Cushion vegetation is a special type of plant life that has adapted to mountainous, cold, windy and dry environments. It is found throughout Tibet’s high grasslands and most often forms near clusters of round-bodied plants where it is slightly protected. In the northern section of the Plateau, for example, where the average elevation is 4,000 meters above sea level, large trees cannot survive. Cushion vegetation, however, which tends to be short and small, with hairy stems and tough leaves, exists in relative abundance. From June to August each year, the Plateau grassland blooms with colourful flowers.