But Australian deserts are very different. "People are surprised. Yes, it's called a desert. ... Plants and animals. All over Australia's arid zone, there are different plants, ...

Desert rose plant's toxic sap stuns Aussies Last week, Aussies were stunned after a Queensland nursery revealed the desert rose’s toxicity “amid howls of outrage” in a Facebook post.

Between 1982 and 2010, leaf cover on plants rose by 11 percent in arid areas, including the southwestern United States, Australia's Outback, the Middle East and some parts of Africa, the study found.

He proposes another theory: A toxic plant called euphorbia once grew where the fairy circles are now and killed beneficial microbes, which help grasses survive in the desert. He said the plant’s ...

'AZ Plant Lady' writes book on desert gardening with more than cactus and rocks. ... a desert-adapted native of Australia she planted there 23 years ago that normally grows as a shrub.