Out on sea the temperature is balmy, but on land it’s a different matter. Close to noon, it must have been close to 40 celsius here on the slopes down to the brine water of Darwin’s Lake – scorchingly hot, despite a partly cloudy sky.

Without frequent rain, the water will quickly evaporate and thus the different species of plants have developed a range of strategies to survive the dry season.

The Palo Santo simply drops the leaves – just like the deciduous forests of Europe. The difference being sub-zero temperatures and little daylight and hot weather and no water.

It’s interesting to see how evenly they are distributed.

Native range is Mexico to Venezuela and Peru.

Last Updated on 7 April, 2023 by morten