As soil dries, plants limit water loss by closing tiny apertures called stomata in their leaves. A global analysis reveals ...

Water and minerals are transported up through the plant stem in xylem vessels. Xylem is a tissue consisting of dead, hollowed-out cells that form a system of pipes.

In a mature flowering plant or tree, most of the cells that make up the xylem are specialised cells called vessels.

How does water move through plants to get to the top of tall trees? Here we describe the pathways and mechanisms driving water uptake and transport through plants, and causes of flow disruption.