Rose of Jericho is an ancient herb known for its ability to “come back to life” after appearing to dry out and die. Known as the reseration plant.
People use it widely in the Middle East, various parts of Europe, and beyond as a traditional medicine to help with many health conditions. These include menstrual cramps, childbirth, arthritis pain, and metabolic and respiratory disorders, such as diabetes and bronchitis.
People also use it in religious and spiritual practices — sometimes in holy water — to protect against illness and negative energy. Despite the plant’s many reported benefits, critics argue there’s little research to back up these claims. Maybe you should decide for yourself:)
How to Care for a Rose of Jericho
Rose of Jericho is a great plant if you have a history of a black thumb because they are very, very hard to kill. You can let your plant completely dry out and it will come right back to life after a few hours of hydration. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
What you need to revive a Rose of Jericho
- Wide, shallow dish
- (Optional) Pebbles – enough to spread across the bottom of the dish
- Distilled, room-temperature water
- A bright spot with indirect sunlight
- A dried Rose of Jericho or False Rose of Jericho
Planting
To “plant” your Rose of Jericho, fill dish with pebbles or gravel and add water until the pebbles are just submerged. Place your Rose of Jericho on top with its roots touching the water.
(You can also skip the pebbles and put the plant right into a shallow dish of water, but we feel the pebbles help it balance and also look nice.)
Place in indirect light and wait!
Tip: Use distilled water or let tap water sit out overnight for the chlorine and any other chemicals evaporate before adding to your plant.
Watering
Change the water for your Rose of Jericho every day to keep it clean. (If you skip a day here and there, you’ll be okay.) All you have to do is set out some fresh water every night. In the morning, drain the dish and add the fresh water.
The biggest trick to the Rose of Jericho is not to OVER water it. This is easy to do, because you just remove the plant from water every week or so to give it a rest. No guesswork about how much water to give it or how often. Just give it a weekly break from the water dish and it’s happy.
