Rose of Jericho Identification & Care Lookup

Fast ID: which plant do you have?

True Rose of Jericho

Anastatica hierochuntica

Flowering annual Brassicaceae Woody skeleton

Dry lookGray-brown, rigid, branched ball; resembles a tiny tumbleweed.
When wettedDead fruiting branches can mechanically unfurl as tissues absorb water.
Turns green?A dried retail skeleton should not be expected to regain green living foliage.
ReproductionFlowering plant; produces seeds.
Best clueClearly woody branching structure rather than flat, fern-like sprays.

False Rose of Jericho

Selaginella lepidophylla

Resurrection spikemoss Selaginellaceae Fern-like sprays

Dry lookBrown, curled, nest-like ball made from many fine leafy stems.
When wettedViable tissue rehydrates, fronds open, and physiological activity can resume.
Turns green?Usually becomes greener after rehydration when the specimen is still viable.
ReproductionSpore-producing lycophyte; not a flowering plant.
Best clueFine, flexible, scale-leaved sprays that look mossy or fern-like when open.

30-second rule Woody branching skeleton + no true greening = likely Anastatica. Fine leafy sprays + viable tissue that rehydrates and greens = likely Selaginella lepidophylla. Always confirm the scientific name on the seller label.

Filterable comparison lookup

Search any trait, filter by category, or hide rows where the practical answer is effectively the same.

Reference field	True Rose of Jericho Anastatica hierochuntica	False Rose of Jericho Selaginella lepidophylla
Scientific name Identity	Anastatica hierochuntica	Selaginella lepidophylla
Plant group Identity	Flowering plant (angiosperm)	Lycophyte / spikemoss; not a true moss or fern
Family Identity	Brassicaceae (mustard family)	Selaginellaceae
Life cycle Biology	Desert annual	Perennial spore-bearing vascular plant
Native range Identity	Fuerteventura and the Sahara east through Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula; also S Iran to SW Pakistan	Southern New Mexico and western Texas through Mexico and Central America; strongly associated with the Chihuahuan Desert
What “resurrection” means Biology	Moisture-driven unfurling of the dead fruiting skeleton; the movement itself is not vegetative tissue returning to life	Vegetative desiccation tolerance: viable tissues can survive extreme drying and resume physiological function after rehydration
Photosynthesis after rehydration Biology	No in a dead dried skeleton	Can recover in a viable specimen
Seeds or spores? Biology	Seeds	Spores
Dry appearance Appearance	Gray-brown, woody, brittle, tumbleweed-like ball	Brown to brown-green curled ball with many fine leafy stems
Wet/open appearance Appearance	Rigid branched framework opens; does not become a lush green fern-like rosette	Leafy sprays spread outward and can become visibly greener
Texture clue Appearance	Woody, stiff, brittle	Finer, more flexible, scale-leaved / fern-like
Structure clue Appearance	Distinct branching skeleton and fruiting structure	Dense radiating sprays with tiny overlapping leaves
Display light Care	Bright, indirect light is a safe display choice	Bright, indirect light; avoid harsh hot sun during hydrated display
Airflow Care	Useful after wetting so the specimen dries cleanly	Important during wet/dry cycling to reduce mold risk
Water contact Care	Moisture causes the dried skeleton to open; prolonged soaking is unnecessary for “revival”	Set the lower surface in shallow clean water; avoid fully submerging the plant
Dry-rest logic Care	Store dry between demonstrations to limit decay and preserve the dried structure	Allow complete drying between hydrated display periods; constant wetness raises mold/rot risk
Can a dried store specimen be planted? Care	The dead skeleton is not a rooted houseplant. Viable seeds, if present, are a separate propagation route.	A viable specimen can be cultivated, but it is commonly kept as a reversible dry/wet display plant rather than a conventional houseplant.
Fertilizer Care	Not needed for a dried display skeleton	Usually unnecessary for short-term display; avoid strong fertilizer
Common display problem Care	Mold/odor if repeatedly kept wet or stored damp	Mold/rot if kept continuously wet or in stagnant water
Seller-name risk Buying	May be sold simply as “Rose of Jericho” or “true Rose of Jericho”	Frequently sold simply as “Rose of Jericho,” “resurrection plant,” “dinosaur plant,” or “resurrection moss”
Best purchase check Buying	Look specifically for Anastatica hierochuntica	Look specifically for Selaginella lepidophylla
Expectation to avoid Buying	Do not buy a dried skeleton expecting fern-like greening or true vegetative resurrection	Do not assume every dry specimen will remain viable forever; age, handling, and repeated cycling can reduce performance

Buyer identification checklist

Likely Anastatica hierochuntica if…

The label explicitly uses the scientific name Anastatica hierochuntica.
The dry specimen is gray-brown, woody, rigid, and visibly branched.
After wetting, the structure opens but does not develop soft green fern-like sprays.
You can see fruiting/seed-bearing structures on a tiny tumbleweed-like skeleton.

Likely Selaginella lepidophylla if…

The label says Selaginella lepidophylla, resurrection plant, dinosaur plant, or resurrection moss.
The dry ball is made of many fine, curled leafy stems rather than woody branches.
Hydration spreads the fronds into a low rosette and viable tissue becomes greener.
The open plant looks more like a ferny spikemoss than a miniature tumbleweed.

Symptom → likely cause → next check

It opens, but it never turns green

First confirm the species. A dried Anastatica hierochuntica skeleton can open mechanically without becoming green living tissue. If it is definitely Selaginella lepidophylla, poor viability, age, harsh storage, or repeated stress may be involved.

It barely opens after adding water

Confirm that the lower plant surface is actually contacting clean room-temperature water. Then allow more time. Damaged, very old, or poorly stored material may respond weakly.

It smells sour, swampy, or strongly unpleasant

Treat this as a moisture-hygiene problem rather than a normal scent. Remove the specimen from water, dry it completely, wash the dish, improve airflow, and shorten future wet periods.

White or fuzzy growth appears

Suspect mold promoted by constant moisture, stagnant water, or contaminated containers. Stop the wet cycle, isolate and dry the specimen, and clean the container before reuse.

The false Rose opens more slowly than it used to

Repeated wet/dry cycling, age, poor water quality, direct sun while wet, or incomplete drying can reduce display quality. Give it a full dry rest and avoid constant handling.

I want a plant that repeatedly looks “alive again”

Choose a correctly identified, viable Selaginella lepidophylla. It is the species associated with true vegetative desiccation tolerance and physiological recovery after rehydration.

Science notes & taxonomy checks

Use these when a seller description or common name is ambiguous.

Kew POWO — accepted taxonomy and native range for Anastatica hierochuntica Kew POWO — accepted taxonomy and native range for Selaginella lepidophylla Hegazy et al. — hygrochastic movement and seed dispersal in Anastatica Rafsanjani et al. — hydro-responsive curling in Selaginella lepidophylla

Terminology note “Rose of Jericho” is a common-name collision. For buying, identification, and care decisions, the scientific name is the most reliable field.