Natural History Wanderings

In Death Valley, which boasts the record for the hottest temperature on the planet at 134°F, one native species is loving the blistering weather.

Tested by the valley’s extreme summertime heat, the flowering shrub Arizona honeysweet (Tidestromia oblongifolia) thrives. The humble-looking, seafoam green plant considers 113°F optimal for photosynthesis — the highest known temperature tolerance of any major crop species, according to new research.

Read more Scientists make major find in Calif.’s Death Valley National Park