Jericho Flower, Selaginella lepidophylla

A living ally that renews itself indefinitely. The Jericho Flower can be dried and revived hundreds of times, which makes it one of the few botanical tools you partner with rather than consume. You are not burning it or releasing it into a working; it stays on your altar and returns whenever you call it back with water.

Rooted in several living folk traditions. This plant carries documented use in Hoodoo, Brujería, Curanderismo, Espiritismo, and folk Catholicism, worked for prosperity, protection, love, and cleansing. It is a heritage tool with centuries of cross-cultural practice behind it, so whatever path you keep, there is likely already a way of working it within your own.

Simple to keep, with no soil required. Selaginella lepidophylla needs only a shallow dish and a little water to revive, then a dry rest between workings. That makes it practical for anyone who wants a living presence on the altar without the daily upkeep of a potted plant.

• Common names: Jericho Flower, Rose of Jericho, Resurrection Plant, Siempre Viva, Flor de Piedra, Dinosaur Plant
• Scientific name: Selaginella lepidophylla
• Origin: Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico and the southwestern United States
• Quantity: 1 dried plant, dormant and ready to revive with water
• No soil required
• Approximate dry size: 2 to 3 inches across
• Approximate open size: 4 to 6 inches across when fully hydrated
• Vendor: AzureGreen
• Non-toxic to humans and pets

In Hoodoo, the water a reviving Jericho Flower produces is prized for prosperity and protection work. A common practice sets the plant in a shallow bowl near the front door or a business entrance with five coins resting in the water. As it opens over several days the coins charge, and the water is used to wipe a doorframe, threshold, or cash register to draw abundance and turn back misfortune. That same water is added to floor washes, sprinkled in the corners of a room, or used to rinse protective charms.

In Mexican folk practice and Curanderismo the plant carries old associations with renewal and new beginnings, a chapter we pass along as history; practitioners today work it to call warmth and connection back to a home or a relationship that has gone quiet. Set an intention as you place it in water, and let its slow opening mirror what you are inviting to return.

Its lineage runs through the Chihuahuan Desert, where Spanish missionaries are said to have used its revival to illustrate spiritual rebirth, a crossroads of Indigenous and Christian symbolism that carried the plant into Hoodoo, Santería, and Espiritismo.

1. Revive the plant. Set the dry, curled Jericho Flower in a shallow bowl and add clean water to cover the roots or the bottom inch; you do not need to submerge it. Spring water, rainwater, or moon water are favored for ritual, though tap water is fine for the plant itself. It begins opening within four to six hours and may take up to 48 hours to fully unfurl.
2. Set your intention. Before you add the water, hold the curled plant in your hands, breathe slowly, and name clearly what you want to renew. Place it in the bowl as an act of intention, and let its opening become a meditation on patience and return.
3. Work with the water. Change the water every one to two days to keep it fresh. The charged water can wash a threshold, sprinkle into corners, join a floor wash for prosperity, or rinse protective charms. For Hoodoo money work, rest five coins in the bowl as it blooms, then carry them once the working is done.
4. Return it to rest. After about a week, lift the plant from the water and set it in a dry, airy spot to curl back into dormancy. The rhythm of revival and rest is what keeps it healthy for years; a plant left standing in water will eventually rot.
5. Begin again. When you are ready for the next working, simply add water. Each revival is a fresh beginning.

Your practice is your own. There is no single correct tradition for working this plant, only your relationship to what it represents.

• Jericho Flowers, 6 Pack: For ongoing workings or gifts, the 6 pack gives you a working supply of the same plant, one to keep in the bowl and others to share or hold in reserve.
• Florida Water Cologne: Drawn from the same Hoodoo and Espiritismo currents, use it to cleanse and anoint the bowl or the space around your working.
• Prosperity Magic Dust: Sprinkled around the bowl or added as a pinch to the water, it layers extra money intention onto the plant's drawing energy.
• Chamomile Flower: Hoodoo's classic luck and money herb; keep it beside the plant, or wash your hands in a cooled infusion before you tend the bowl.
• Citrine Crystals: Citrine carries abundance and bright energy in crystal work; set a piece in the bowl or nearby to reinforce the prosperity you are calling.

What is the difference between this single plant and the 6 Pack? This listing is one Jericho Flower, ideal for a single altar or a first working. The 6 Pack offers a working supply for practitioners who revive several at once, keep backups, or gift them to others. The plant itself is identical; only the quantity differs.

Is this the true or false Rose of Jericho? This is Selaginella lepidophylla, native to the Chihuahuan Desert. Some call it the false Rose of Jericho, reserving true for the Middle Eastern Anastatica hierochuntica. Even so, Selaginella is the species standard in Hoodoo, Santería, and Espiritismo, and almost certainly the one your tradition calls for.

How do I revive my Jericho Flower when it arrives? Place it in a shallow bowl and add clean water to just cover the roots or bottom inch; you need not submerge it. It begins opening in four to six hours and may take 24 to 48 hours to open fully. Change the water every one to two days.

Can I leave it in water all the time? It is best not to. Beyond about a week of standing water the plant begins to rot, which cannot be undone. The cycle of revival and dry rest also mirrors its meaning; it is made to return and rest in rhythm with your workings, not to stay open forever.

The water turned brown, and how do I prevent mold? Brown or amber water is normal, since the plant releases tannins and desert minerals as it opens. Change the water when it discolors, and always let the plant dry fully between cycles. Mold nearly always comes from infrequent water changes rather than any fault in the plant.

Can I work with this plant if I am new to its traditions? Yes. The Jericho Flower is one of the most welcoming tools in folk magic, and its meaning is plain to see. If you feel drawn to a specific path such as Hoodoo or Curanderismo, we encourage you to seek out that tradition's own teachers and practitioners.