This mini adventure will take you through the Rock Garden and Winter Garden to seek out plants with interesting adaptations needed to survive extreme conditions like hot dry deserts or freezing mountain slopes. In the wild, some of these plants grow in places where it might be tricky to get enough water or hold on to it.
Look closely at the highlighted plants along the way and read about how they find or conserve water when it is scarce. Is it their leaf shape or texture that help them survive the elements? Maybe they have specialised roots to mop up available water or reach it far below the surface? You’ll spot plants that have adapted for a diverse array of conditions, which can be fun to imagine along the way.
What would help a plant conserve water if it was constantly buffeted by strong wind? How would a plant absorb water if it lived high up in a tree and had no roots of its own at all? You can learn these things as you go!
As you find plants on the activity map, collect clues to spell a ‘‘mystery word’’, in exchange for a small prize. Come along to our Information Centre to get your map and learn more. This activity will run daily from today until April 19, from 10.30am to 3.30pm.
- Kat Lord, Dunedin Botanic Garden ranger
