Within the small patches of bare rock atop this mountain shoulder, unassuming yet remarkable examples of resilience thrive. Known as resurrection plants, these organisms exhibit vegetative desiccation tolerance, the ability to survive long, severe droughts, and restore tissue and resume growth upon rehydration. By uncovering the traits and mechanisms that confer drought resilience, we can better understand how to manage arid lands and predict species responses to climate change. But in studying any single, small organism, we risk losing sight of the bigger picture. We cannot fully understand resurrection plant strategies without also uncovering how their environmental conditions and genetics shape their response. This photo shows our recent field season in South Africa to understand how resurrection plant assemblages, their physiology, and local environmental conditions change across an aridity gradient. Found on mesic mesas and in dry lowlands, these plants prove a powerful example of resilience in the face of our perilous future.