The Heat Continues, and the Water Does Not

In the past week lower Michigan was finally blessed with some deep, soaking rains that persisted for several hours on separate occasions.  The problem is, this was not nearly enough to keep us out of some rather dry conditions.  Other places have been hit far worse, and the wildfire season is out of control as an abundance of dry fuel is turning parts of the Rockies, Utah, and California into hell on earth.  The continent already is a rather dry place, even in our wettest locations, and the life here has adapted somewhat to droughts which are never far around the corner.  Our deserts, for instance, are some truly amazing places that see some of the hottest temperatures on the planet, as well as some of the least precipitation, and yet are often abundantly full of life that makes the best of the situation.

Some of the desert dwellers, in fact, are studies in extremes themselves.  Take the California Fan Palm (Washingtonia Filifera), for instance, which is only found in the deserts, and then only at areas where they are rooted in wet soils owing to a small rising of groundwater along fault lines that creates small oases.

Taken at the Oasis of Mara, Twentynine Palms, California.

Yes, that is indeed standing water in the middle of those palms, right in the middle of an otherwise bone dry desert.  The palms grow because of it, and they also help shade the water from otherwise evaporating as soon as it hits the surface.  Further east, we have wonderful things like prairie fens that have similar water loving species that can take full exposure to the sun and summer heat without much in the way of regular rainfall.  I have to admit, this post was inspired by the triple digits we experienced here today, and looking out at a parched lawn that looks far less impressive than a fen or oasis and has grass on it that was probably not meant for this part of the world, 40 inches of regular precipitation or not.  This is yet another reason for those of who live here to go native and plant more trees and other things that do belong here.