My focus for the second go-around of the
Rainforest Gardens Epiphyte Day (officially the 1st of each month) is the Resurrection Fern, or Selaginella lepidophylla. This is a recent discovery, found at the Portland outpost of
Paxton Gate. Here are theirs, on display at the store. While I couldn’t find any concrete documentation saying this plant is an epiphyte it certain seems to fit the description.
It really is true…this brown bundle of curls can spring back to life, when given a little water. From the Paxton Gate website…”Native to the Chihuahuan Desert, S. lepidophylla's leaves will curl and dry when deprived of water (one of the common 'tumbleweed species, and uncurl rapidly when rehydrated.”
Here is the one I bought…all dried up.
And after putting it in water…
This is the underside of the plant.
Pretty nifty! What to see and learn about other Epiphytes? Click on over to the
Rainforest Garden...
My focus for the second go-around of the Rainforest Gardens Epiphyte Day (officially the 1st of each month) is the Resurrection Fern, or Selaginella lepidophylla. This is a recent discovery, found at the Portland outpost of Paxton Gate. Here are theirs, on display at the store. While I couldn’t find any concrete documentation saying this plant is an epiphyte it certain seems to fit the description. 
It really is true…this brown bundle of curls can spring back to life, when given a little water. From the Paxton Gate website…”Native to the Chihuahuan Desert, S. lepidophylla's leaves will curl and dry when deprived of water (one of the common 'tumbleweed species, and uncurl rapidly when rehydrated.” 
Here is the one I bought…all dried up. 
And after putting it in water… 
This is the underside of the plant. 
Pretty nifty! What to see and learn about other Epiphytes? Click on over to the Rainforest Garden...
I saw this is a catalog and thought, hmmm. Really, really cool!
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if they are the same species, but a fern by the same common name grows on the Live Oaks down south. When I lived in Charleston, I could always guage how dry or how wet things were by the state of these ferns. They are little magical.
ReplyDeleteFascinating...just one more reason to venture out to Mississippi Ave soon.
ReplyDeleteI can think of more than one plant that I wish had this attribute..love it !
ReplyDeletethat's pure magic! thanks!
ReplyDeleteVery cool, thanks for the blow by blow account.
ReplyDeleteDarla, it is! The guy I bought it from said he knows someone who brings his out for parties. I thought that was an odd comment at the time but once I started watching it unfold (over several hours) I realized just how fun that could be.
ReplyDeleteLes, sounds like our licorice ferns here in Portland!
Scott, indeed!
ks, oh can you imagine? In your garden? Fun!
Laguna Dirt, don't mention it.
VW, a video would have been better!
Nice! I bought one for Matti for Christmas a couple years ago, at you guessed it Paxton Gate. Watch out for too much water, ours eventually got moldy...
ReplyDeleteThat is SO COOL!!!
ReplyDeleteWow how interesting. I would love to get one of these! I entered the contest too! Don't you love Steve's blog!
ReplyDeleteI had one of these when I was a kid and found it fascinating when I first watered it... but after it unfolded, it was about the dullest inmate in my plant menagerie. Still, I loved watching it unfurl. Thanks for the memories!
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing plant. The resurrection plant is one of the primitive plant and it usually comes somewhere between ferns or mosses in the plant evolution.
ReplyDeleteI already saw that plant and its really amazing and its a herbal medicine also.
ReplyDeleteKindly mention the address to get the plant
DeleteIs your resurrection plant still green? I believe thst they grow in the ground in the desert along with cacti and other drought tolerNt plants. They are dug up and thus won't be living for long. Because of the adaptability of this plant to drought, a dead resurrection plant will continue to curl up when dry and uncurl when wet.
ReplyDeletecrazy
ReplyDeleteAnyone guide me to get the dry species
ReplyDelete