Extreme environments in which the physical conditions for plant life can approach the limits of the biochemically possible for multicellular organisms comprise a large fraction of the Earth’s surface. With non-linear climate change looming, bringing growing weather unpredictability, the natural, but also the cultivated agro-ecological environment will experience increasing exposure to extreme conditions. Plants that evolved to grow in extreme environments can cope with more extreme events than generally encountered in the managed agricultural space. In this special issue, a diverse collection of reviews discusses current literature in this field, proposing some intriguing approaches inspired by plants growing in extreme environments relevant for cultivated plants and food security.