In one of my visits to Germany I saw a sign in a shop claiming to sell the Rose of Jericho. To my great disappointment I realised that the plant was not the real Rose of Jericho but a Mexican fern. In his brochures the text cited a story about Maria, mother of Jesus blessing the plant on her journey. Alas the text neglected to mention that the fern is growing in America which was discovered about 1500 years after Maria’s passing.

The real Rose of Jericho grows in the Judean desert below sea level. The real Rose of Jericho has medicinal properties, blooms in white during the rainy season and curls up like a ball to protect its seeds. It is known as the resurrection plant as it opens in water to release its seeds. This resurrection cycle can continue for several decades until the plant releases all its seeds.