Dissimilar to the dense forests in the highlands of southern San Cristóbal Island, Punta Pitt in the north is arid with sparse vegetation. It only receives a few inches of rain a year, qualifying it as one of the driest parts of the Galápagos. It also experiences high wind, especially along the eastern shoreline. As a result, only a few species of plants grow here. They are often dried out and appear dead. One is the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia echios). Others include patches of nolana bushes and palo santo trees. Offering a bit of color are the Galápagos carpetweed. This endemic ground cover called Sesuvium edmonstonei turns shades of orange and red during the dry season. Accenting the shoreline with green are occasional clumps of saltbrush.
