The resurrection plant has a beguiling life cycle.It is a favorite among plant collectors and plant decorators worldwide. More popularly known as the Rose of Jericho, the native habitat of the resurrection plant is found in the remote deserts of the Middle East and North and Central America.The resurrection plant survives in the extreme conditions of the vast deserts of Mexico, the United States, and Jordan, among other places. If you visit the Chihuahuan desert in Mexico, you will be able to see resurrection plants aplenty!The Rose of Jericho has several mythical stories and legends attached to it. One of the most famous resurrection plant legends is associated with the life and times of the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ. It is believed that the life-cycle of the Rose of Jericho is similar to that of Jesus Christ. Christ was crucified and laid to rest inside a cave, only to reemerge after a few days. The resurrection plant lies in a dormant state for long intervals, only to revive once it gets a hint of water.How do resurrection plants survive in dry deserts?Resurrection plants are primarily desert plants, growing in arid regions where water is sparse. So, how do these plants survive when there is so little water?The resurrection plant has the exceptional ability to adapt to the harshest conditions. When the conditions become too difficult for the resurrection plant to survive, its leaves and stems curl up and form a brown, tumbleweed-like, tight ball. This is how it saves itself from unsuitable environmental factors. The resurrection plant remains in the form of a ball until it senses rainfall. Only then does it unfurl its fronds and become green again.The resurrection plant is always on the lookout for moisture. As soon as the curled-up resurrection plant finds water, it ceases to be dormant and begins to revive itself.When there is no source of moisture at all, the resurrection plant will look like nothing more than a dead plant. These plants have the spectacular ability to revive themselves as soon as they are in contact with a good water source.Resurrection plants grow throughout the summer season by conserving water inside their stem.A fascinating aspect of the resurrection plant is that it is a primitive plant species. Its presence can be traced back to very early times. They were present when dinosaurs roamed around the planet. It is no wonder that the resurrection plant is also called the ‘dinosaur plant’!How do resurrection plants support desert ecology?Seen from evolutionary terms, resurrection plants have stood the test of time and displayed the extraordinary ability to survive climate changes over millions of years.By studying resurrection plants, we can gain an insight into the ecosystems that existed when dinosaurs and other archaic creatures roamed around planet Earth.Resurrection plants are not classified as parasitic plants, as they do not take nutrients from other plants. They mostly depend on a parent plant. They have hardly any stems to give support on hard ground. This means that in some areas, resurrection plants are blown around like tumbleweed across the desert, stopping when they find water. This enables the plant to spread to new suitable areas.This green plant provides a vegetation cover in large parts of the deserts of Mexico. Vegetation cover in the desert helps to protect desert soil and sand, as well as providing homes for insects and other animals.In the absence of a flower, a resurrection plant depends on the spores that it produces for reproduction. Spores are spread in the adjacent areas via wind and water.Decorative UsageMany of you must have seen houses decorated with various plants and creepers. Adorning living rooms with colorful plants has been a practice for several centuries. It is part of human nature to make a place beautiful.Resurrection plants are arguable not that visibly attractive, and in fact they do not all produce flowers. Still, they have other qualities that make them a popular addition to living rooms. It is believed in some cultures that keeping a resurrection plant in the house brings good fortune.Resurrection plants are used in a range of Christian religious festivals. This is because the characteristic features, becoming dead-like and then coming back to life, closely resemble Christ’s life story.Aside from their symbolic importance, resurrection plants have distinct medicinal properties. Medical science has found enough evidence that these plants may be able to help fight cancer in human beings.Recent research has supported the view that when the stems and roots of this plant are dried and boiled in water, the mixture produced could be taken in the form of herbal tea. It is suggested that this type of tea is an excellent way to soothe sore throats.Growing A Resurrection PlantThe resurrection plant comes in two principal varieties, the Anastatica hierochuntica or the true Jericho and the Selaginella lepidophylla or the false Jericho. Both are called the Rose of Jericho, which is the common name for these plant species.Anastatica hierochuntica belongs to the Brassicaceae plant family, and is native to the deserts of the Middle East and the Levant. They are flowering plants.False Jericho comes from the spike moss or Selaginellaceae family and is found in the arid regions of Mexico and parts of the United States. It is a type of moss and does not produce flowers.The true Jericho is comparatively more difficult to grow and maintain in house gardens. You would require a container with potting soil to plant the seed. It needs loose soil with gravel mixed in it for the plant’s rapid growth.When planting a seed of the true Jericho, you need to use a shallow dish and handle the seed with care. Place the pot so the seedling can receive direct sunlight from a sunny window. When the true Jericho plant is watered correctly, the chances are that you would see white flowers on its green ferns during early spring season, or bloom time.Make sure the soil and container used to grow a resurrection plant can drain freely. The container will need to have holes in the bottom. Although both species of resurrection plant are highly resistant to changes in climate, they would not survive the onslaught of too much watering. The target should be to not let the plant pot accumulate water. These plants do well when watered with distilled water.
The resurrection plant has a beguiling life cycle.
