the plants have to be able to make it
through the colder and warmer seasons. Despite this the Gobi has lots of plant life. The saxaul tree
grows to about six to twelve feet and has a heavy, coarse, and crooked trunk and branches. The saxaul
tree is very important to many animals and people that live there in the Gobi desert by providing them
with water. There are two ways that you can acquire this water. You can gather water in the reserves
behind the trees bark or you could squeeze the bark for extra water. This tree also has long roots as one
of its adaptations. The roots are able to absorb the ground water. It also has smaller leaves, so that it
can minimize the amount of moisture loss due to evaporation. Another plant thats in the Gobi is wild
onions. This is vegetation that supplies many animals and humans with food. Many people describe the
taste as a distinct hazelnut flavor. This is also a perennial that grows during June and July. There is also a
variety of shrubs that grow there. Two of them are called convolvulus and tamarix. These two plants can
survive in the regions extreme temperatures and low rainfall. They also add little bit of color to the
scenery. Tamarix is commonly found by the riverbanks in the Gobi. It can grow up to about 4 meters and
grows in a dense group. This shrub blooms in the early summer to the beginning of fall, after it blossoms
to create a small white or pink flower. Tamarix is also tolerant to salt which means its main habitats are
located in the salt desert region of the Gobi. Along with the perennials tamarix and wild onion there are
wild leek elm, and allium. These plants sprout only after rain, last for a few days, and then wither away
and die. Unfortunately, these plants dont have the adaptation to survive any longer without water.
Another plant that is unique to the salt desert is saltwort which is also extremely tolerant to salt. This
makes it ideal to grow in one of the least vegetative are of the desert because of the high salt content.
Another plant thats in the Gobi is hair moss which is also known as black moss, hair weed, or fat choy. It
is used as a vegetable in Chinese food and is also very expensive there as well. The reason is the Chinese
government limits the amount of it that can be harvested since it helps prevent dust storms. Overall
despite the fact that the climate in the Gobi makes it difficult for plants to grow, plants there still find a
way to make living there possible giving us a very unique and colorful desert.