How do plants grow without water?

During months without water under a harsh sun, they shrivel and contract until they look like a pile of dead gray foliage. But rainfall can revive them in a matter of hours. Her time-lapse videos of the revivals look like someone playing a tape of the plant’s demise in reverse. read more

However, you can grow a few plants that will survive without much water for long periods of time or during certain times of the year. Aloe, cactus, cast-iron, century, jade, ponytail, rubber tree, snake and southern yew plants still thrive and yield great results even for the forgetful houseplant owner. read more

Because the resulting plants wilted more quickly than control crops, though, they guessed that the gene also affected water retention. Sarah Assmann's lab at Penn State University found out how: plants lacking the gene didn't respond to a hormone, abscisic acid, that regulates the size of openings in leaves called stomatal pores. read more