In my whole personal and career life, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered an immortal plant or one that has lived for at least a century. But having never encountered one doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. I, for a fact, believe that plants underwater live eternally for example.
If you’re wondering whether plants that live forever exist or not, I am here to tell you that they do exist. For as long as you take care of them, they can live for centuries.
To be precise, there is no real specific lifespan for plants, as their age is very dependable. Let’s say you have an aloe Vera plant, if you provide the right conditions for it and take care of it, it will live as long as you do so. In most cases, plants die due to biochemical reasons and diseases.
The aloe vera plant is only an example. However, do not confuse annual plants in this matter. There are many plants that can only live for one year. Seasonal plants as well can be hard to take care of for a very long time. Some seasonal plants cannot survive during other seasons and eventually die. Also, fruitful plants are not taken into consideration such as the zucchini plant
Do Indoor Plants Live Longer Than Outdoor Plants?
Any plant can be considered immortal dependently. And this can be applied to both, outdoor plants and indoor plants. However, if you’re intending on having your plant live forever, or to live for a very long time, raising it outdoors can be a very cruel task.
But saying that, it doesn’t mean that houseplants are easy to take care of. Some plants require more humidity than others, and some require more sunlight than others. depending on what type of plant you have. For that, you’d need to have a humidifier, light bulbs that mimic the sunlight, and so on.
Personally, I have had my coneflower plant indoors for nearly 9 years and it is still as beautiful as when I first planted it. It is the oldest plant I currently have.
Which Plants Live the Longest?
It is hard to say which plants live the longest, precisely, while there are many plants that are not discovered yet. Or there are some plants that lived so long but we never heard of them.
In this article, we are only talking about plants. Trees are not taken into consideration as that can be a whole separate topic. Here are a couple of plants that can live the longest as house plants and outdoor plants, “plant pets.”
After doing my deep research I can tell you that the oldest plant in the world is surprisingly a potted plant. Yes, you read that right, a plant in a pot.
Bonsai
The Bonsai plant is Japanese. It is found in the wild and transferred in pots. Such a magical plant I’d say. It is so beautiful and strong.
The Bonsai plant can look like a giant mini tree from certain angles which is kind of really cute. Another great thing about this plant is that it holds a spiritual symbol. It can be held as a legacy and passed from generation to generation.
You can purchase it from local stores or online stores. But, I have to tell you that it can be quite expensive.
There is a whole museum in Japan dedicated to this plant, Bonsai. The oldest bonsai plant that is known so far has lived for a thousand-year (1000 years).
If you’re an American or live in the USA, you can visit a museum in Washington DC where there is an 800 years old bonsai plant that Japan donated in 1945.
Schlumbergera
Schlumbergera plant (also called Christmas Cactus) can also be passed down from one generation to another. It looks perfect as a houseplant. Especially for the Cactus fans out there including myself. It is amazingly beautiful and has a lifespan of 100 years.
It does not live as long as the bonsai plant, but who knows, maybe your family can be the first one to take good care of the Christmas Cactus and make it live longer. This is definitely another plant that I would love to have to pass on to my kids.
If you’re willing to purchase this plant, know that after a few decades, the plant will start to look kinda dead but not really.
Even though it looks like a wilted plant, it is still beautiful and pleasing to the eye. If you got the chance to get one, use me as a sign to have it immediately. Highly recommend it.
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