Rose of Jericho is a well-known ancient herb with the capacity to “come back to life” when it dries out and dies.
It is widely grown and used in the Middle East and many European areas for health benefits and symbolizes positive energy, prosperity, and renewal.
No matter what you’re planting Jericho Roses for, it pays to understand better its characteristics and care tips to grow healthy and happy plants.
What Is The Rose Of Jericho?
Rose of Jericho has different names like Maryam’s flower, the hand of Fatima, the hand of Maria, Kaff Maryam, the resurrection plant, the resurrection fern, resurrection Jericho flower, or the Jericho rose.
The plant originates from the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico and the United States. Some call this herb the false rose of Jericho.
The real rose is small and can reach a height of 12 inches. It is widely used in the different regions of Europe and the Middle East.
Otherwise, Jericho rose is a succulent that looks like a rose. It grows tiny white flowers when completely hydrated. So how long does it take for a rose of Jericho to open and come back to life?
If put in lukewarm water, the plant typically opens in around 4 hours, even though it may not be fully open and get back to life for a couple of days.
People consider it a traditional medicine with various health benefits. They include childbirth, menstrual cramps, respiratory disorders, arthritis pain, bronchitis, and diabetes.
People can put the rose in holy water in spiritual and religious practices to protect against negative energy and illness. You can use Jericho Rosewater for spiritual practices to invite abundance and prosperity into your life.
Here are instructions for caring for the Rose of Jericho:
Rose Of Jericho Plant Care
Soil
The rose of the Jericho plant does not need rich soil to fix the roots. It can survive well in water, even like an epiphyte. However, a true Jericho rose plant rooted in the soil can grow up to a healthy plant.
Meanwhile, you can still plant the false plant in the soil after growing the roots in water. In case you’re a soil plantation, ensure you can keep the soil relatively moist.
It is vital to note that this herb often gets bigger in soil.
Watering
A small tip is to grow this herb’s dried baby in the water. You will need to give “water-free resting breaks” weekly.
Here are some essential points:
- Use a water bowl with no drainage holes.
- Submerge several gravel or pebbles in it.
- Perch it on the bowl’s top to allow its roots to reach the water.
- The herb will unfurl in around 4 hours, and you will see your plant become green again.
- Remember to take it out of water daily. The reason is that this break is critical to saving the herb from rotting and mold. You can do this break after four to seven days.
- Another vital factor of the Rose of Jericho Care is to leave it entirely dry out once per month to enhance the herb’s health.
- Besides, you can plant it like an epiphyte and put it with other plants. Keep in mind to mist it frequently and give several breaks.
Light
Indirect sunlight is ideal for growing this resurrection plant. The curling of a plant is a sign of the wrong amount of light it gets.
Humidity
The Rose of Jericho is not particular about the level of humidity. You do not need to do extra things to keep the moisture for the plant’s green form.
Regular misting or a water bowl is enough to keep it happy and healthy.
Temperature
The ideal growing temperature for Jericho rose ranges from 42 degrees F to 96 degrees C. The critical factor is to keep this herb safe from sudden changes in temperatures.
Though Jericho rose is a hot desert plant, it features a weak tolerance for these abrupt changes. In addition, it is advisable to keep it away from drifts.
Thereby, the areas close to heaters, fans, and air conditioners are unsuitable for this plant.
Common Problems With Rose Of Jericho
Brown Foliage
People sometimes plant it in water, and it partially opens up without getting green. If it continues to have this color and does not have green foliage, it might be dead.
This desert flower is regularly obtained in the dried form, so it is likely to die. The main cause is inappropriate storing and picking, destroying its roots, or squishing the herb body.
It can partially open up due to the absorption of water and cell expansion. That said, it won’t look healthy, and its foliage won’t be green.
In such a case, you should talk to the sellers about return policies.
Opening Up Takes Longer Time
Commonly, the dried Jericho rose opens up within around 4 hours. If it takes longer than this average time, there are some possible reasons as follows:
- Your herb is dead.
- You are putting the plant in cold water. You can try lukewarm the water and put it in warmer places if the water is cold.
- There is not enough light. To have a healthy look, the Rose of Jericho should be exposed to sufficient light. That’s why you should place it in a well-lit area with the shaded sunlight.
Getting Moss
Is the rose getting black, brown, smelly, or mushy? This situation might be the plant moss rotting.
In other words, you leave it to stand in water for a long time. The solution is to take this herb out and leave it dry.
You can also cut its discolored and slimy parts to help it recover faster. To hinder this situation, you can change the water daily and regularly give dry breaks to this herb.
Top Tips When Growing A Healthy Rose Of Jericho
We highly recommend you propagate the herb in case you can lose it due to an unexpected situation. It’s the most affordable way for you to get this plant’s copy.
You can do propagation in two methods:
- Buying seeds to sprinkle them in the moist soil.
- You can use division by cutting away some stems from your plant and putting them in a box filled with water or pebbles/gravel.
Conclusion
Rose of Jericho is a unique easy-to-grow plant. It can curl up and survive after years of dryness.
If you want to grow this plant, remember to give it indirect light, perch it in a bowl of water, or offer regular misting. More importantly, you have to give water-less breaks for it every week.
We hope our Rose of Jericho instructions are helpful for you. If you have any further questions, please feel free to let us know.
