Some plants cannot live in certain areas because of the extremes in temperature. Ice that forms in the tissues draws the water from the cells and causes the trees to die from dehydration. Deciduous trees can survive in moderately cold areas by losing their leaves and becoming dormant during the winter months. Herbaceous plants, such as weed and grasses, die down to the ground. The next spring new growth begins from dormant roots or from seeds.
Temperature affects the length of the plant's growing season.
In cold climates, the short growing season means plant growth must be rapid to allow for the production of new seeds. In warm climates, the growing season might be continuous. Rainfall also has a direct effect on where plants grow. In jungles, leaves and stems grow in large number, while the plants have fewer roots. In drier climates, there is less leaf growth and more root growth.