The “Rose of Jericho” - Selaginella lepidophylla, is also known by many common names, including:
- Resurrection Plant
- False Rose of Jericho
- Dinosaur plant
- Resurrection Moss
- Flower of Stone
- Stone Flower
- Doradilla
This Rose of Jericho comes from the Chihuahuan desert of Mexico, New Mexico, and Arizona. It is a member of the Spikemoss family, from which fossils dating back to 300 million years ago have been found.
Spiritual Symbolism:
Resurrection plants are powerful metaphors for life, love, and rebirth. Not surprisingly they have been referred to in literature and poetry. They appear in poems such as “To the Duke of York” by Robert Herrick, Christina Georgina Rossetti’s “A Rose Plant in Jericho,” and Mollie Moore’s “The Resurrection Plant,” to name just a few.
Understandably, this plant symbolizes resurrection, rebirth, enduring love, and longevity in many world religions including Hoodoo, Wicca, Santeria, Yoruba, Catholicism, and many others.
In many of these traditions, Rose of Jericho is said to call in wealth, provide protection, bring good luck, and absorb negative energy. It’s sometimes used in spells to “resurrect” an aspect of a person’s life such as romance or income.
For example, Hoodoo practitioners use this plant in prosperity spells by adding five coins to the water used to revive the plant. They then brush the water onto windows and doors to invite prosperity into their homes.
In the Cuban Santeria religion, Rose of Jericho is often used as a spiritual offering.
Rose of Jericho is also popular in Christianity as a Christmas and Easter decoration because it symbolizes the resurrection of Christ. Spanish missionaries even used Selaginella lepidophylla to teach Christian concepts to Native Americans.
Around the world, many families cherish their Rose of Jericho plant and pass it down through generations!
Rose of Jericho - Resurrection Plants - Small, Medium, Large
Properties include Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antifungal, Antiviral
- S. lepidophylla has been used to treat colds and sore throats in herbal medicine, and the plant is currently being studied for its antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.
- In Mexico, a decoction or infusion (tea) is traditionally used to treat kidney stones, gastric ulcers, diarrhea, rheumatism, dyspepsia, cystisis of liver, expulsion of the placenta, and to purify blood.
https://smujo.id/nb/article/download/988/2957/6987
- A study in 2011 showed activity against Helicobactor pylori in a 10% methanol-water extract.
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jmf.2010.0263
Rose of Jericho - Care Sheet
Rose of Jericho is a type of moss native to desert regions where water is scarce, so this plant can completely dry out, curl up over itself, and blow around like a tumbleweed until it finds water. When it finds a water source, it unfurls to reveal gorgeous green fern-like fronds. Once it exhausts its water supply, it dries out again and blows on to the next watering hole.
These plants are actually very long-lived, up to 250 years, and have been passed down generations in families.
If placed in lukewarm water, your Rose of Jericho should open in about 4 hours, though it might not open to its full capacity for a few days.
Watering
Step 1: To “plant” your Rose of Jericho, select a shallow dish with no drainage holes and fill with pebbles or gravel.
Step 2: Fill the dish with water until the pebbles are just submerged. (If using main tap water, leave it for 24 hours before adding the plant to dissipate the chemicals.)
Step 3: Place your dried Rose of Jericho on top of the water so that the roots are submerged. The plant should start blooming within a few hours.
- Change the water every day. (If you skip a day here and there, you’ll be okay.)
- Pick one day a week to drain the dish completely and let your plant rest.
- Every month, give your Rose of Jericho a week without water to dry out a little bit.
- If you are going away, take the plant out of the water, put it in a dark, dry place, and it will dry up until you get home when you can revive it.
Temperature
Most room temperatures are fine but avoid letting it get too hot or cold. Although a desert native, it can still be sensitive to extreme fluctuations in temperature.
Light
A Rose of Jericho will thrive in good light.
Pruning
Rose of Jericho doesn’t really need pruning, but you can use clean scissors to remove dead tips that don’t revive when the plant is fully hydrated.