In the desert, many plants have developed interesting ways to survive the arid conditions. In some areas, dew is the only water that will reach ground level for most of the year and some plants make use of this source, often storing the water in succulent leaves.

Other plants produce seeds that are able to survive long periods of drought and germinate only after sufficient rain. Some protect their seeds with older plant material and release them only after rain. Subsequently, these plants develop quickly. Their life cycles last only a few weeks and during this time they’ll have to produce new seeds that will lie dormant until the next rain.

Some 80 per cent of all plant species in the UAE appear to be winter annuals, having adjusted to a life cycle that takes advantage of the winter rain. Some of the perennial plants also depend on the relatively reliable rainfall.

No one knew the plants’ life cycles better than the nomadic Bedouin. For example, after the autumn rain or wasmi, they’d look tor the desert truffle, faqa’a, that starts growing in the desert.