Selaginella tamariscina, the "nine-death resurrection plant," has tenacious vitality, high ornamental value, and can also be made into bonsai

Introduction

Green plants and potted plants are essential decorative items for home life; they can both beautify the home and delight the mind and nurture the character. Keeping some flowers and plants at home brings many benefits. "Huasheng Potted Plant Diary, Issue 1065" introduces you to a plant with very tenacious vitality.

Today's Featured Plant

When it comes to the plant with the "most tenacious vitality," you might think of the cactus; after all, it can grow in the desert. But in fact, there is another plant even tougher than the cactus: even after completely drying out, it can grow back again. This plant is Selaginella tamariscina, known as the "nine-death resurrection plant," and it has appeared in many martial arts novels. The picture above shows what it really looks like.

Selaginella tamariscina

Selaginella tamariscina is a terrestrial or lithophytic resurrection plant in the family Selaginellaceae and the genus Selaginella. It mostly grows on mountain slopes and rocks, under trees in forests, or in dry rock crevices, and can be found in many places in China. Because it is extremely drought-tolerant, when it suffers long-term drought, its branches and leaves turn yellow, and it looks as if it has "died," as long as its roots are soaked in water for some time, it will unfold again and show signs of life, hence its name.

Tenacious vitality

This characteristic of Selaginella tamariscina is related to its growing environment, because the rock crevices where it grows are very barren and have poor water-holding capacity. Its water source for growth depends almost entirely on rain, and sometimes it may not get a single drop of water for half a year or several months. During drought, the cells throughout its body enter a dormant state, metabolism almost tenaciously stops, and it looks just like it has "died."

Revives upon contact with water

When moisture arrives, it shines again and its leaves change from yellow to green. This strange vitality of Selaginella tamariscina has been given special meaning by people. This is how titles such as "nine-death resurrection plant," "evergreen," and "immortal life herb" came about, and it has also been brought home and cultivated as an ornamental plant. It is shade-tolerant and drought-tolerant, resembling the form of a sago palm, the vigorous and ancient simplicity of a pine, and the tough and upright nature of a cypress. It stays green all year round and is also excellent material for making bonsai.

Selaginella tamariscina bonsai

Not only can it be grown in pots for ornamental viewing, Selaginella tamariscina can also be used medicinally. The whole plant has hemostatic and astringent effects. When I lived in the countryside as a child, if I accidentally fell and cut my heel or toe, the elders at home would find a few plants of Selaginella tamariscina, crush them, and apply them externally to the wound, and before long, the wound really healed. There are many varieties of Selaginella tamariscina, and the one with relatively strong ornamental value is Selaginella tamariscina 'Aureovariegata', whose leaf edges are golden and which has leaf variegation, giving it even higher ornamental value.