The Rose of Jericho is a desert plant famous for curling into a dry, dead-looking ball during drought, then “resurrecting” when exposed to water. The name actually refers to two completely different species from opposite sides of the world, which causes plenty of confusion. One is a true flowering plant from Middle Eastern and North African deserts. The other is a spikemoss from the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico. Both perform the same trick of appearing to come back from the dead, but they do it through entirely different biological strategies.
Two Plants, One Name
The “true” Rose of Jericho is Anastatica hierochuntica, a small annual plant in the mustard family. Its native range stretches from the Canary Islands across the Sahara to Iraq, the Arabian Peninsula, and as far east as southwestern Pakistan. It grows in desert and dry shrubland, completing its life cycle during brief rainy periods before curling its branches inward around its seeds as conditions dry out.
The “false” Rose of Jericho is Selaginella lepidophylla, native to the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States. Despite its common names (including “dinosaur plant” and “resurrection fern”), it’s actually a spikemoss, not a true moss or fern. This is the species you’ll most commonly find sold online and in plant shops, and the one most people mean when they talk about growing a Rose of Jericho at home.
The easiest way to tell them apart: the false Rose of Jericho is green when hydrated and has small, scale-like leaves along its fronds. The true Rose of Jericho looks more like a bundle of pale, woody stems and doesn’t turn green when placed in water because the plant you’re rehydrating is typically already dead. It’s the skeletal remains doing the opening and closing.
How the Resurrection Works
The two species survive drought through fundamentally different mechanisms. Selaginella lepidophylla, the false Rose of Jericho, is a genuinely desiccation-tolerant organism. It can lose up to 97% of its moisture content, retaining only about 3% of its total mass, and still revive when water returns. The plant can survive in this dried state for several years without suffering permanent damage.
Scientists initially believed this survival depended on high levels of trehalose, a sugar that protects cell structures during extreme dehydration. But comparative metabolic studies revealed something unexpected: a closely related species that can’t survive drying actually contains more trehalose. Instead, the resurrection ability appears linked to sugar alcohols like sorbitol and xylitol, which are roughly 100 times more abundant in S. lepidophylla than in its non-resilient relative. These compounds likely act as molecular shields, stabilizing cell membranes and proteins as water disappears.
The true Rose of Jericho, Anastatica hierochuntica, takes a completely different approach. Rather than keeping its own tissues alive through drought, it protects the next generation. As the plant dies and dries, its branches curl tightly inward around the seed-bearing structures. The dried skeleton becomes a sort of seed vault. When rain arrives, the dead branches uncurl through a purely mechanical, moisture-driven response. Raindrops then strike the exposed fruit structures, physically knocking seeds free. This curling and uncurling can repeat through many wet-dry cycles, dispersing seeds gradually over time. In its withered form, the plant’s brittle roots can snap, turning it into a tumbleweed that carries its seeds to new locations.
Spiritual and Cultural Significance
The Rose of Jericho has deep roots in religious and spiritual traditions across multiple cultures. Its ability to appear dead and then “come back to life” made it a natural symbol of resurrection and renewal, and it has been associated with both Christian and Islamic spiritual practices for centuries. In some Latin American and Caribbean traditions, the plant is kept in homes as a blessing, placed in water during prayers asking for health, prosperity, and peace. Dedicated prayers to the “Divine Rose of Jericho” invoke its connection to spiritual renewal and protection.
In folk magic traditions, particularly in the American South, the plant is used in rituals related to prosperity, cleansing, and drawing good fortune. The water the plant sits in is sometimes sprinkled around a home or business. These uses have kept demand for the plant steady well beyond its appeal as a botanical curiosity.
Reviving a Rose of Jericho at Home
If you’ve bought a Rose of Jericho (almost certainly Selaginella lepidophylla), reviving it is simple. Place the dry ball in a shallow dish or bowl and add lukewarm water, just enough to cover the roots. Within a few hours you’ll see the fronds begin to loosen and spread outward. Full opening, with the plant turning green and spreading flat, typically takes one to two days.
The key to keeping the plant healthy long-term is cycling it between wet and dry periods, mimicking its natural desert habitat. Let it sit in water for a few days, then remove it and allow it to dry out completely before rehydrating again. Keeping it submerged in water continuously can lead to mold and rot. Use room-temperature or slightly warm water, and change the water if it becomes murky. The plant doesn’t need soil. It absorbs moisture directly through its fronds and doesn’t root into a growing medium the way typical houseplants do.
Bright, indirect light works well. Direct, intense sunlight can scorch the hydrated fronds, but the plant tolerates a wide range of indoor lighting conditions. If you have pets, the ASPCA lists Selaginella lepidophylla as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.
Compounds With Potential Health Benefits
The true Rose of Jericho, Anastatica hierochuntica, has a long history of use in traditional medicine across the Middle East and North Africa. Modern phytochemical analysis has started to back up some of those traditional claims. Extracts from the plant contain compounds including beta-sitosterol and campesterol, both of which have demonstrated antibacterial properties in laboratory settings. Campesterol in particular has shown anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and anticancer activity in preliminary research.
In lab tests, extracts from A. hierochuntica inhibited the growth of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Some extracts also showed antioxidant activity exceeding that of standard antioxidants like vitamin E and vitamin C. These findings are from cell and extract studies rather than human clinical trials, so they point to potential rather than proven medical applications. Still, they help explain why the plant has been valued in folk medicine for generations.
Why People Confuse the Two Species
The naming confusion persists because both plants perform the same visual trick and have been sold under the same common name for decades. Retailers rarely distinguish between them. If you’re buying online, a few clues help. Selaginella lepidophylla (the false Rose of Jericho) looks like a tight, round ball of fern-like fronds. It turns green when hydrated and is genuinely alive in its dried state. Anastatica hierochuntica (the true Rose of Jericho) looks more like a tangle of pale brown sticks. It opens when wet but stays brown because the plant tissue itself is dead, serving only as a seed dispersal mechanism.
For most people buying the plant as a novelty or for spiritual practice, the false Rose of Jericho is the more satisfying choice. It’s alive, it turns green, and it can be cycled between dormancy and revival repeatedly over years. The true Rose of Jericho offers its own appeal as a seed-dispersing marvel of desert engineering, but it won’t give you the lush, green transformation most buyers expect.