This Desert Plant in Death Valley Can Air-Condition Its Own Leaves

The Death Valley native Tidestromia oblongifolia can keep its leaves more than 10 C cooler than the surrounding air during extreme heat.

In 60 C experiments, survival varied by genetic line, and genome-wide analysis identified DNA regions linked to heat survival.

Researchers found that leaf cooling depends on stomata staying open, which drives evaporative cooling.

The findings help explain how a complex plant survives near the upper limit for multicellular life and may inform crop heat resilience.