The Desert Demon of the Namib

What comes to mind when you think of a desert? The Namib Desert has no cacti like the typical desert you might imagine. Picture yourself in a vast, endless desert where daytime temperatures soar to 50°C, and nights can plunge below 0°C. Moisture from the Atlantic Ocean drifts in as fog, and there, amidst the barren wasteland, you'll find a pile of living green leaves—thriving against all odds.

The genus Welwitschia is a lonely species. Scientists cannot pinpoint which species the desert demon is closely related to. Its nearest relatives are conifers and ginkgos, yet their genetic distance is even greater than that between humans and whales. It's said that the desert demon has survived since the age of dinosaurs. Fossil evidence of Welwitschia dates back 120 million years, and remarkably, those fossils look no different from the plants alive today. How has the desert demon endured for so long? Let's unravel this mystery together.

Its most distinctive feature is that it's a plant with only two leaves, sprouting from a central base. But calling them "leaves" in the conventional sense isn't quite accurate—their structure is fundamentally different. Describing them as nail-like would be more fitting. These leaves grow continuously from the base, indifferent to whatever weather conditions may come. They stretch endlessly until they pile up around the trunk. The portions destroyed by wind and animals accumulate at the base, forming a unique structure that traps moisture during the night remarkably well. This keeps the internal temperature of the plant stable while the outside world swings between 50°C and 0°C. Its deep-reaching roots anchor it firmly in the desert, allowing it to survive steadfastly for millions of years.

The desert demon is a dioecious plant. Male plants produce pollen in small cone-like structures, while females bear larger cones. The intermediary that helps with pollination is an insect known as the Welwitschia bug.

Care Guide

For those who have taken on the responsibility of caring for a desert demon, know this: Welwitschia thrives in extreme conditions. It needs hardship to grow. Everything you think you're doing out of love may actually kill it.

Watering, fertilizing, pruning leaves, or repotting—all are forbidden. What you can do in the early stages is water sparingly while it's still a seedling. Plant it in a deep pot with well-draining soil. It requires full sunlight throughout the day, dry air, and low humidity. Once your desert demon matures, you hardly need to worry about water—it can absorb moisture from the air on its own. You may simulate the Namib's climate by creating foggy conditions at night, but be careful not to overdo the humidity, or you'll invite fungal growth. The desert demon is an exceptionally slow grower—after 10 years, the combined length of its leaves may only reach 30 cm. This is not a plant for beginners. This is a plant beyond our modern understanding. You may need more than one lifetime to truly nurture a desert demon—a plant that has existed millions of years before us.