Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) (Selaginella lepidophylla)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Rose of Jericho, False Rose of Jericho, Resurrection plant, Resurrection moss, Dinosaur plant, Flower of stone, Doradilla.

More about rose of jericho (resurrection plant)

About Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant)

Selaginella lepidophylla · also called Rose of Jericho, False Rose of Jericho · houseplant

The false rose of Jericho is a desert spikemoss (a lycophyte, not a true fern) that curls into a dry brown ball, then unfurls bright green within hours of watering. Give it bright indirect light, frequent fresh water, warmth, and humidity. ASPCA data on the genus indicates it is pet-safe.

Cold limit: USDA Best grown indoors; hardy outdoors only in warm zones (roughly USDA 9-11). Protect from frost - avoid temperatures below about 4C (40F). (21-26C)

Watch for — Stays brown / won't green up: Slow or no greening usually means water that is too cold or poor quality, or not enough light. Use room-temperature filtered water and give it bright, indirect light - it can take up to a day or two to fully open and colour.

What rose of jericho (resurrection plant)'s hardiness rating actually means

Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Its RHS rating of H2 means: Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot. On the US scale that maps to USDA Best grown indoors; hardy outdoors only in warm zones (roughly USDA 9-11). Protect from frost - avoid temperatures below about 4C (40F). — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for rose of jericho (resurrection plant) as it gets too cold:

Down to roughly about 1 to 5 °C it copes, especially if dry and sheltered.
A sustained hard frost collapses the top growth; whether it returns depends on whether the roots, crown or tubers froze.
Wet cold is far more lethal than dry cold for this plant — soggy, frozen soil is the usual killer.

Can rose of jericho (resurrection plant) go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA Best grown indoors; hardy outdoors only in warm zones (roughly USDA 9-11). Protect from frost - avoid temperatures below about 4C (40F). or a frost-free UK microclimate.
In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter.
A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when rose of jericho (resurrection plant) can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H2 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline rose of jericho (resurrection plant)

Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost.
Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse.
Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones.
Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.

Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is rose of jericho (resurrection plant) cold hardy?

Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Borderline outdoors. In its mild end of USDA Best grown indoors; hardy outdoors only in warm zones (roughly USDA 9-11). Protect from frost - avoid temperatures below about 4C (40F). (and sheltered UK gardens) rose of jericho (resurrection plant) can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature rose of jericho (resurrection plant) can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is rose of jericho (resurrection plant)?

Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) is rated USDA Best grown indoors; hardy outdoors only in warm zones (roughly USDA 9-11). Protect from frost - avoid temperatures below about 4C (40F). and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can rose of jericho (resurrection plant) survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA Best grown indoors; hardy outdoors only in warm zones (roughly USDA 9-11). Protect from frost - avoid temperatures below about 4C (40F). or a frost-free UK microclimate. In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter. A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

How do I protect rose of jericho (resurrection plant) from frost?

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost. Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse. Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones. Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.