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Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, USA
Scrappy little trees
Mountains fill the top half of our photo while dunes dominate the bottom, but it's those sand-rooted scrub trees that give both landforms their name. The Mesquite Mountains tower behind Mesquite Flat, a dune field in the US state of California that, despite its dryness, is home to hardy clusters of – you guessed it – mesquite trees. Believe it or not, humans have thrived in this tough environment too – Death Valley National Park is a traditional land of the Timbisha Shoshone, who once relied on mesquite bean pods as a winter foodstuff.
Scrappy little trees
Mountains fill the top half of our photo while dunes dominate the bottom, but it's those sand-rooted scrub trees that give both landforms their name. The Mesquite Mountains tower behind Mesquite Flat, a dune field in the US state of California that, despite its dryness, is home to hardy clusters of – you guessed it – mesquite trees. Believe it or not, humans have thrived in this tough environment too – Death Valley National Park is a traditional land of the Timbisha Shoshone, who once relied on mesquite bean pods as a winter foodstuff.
This environment may look desolate, but it's supported resourceful humans and hardy wildlife for millennia.
© Mimi Ditchie Photography / Moment / Getty Images 2026-09-11 08:45:51 :