Sep 27 2019
These prototypical "cushion plants" are extreme alpine specialists. Short and dense branching produce a ground-hugging dome shape which reduces exposure to wind while maximizing leaf surface area for photosynthesis. Inside their outer shells is an insulated microclimate which is significantly warmer and more hospitable than the outside air only inches away. These adaptations allow cushion plants to survive where few species can but growth is extremely slow, occurring almost imperceptibly while conditions are ideal.
Sometimes many years of development and stockpiling resources are required for a single individual to produce flowers and reproduce by seed for the first time, and it may take 25 years to reach a diameter of only 7 inches. While extreme weather and cold favors this gradual approach, warmer conditions due to Climate Change are expected to favor faster-growing species nearer to mountain summits where these alpine specialists currently reside.
