I have a lot of respect for the senior community. And I have had the opportunity to take a job with Eldergrow. A few days a month, I go to an assisted living facility. I help take care of a garden and teach classes to the residents. Every month, we are provided with the lessons and they are always a big hit. Sometimes, they are particular cool like the False Rose of Jericho.
So here’s the super cool thing about it. It has a really nifty way of surviving. When water isn’t available, it just closes up and rolls around the desert until it finds water again. Then it soaks up water and opens up. This goes on over and over. The true rose of Jericho has similar survival skills but will die if uprooted.
The True Rose of Jericho is an ancient herb found in Asia. But the “False Rose of Jericho” is found in the Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico, New Mexico and Arizona. And that’s the one we used.
Anyway, it boggles the mind that it can look like this and not be dead.
This is a fun little activity for pretty much any age, including middle-aged moms because I just think it is so cool! 😊
It’s super simple. Take the dead looking rose of Jericho and plop it in water.
In a few hours, it will open up to a clearly life-like moss plant.
You can do this over and over. And I have… 😀
You can order these on Amazon for under $10. Let me know if you try it!
the6parkers 
There’s much gratification in working with seniors. I chose to work in geriatrics for the majority of my nursing career, and for many years specialized in dementia care. My experiences from that time reward me to this day, and I’ve been retired almost eight years. I’ve never heard of Rose of Jericho. So interesting! Now I’ll be keeping a watch for them in our travels. Great post!
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I totally agree! It is so emotionally fulfilling! Every time I leave, my heart feels so full. ❤️
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