Hi. I don't know if you keep track of all your plant, and really know how old they are. I have some really old cacti, but no plant that I have grow by my self that's really old Maybe I am not the right one to take care of them? :-| How about you?
I have some plants that are really quite old. My Peace Lily I've had for over ten years and it's still going strong. The oldest plant I've ever had was a Clivia Lily that was almost eighty years old. I got it form an old lady I used to run errands for as a child. She'd had it for around 50 years and left it to me when she died. It grew well for me and even moved house with me when I got married. It finally got just too big for the house a few years ago and so I gave it to the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens where it may very well still be to this day. :-D
70 years old Clivia Lily That's really old. If I have my way around Edinburgh Botanical Gardens I will look for it :-D
It's in one of the large glasshouses Christer. I really must take a trip one day to see if it's still going strong.
Until about 3 months ago I had not had houseplants for over 20 years so my holiday cacti and African Violet are not very old at all. Eileen, I can't imagine being able to keep a houseplant alive for 50 years like your friend. Mine in the past have usually done like Christer's, they just didn't want to hang around for me.
I was given a start off of an Easter Cactus by a co-worker that belonged to his 83 year old mother. I have no idea how long she had it. Also my lipstick plant came from an old plant that had belonged to my friends grandpa. I guess mine are the 2nd generation :-D Both seem to be doing really well, so far
My oldest is a Jade plant that is over 12 years old from a single start. Have numerous other starts from it. My grandmother has a Christmas cactus she has had for over 40 years.
My favorite old plants are probably my lady slipper orchids (Paphiopedilum) which I have divided and my son now has also. They are about 15 years old. Paphiopedilum - Lady Slipper ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden ) My oldest plant is about 20 years old an is a variegated ficus benjamina that I keep trimmed down to a small size. I had one that was well over 30 years old and 7 feet tall. I got it as a teenager. It was donated to a charity auction when I decided to down-size all my house plants.
I originally got my African Milkweed back in 1982 when I lived in Albuquerque. It was over 6 foot tall when I moved back to Texas in 2001. I was staying at my Mom's and she said it was too big to keep in the house. So I placed it outside. It did pretty good for a couple of years. I moved it to my place. Just didn't make it through the 2nd winter. I had, however, started another from it. So... I still claim that I've had that plant for 25+ years! It's only about 2 foot tall... but you can bet I'll never let winter kill it! African Milk Tree ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )
cool looking plant cherylad. Sometimes it is just hard to keep the plants the right size. Looks like your African milkweed is heading for its former height
This is my oldest plant; a cactus This plant is about 50 years old, but grown by at least 3 different growers, me included. Pelecyphora strobiliformis In bloom this summer
And a lovely cactus it is Christer. My oldest plant is a pony tail palm I grew from a seed when I was about 8 so it is about 30 years old. I shall have to take a piccy of it, especially as I am taking it to the village show this weekend. All of my houseplants are either grown from seed or cuttings, and I haven't 'acquired' a new one for a couple of years.
Wow EJ keeping a plant since you were child is impressive. Christer that cactus is older than a lot of bonsai and to have had 3 owners! Gosh, that would be scary for me. Pressure to keep it doing well no matter what. Good thing it got you and not me.
Quite impressive to see what you all can keep growing inside. I don't have anything to brag about...all of my efforts go to my outside plants. I have managed to keep one African violet alive for over a year, though, and that's a record for me!
