Plants of the Desert
1A desert is a very dry place. Only a little rain falls there. Even so, some plants can live in a desert.
2A cactus is one plant that can survive, or stay alive, in the desert. Its thick stem stores water, the way a sponge holds water inside. After it rains, the cactus soaks up water and saves it for the dry days.
3Many cactus plants have sharp spines. The spines are like tiny needles. They keep hungry animals from eating the cactus.
4The roots of many cactus plants are shallow. This means they do not go deep into the ground. They spread out wide near the top of the soil, so they can catch rain quickly.