 Drought escape by growing in small crevices or near persistent water supplies , or by staying dormant for about 95 % of the year . Mosses and ferns in the area grow near constant water sources such as natural potholes and seeps from ice caves . Scabland penstemon , fernleaf fleabane , and gland cinquefoil grow in shallow crevices . Syringa , bush rockspirea , tansybush , and even limber pine grow in large crevices . While dwarf monkeyflowers ( photo ) carry out their entire life cycle during the short wet part of the year and survive in seed form the rest of the time . 
