The small creosote bush leaves are coated with a resin so that they lose little moisture to the air. These combined strategies make creosote bush the most prevalent shrub in the park and enable it to prosper in all North American deserts. Creosote bushes that grow along a road tap pavement runoff and may grow twice as tall as those one row back from the road. The chief indicator plant of the Chihuahuan Desert is lechuguilla, appearing as a clump of dagger blades protruding from the desert floor. The coarse, strong fibers of the lechuguilla are used in matting ropes, bags, and household items, which are, in a way, products of the Chihuahuan Desert.
Cactuses exemplify the survival strategy of water conservation.
Instead of water-losing leaves, all cactuses have spines. These also protect the plants from being trampled or eaten. The thick and fleshy stem presents reduced surface area and bears a waxy coating that inhibits evapotranspiration. The shallow root system spreads in a wide pattern to intercept rainwater as soon as it enters the ground. Cactuses store water, serving as their own reservoirs for surviving long droughts.