Credits: Social Media
How I killed the unkillable resurrection plant, the Rose of Jericho
Despite having over 30 houseplants, I managed to kill the unkillable resurrection plant, the Rose of Jericho, by ignoring the most basic of plant parent instructions.
Taking care of a plant might sound like a relatively easy task but between root rot, confusing care apps, and pests like spider mites, a dead plant is only ever one silly mistake away. If all else fails though, you can always propagate to your heart’s content.
I purchased a Rose of Jericho after seeing it on TikTok
The Rose of Jericho, and about 130 other resurrection plants, have the unique ability to dry out and curl up as a form of protection. When given adequate water, the crispy ball unfurls, turns green, and even produces tiny white flowers.
After seeing the mysterious plant on TikTok, the land of needless impulse purchases, I purchased the species Anastatica heirochuntica which is native to parts of Africa and the Middle East. Another species, Selaginella lepidophylla, is known as the false Rose of Jericho, or dinosaur plant, and is found in Mexico.
Upon receiving my new plant baby, I unpackaged it and began to read up on the necessary care instructions. It was simple enough, requiring a bed of stones or crystals for the Rose of Jericho to sit on in a pool of water. You can also mist it frequently instead, but who has time for that?
Within a few hours, the ball of crispy foliage had started to uncurl, filling up most of the large dish I had put it in. By the following morning, it had begun to turn green – we were off to a good start.
Disaster struck on day four
I continued to monitor the Rose of Jericho’s progress over the next few days, topping up the water on day three without removing the small amount of stagnant liquid in the bottom.
As you might have gathered from my previous sentence, not changing the water contributed massively to the plant’s eventual demise, which is ironic given that it’s practically impossible to kill.
By day four there was an off smell in my room. Upon investigation, I discovered mold growing on my resurrection plant, and though some would have immediately thrown it away, my mother didn’t raise a quitter. I snipped off the affected areas, changed the water, and added some activated charcoal into the base in the hopes of cleansing the water.
The weekend came soon enough, though unfortunately, my Rose of Jericho was now in full bloom, just not with flowers. There were patches of mold dotted around the entire plant.
I know where I went wrong
People have used the Rose of Jericho in spiritual practices for centuries, with some washing their hands in the water and others using it in spells and rituals to enhance its resurrection properties. Obviously, I didn’t get the chance.
With a little reflection and assistance from plant parents online, I believe that two things contributed to my Rose of Jericho’s heartbreaking demise. Firstly, I needed to keep that water fresh at all times to reduce the risk of harmful bacteria.
I believe that it also required considerably more light, which would have sped up the resurrection process and removed more water from the dish in a quicker amount of time. Would I buy another Rose of Jericho? Absolutely. I should just read the instructions properly next time.
