# What is a Rock Lily?
-
Arthropodium
-
The most-common species, A. cirratum, is a New Zealand native that grows in cool, moist locations in full or part sun. Narrow, grasslike leaves rise from its rhizome, and airy sprays of white flowers bloom in early summer. This plant grows 2 to 3 feet tall in a clumping formation. It won’t grow outside in cold climates, but it does make a pretty houseplant. It prefers regularly moist, well-drained soil. Fertilize twice a month with an all-purpose, water-soluble plant food at half strength.
Dendrobium
-
Dendrobium speciosum is a tropical orchid that will grow only in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, so it's most often grown as a houseplant. It's an epiphyte, which means it attaches itself nonparasitically to rocks, particularly sandstone. In the garden, you can set it among rocks or wire it to a tree. Indoors, plant it in orchid bark and place it in a bright window, but not in direct sun. Rock lily produces masses of tiny, cupped, white-and-yellow blooms on arching stems in late winter, carrying its fragrant flowers through to early spring. It has long, leathery green leaves and reaches 2 to 3 feet tall.
Selaginella
-
Selaginella convoluta is a deep-green tropical moss that grows in dense tufts on rocks that get regular moisture, such as those along a stream or in a rainforest. It spreads with thick, branching stems with scalelike leaves that resemble the flat foliage of arborvitae trees. It doesn't flower, and it's sometimes called “resurrection plant” because if it dries out, it curls up into a bird’s-nest shape and then spreads out again when rehydrated.
Uses
-
Besides their value as houseplants, rock lilies of the Arthropodium genus have edible rhizomes that were used as food by native Australians and New Zealanders. The rock lily Dendrobium has succulent, starchy stems that can be roasted and eaten, and its tubers are also edible. The selaginella rock lily was a favorite decorative item of the Victorians, who were mad about plants that would perform well in glass cases and terrariums, natural spots for moisture-loving mosses.
-
