Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) (Rose of Jericho) care

Light

Bright but filtered. Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) burns within days in unfiltered south-facing summer sun, and stops growing within months in deep shade. Bright, indirect light suits it best - an east- or west-facing window is ideal. Direct midday sun scorches the fine foliage, while too little light keeps it dull and slow to green up. Aim for roughly 12 hours of light a day. If you only have a south window, set the plant back 1.5 m or hang a sheer curtain — both knock the intensity down into the right range.

Watering

Watering rose of jericho (resurrection plant): keep moist; refresh water frequently. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Often grown unrooted in a shallow dish: sit the base in about 1-2 cm of room-temperature water and it unfurls green within hours to a day. Change the water frequently (ideally daily) and give it a dry day each week plus a longer dry spell monthly to prevent rot. If potted, keep the substrate evenly moist but never waterlogged. Cold or hard water slows greening - use filtered, room-temperature water.

Soil and pot

Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) grows best in light, well-draining, slightly acidic mix (or none). It can live without soil, resting on pebbles in a water dish. If you pot it, use a free-draining, slightly acidic blend - regular potting mix lightened with sand and a little peat or coir - over a layer of pebbles so the crown never sits in stagnant water. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) sits happiest at around Above 50% humidity and 21-26C (70-79F). As a plant that greens up in response to moisture, it prefers humid air above 50%. Dry indoor air keeps the fronds curled and browning at the tips; a pebble tray, grouping with other plants, or a humid spot like a bathroom helps it stay open and green. If you keep the room above 21 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed rose of jericho (resurrection plant) sparingly. Feeds very lightly. It needs little to no fertiliser; an occasional weak, diluted balanced liquid feed during active green growth in spring and summer is plenty. Skip feeding entirely while it is dormant and dried out. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on rose of jericho (resurrection plant) in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Mold or rot from stagnant water — A musty smell or fuzzy growth on the base means standing water has gone stale. Change the dish water frequently (ideally daily), give it dry days, and keep good airflow; remove affected parts and let it dry out fully before rehydrating.
• 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.
• Tips browning and crisping — Dry indoor air and harsh direct sun crisp the fine fronds. Raise humidity above 50% with a pebble tray or humid room, and move it out of direct sunlight into bright indirect light.
• Crown or root rot — Leaving it permanently submerged or in soggy soil rots the crown. If unrooted, only the base should touch water; if potted, set it over pebbles and let the surface dry slightly between waterings.
• Mistaken identity — This is the 'false' rose of Jericho, a desert spikemoss - care differs from the unrelated 'true' rose of Jericho (Anastatica hierochuntica, a mustard-family plant), which revives only after rooting rather than from water alone.

Propagation

Propagated mainly by division - separate a healthy section while the plant is hydrated and green, in spring or autumn, and keep it moist and warm to establish. As a spore-bearing lycophyte it can also be grown from spores, but this is slow (germination can take weeks) and impractical for most home growers. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) is pet-safe. Selaginella lepidophylla is not individually listed in the ASPCA database, but the genus is clean: ASPCA lists its relative Selaginella kraussiana (Club Moss / Krauss' Spikemoss) as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, and no Selaginella appears on the toxic list. It is generally regarded as pet-safe; as with any plant, large amounts may cause mild stomach upset, so verify with your vet if a pet ingests it. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) deep-dive guides

Every aspect of rose of jericho (resurrection plant) care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) watering schedule
• Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) light requirements
• Best soil mix for rose of jericho (resurrection plant)
• Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) fertilizing guide
• When to repot rose of jericho (resurrection plant)
• How to propagate rose of jericho (resurrection plant)
• Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) growth rate & size
• Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) cold hardiness
• Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) temperature & humidity
• Is rose of jericho (resurrection plant) toxic to cats & dogs?

Related guides

Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant) is also known as Rose of Jericho, False Rose of Jericho, Resurrection plant, Resurrection moss, Dinosaur plant, Flower of stone, and Doradilla.

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