Athel tamarisk (Tamarix aphylla) is a shrub that thrives in salty deserts across the Middle East and other regions. A study has discovered that it tolerates such hostile environments using a hydration trick – it “sweats” concentrated salty water from glands on its leaf surfaces, leaving behind a crust of salt crystals. The crystals not only remove toxic salt waste, they also help the plant absorb moisture.
The crystals can contain more than 10 types of salt, and many of the crystals simply fall off. But at least one of the salts, lithium sulphate, forms crystals that remain stuck on the leaves, and timelapse video reveals a surprise – the crystals are exceptionally good at swelling with water at night. That moisture is absorbed by the leaves, helped by an adhesive surface that holds on to the water.
This ingenious natural way of harvesting water in arid conditions could inspire environmentally friendly methods of collecting water artificially from the air to help tackle water scarcity without using much energy. It may also improve cloud seeding to help produce rain.
