Desert rose (crystal) facts for kids

A desert rose is a cool type of rock that looks like a flower. It's made of crystals of gypsum or baryte mixed with lots of sand. The "petals" are flat crystals that spread out like a fan, making it look just like a rose blossom!

These special rock formations usually grow in dry, sandy places. Imagine a shallow pool of salty water drying up – that's where these crystals start to form. Gypsum roses often have sharper, clearer edges than baryte roses. Other minerals can also form these rose-like shapes. They can be as small as a pea or as big as 10 centimetres (4 in) across. Sometimes you find just one "bloom," and sometimes you find a whole bunch together.

The sand mixed into the crystal changes the rose's look. If there's iron in the sand, the desert rose might have a reddish or rusty color.

You might hear desert roses called by other names too, like sand rose, Sahara rose, rose rock, selenite rose, gypsum rose, or baryte (barite) rose.

Where are Desert Roses Found?

Sahara Desert

You can find lots of sand roses around the salt lake of Chott el Djerid in Tunisia. They are also common in nearby parts of Algeria and Libya. Local people collect these beautiful rocks and sell them to tourists. This helps them earn money and supports their communities.

The desert roses from the salt lake area are extra special. They have a lot of salt in them, which makes their crystals very bright and shiny. Other sand roses might have more sand and look a bit rusty, so they aren't as sparkly. You can also find sand roses near Abqaiq in Saudi Arabia.

Oklahoma, USA

In Oklahoma, USA, rose rocks formed about 250 million years ago. Back then, a shallow sea covered western and central Oklahoma. As the sea dried up, baryte minerals came out of the water. These minerals crystallized around tiny grains of quartz sand.

This process created large areas of reddish sandstone, known as Garber Sandstone. Inside this sandstone, you can find deposits of rose rock. Because they are so unique, the rose rock was chosen as the official rock of Oklahoma in 1968.

How Big Can They Get?

Most desert roses are usually about thirteen to twenty-five mm (1⁄2–1 in) wide. But some can be much bigger! The largest one recorded in Oklahoma was 43 cm (17 in) across and 25 cm (10 in) tall. It weighed a huge 57 kg (125 lb)!

Even bigger groups of rose rocks have been found. Some clusters can be as tall as one metre (39 in) and weigh over 450 kg (1,000 lb).

See also

• National Museum of Qatar

Images for kids

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  Saharan gypsum desert rose from Tunisia (length 47 cm)

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  Baryte rose from Cleveland County, Oklahoma (size:10.2 x 7.1 x 5.5 cm)

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  Large desert rose formation in the Tunisian desert