life in the Nacre Desert

a big, green round spot in the desert. large gray-green thick leaves gathered in fern-like shapes, growing on a pretty flat area. these are the leaves of a single tree. they were there before the desert arrived, and they evolved as the sand was covering the land more and more for decades, centuries.

buried trees pump water from very deep groundwater sheets, and the leaves are the only parts that ever see the sunlight. if a desert storm bury its leaves, the tree then just grows longer branches until the leaves reach the surface again. the leaves last for four years before being replaced by new ones during winter when the day temperatures are lower.