Good morning and welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging!
As regulars here know, I rescue up to three or four amaryllis bulbs each year from thrift shops. So it’s not unusual for me to also rescue other types of plants including some water lilies this past summer. I was recently in a Goodwill thrift shop and spotted this odd box pleading for me to take it home.
Resurrection Plant —
Everlasting Evergreen That Keeps Coming Back To Life!
Eternal Symbol of Hope and Rebirth!
Bring Home a Living Piece of History!
Resurrection Plant. This ancient plant will actually spring to life in less than one day. Throughout history, these highly adaptive plants would dry up and blow in the wind until they came upon water. Then, they would rapidly open and drink the water until it was gone.
Your Resurrection Plant can dry out and survive without light or water for up to 50 years!
I quickly googled Resurrection Plant to see if this was true or some type of joke. I was surprised to learn that it was true and they can live up to 200 to 250 years! Its botanical name is Selaginella Lepidophylla, also called false Rose of Jericho, a species of desert plant in the spikemoss family. To learn more, here is the Wikipedia link.
I had never heard of this plant but for only $2, how could I refuse!
So last week, I opened the box and removed the dried Resurrection Plant, Display bowl and bag of New Mexico lava rocks. I gave all three a good rinsing in a bathroom sink.
I placed the clear plastic bowl on a plate, lined the lava rocks in a circle, placed the plant in the middle with roots down and filled the bowl with water. Okay, let’s see what happens!
About one hour later! Stand back Ida Dolores as a miracle is truly taking place!
This is the plant about eight hours later.
The next morning, Ida D and I rushed downstairs to take a look. If you observe closely, you can see that all the middle fronds have unfurled and it's taken a bit more of a green color. (It’s also known as Resurrection Fern)
and just so you don’t think I’ve used a green dye on the plant that is running across the plate like Giuliani’s hair dye dripping down his face, these plates were bought a decade ago on sale at Anthropologie.
I’ve taken the plant outside to try and show how green it is. It’s hard to capture it but it’s like a dark greenish brown. I really like the color.
So there you have my experiment with the Resurrection Plant.
Here are some interesting facts and uses for the plant including teas, lucky charm and even voodoo rituals
The plant's ability to survive extreme desiccation was noted by Spanish missionaries when they reached the New World, including the area that was to become the United States. The missionaries used S. lepidophylla to demonstrate to potential native converts the concept of being reborn and convince them to abandon their native religious beliefs and traditions. Because of its properties, the plant was considered a lucky charm, and was passed on in families from generation to generation.
Selaginella lepidophylla has been used as a herbal medicine. An infusion is made by steeping a tablespoon of dried material in hot water, and the resulting tea is used to treat colds and sore throat.
In Mexico, S. lepidophylla is sold as a diuretic. Women drink the water in which the plant is soaked to facilitate childbirth. The speed at which the plant blossoms in the water is interpreted as an indication of whether the delivery will be easy or difficult.
The plant is also used in the rites of voodoo and Cuban Santeria to invoke love and fortune. The plant is said to absorb "negative energy" when worn on the body.
Okay, let’s try the reverse now and dry it out. I removed it from the water and flipped it over so you can see its roots
Below is after five days without water. I have since revived it and will keep it going for several months before starting over as they occasionally need a rest period.
You can google this plant and see it is for sale from $2.95 to $19.99 from Amazon to Etsy
Very interesting video on African Resurrection Plants.
As noted above these plants are considered lucky charms and were passed down in families from generations to generations. Since I have always worried if something were to happen to me, who would take care of my pets and even one of my plants that is now almost fifty years old. Now add to this my resurrection plant. It could be dried out and punted to several future generations down the road.
I am going to let it live next to my shrimp, Charlene. I get a kick out of telling new dinner guests that I have a four year old pet in the room and watch their reactions looking around. Now I can add the story of the Resurrection Plant saved from a thrift shop. I’ll name it Johnny and start adding it to the family names of GUG, P, Ida Dolores, Charlene and Johnny. I swear I have not partaken of anything! (at least not this morning!)
Johnny in his new home next to Charlene. (Charlene circled in red)
So what is going on in your garden and world today? Please share.