Plants also enter a period of winter quiescence. Trees, with their bare twigs, are the most visible. But hiding underground not unlike the woodchucks and bears roots and tubers filled with all the things needed for new life (except warmth, sunshine and liquid water) lay resting, too, just waiting for a time when the world will once again be ready for growth.
Mosses are one of the most impressive examples of dormancy in the woods. Even when drought (or freezing temperatures) withdraws the water they need for active life, mosses are preparing for the future. Essential functions shut down but not without a plan for reopening. With amazing “forethought,” the mosses synthesize and store away the enzymes of cell repair that will manage the damage of desiccation. Like the Red Cross, mosses like to have a stash of medical supplies ready to go. All of this groundwork pays off. In just 20 minutes, bone-dry moss can return to full vigor.