Alternative splicing (AS) can generate significant protein variation from a single gene. While the basic process of AS has been known for some time, little is known about how AS varies across species. In addition, there are many unanswered questions about the role of AS in plant responses to abiotic stress. In this study of the model plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana, and a native California mustard, Boechera depauperata, researchers report that the genes that undergo AS are distinct in each species. This provides evidence that AS plays an important and species-specific role in the plant stress response.