What Is the Lifespan of Indoor Plants? Indoor plants can live for two to five years or longer, depending on the species. Indoor plants should typically last between two and five years. But a lot depends on the kind of houseplants you have and how dedicated you are to taking care of them.
How long do plants typically survive?
A plant’s lifespan can range from a few months to hundreds of years. Annual plants, like the nasturtium in this photo, germinate (sprout), bloom, make seeds, and then perish within a calendar year. The same procedure takes two years for biennial plants like the carrot.
Which house plant lives the longest?
You’re interested in growing your own plant and seeing if it can beat any records now that you know that houseplants can essentially live forever, or at least nearly so. There are several hardy indoor plants that are renowned for having longer lives, yet a houseplant’s lifetime isn’t always influenced by its species.
All of them would be wonderful additions to your indoor garden, and many of them have well-known names from previous discussions on this blog. Let’s continue our discussion of the longest-living houseplants.
(As a warning, we want to emphasise that we cannot guarantee a houseplant will live for many years. Your indoor plant can only have a long, healthy, and happy existence with your constant care.)
Succulents
These days, it seems like succulents are everywhere. Due to their ease of maintenance, indoor and outdoor gardeners both have become fans of these fleshy houseplants. Succulents require far less frequent watering than typical houseplants, as we’ve discussed on this blog. They are accustomed to growing in desert conditions and may go for weeks without water.
Succulents provide an unmistakable appeal to your house or office, from the spiral aloe that has a pleasing appearance to the aloe vera and burro’s tail. The shortest lifespan of a succulent is six years, though it might vary from species to species. If you take good care of them, some can continue to grow for many years.
Cycads
The cycad, or Cycadophyta, resembles a palm tree in appearance, but its evergreen leaves are usually stiffer. Additionally, a cycad’s trunk is frequently much thicker than a palm’s. This houseplant can be grown indoors or outdoors. Hold off watering it during the cooler months; otherwise, give it water twice a week.
If you recall from earlier in this post, an Eastern Cape cycad holds the title for being one of the longest-living indoor plants ever. The fact that this plant has survived for more than 200 years is not surprising given that natural trees have an average lifespan of 1,000 years!
Cacti
Cacti are without a doubt the type of succulent that is most known. There are around 1,750 distinct species in the Cactaceae family. Like many types of succulents, they prefer water every two weeks and lots of sunlight.
When grown outside, the cactus will live longer than some of the other plants on this list. If the conditions are appropriate, it can survive there for anything between 10 and 200 years. But that doesn’t imply you should stop appreciating cactus as indoor plants. Choose the Christmas cactus instead, which can live for 20 to 30 years even when cultivated inside.
Table Palms
Although it would be great, it is regrettably not possible to cultivate a full-fledged palm tree in your home. The table palm is a good middle ground. Without all the tree growth, you may now experience a tropical atmosphere whenever you want at your house, place of business, or apartment. This evergreen houseplant has the kind of adaptability that makes it ideal for beginning gardeners because it can thrive in either full or partial shade.
The table palm belongs to the Arecaceae family, so we were unable to determine the exact lifespan of this plant, however it may be up to 100 years. In actuality, unlike the majority of houseplants, palm trees have a definite lifespan, with some passing away at about 80 years old and others living for 20 more years.
ZZ Plant
Some gardeners claim that the ZZ plant, also known as the Zanzibar jewel or Zamioculcas, is invincible. Of course, that is not the case. All indoor plants, including the ZZ plant, can perish, as we’ve already mentioned. Just getting there is challenging.
For instance, this houseplant may go for extended periods of time without water, possibly even up to four months. That has to do with the water content of the petiole and leaf, of which the former contains 91% water and the latter, 95%. The ZZ plant is unaffected by dim lighting in a house or place of business.
Spider Plant
Do you currently have a spider plant or Chlorophytum comosum in your hanging basket? If so, be sure to give this perennial extra attention. They dislike damp soil since it indicates a danger of overwatering the plant. The spider plant does well in indirect sun and on soil that drains quickly.
Root rot is one of the main enemies of spider plants. Because of this, you should really develop the habit of determining when to water this houseplant by gently feeling the soil with your fingertips. For your efforts, you can receive a lovely hanging plant that endures for a very long time.
Hoya
The hoya has been discussed on this site before; in fact, it has come up a few times. In case you missed it, the hoya belongs to the Asclepias genus, which has more than 300 species of tropical plants. Particularly the hoya grows throughout Asia, including in Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, China, and India. It can be identified by its tiny, rubbery-appearing leaves.
Another plant whose lifespan is unknown to science is the hoya, yet it may live a very long time. Check to see whether your hoya is flowering if you’re looking for a sign that it’s going to live a long time. The lovely purple, pink, or white blooms that your hoya may produce are a sign of a strong plant.
Aspidistra Cast Iron Plant
The Aspidistra cast iron plant is a member of the Asparagaceae family, however we haven’t yet presented it to you. Change that, then. This houseplant is known as baran or haran in Japan. It is known as the cast iron plant or the bar-room plant in other regions of the world. The Aspidistra elatior is its official scientific name.
This indoor plant, which is native to Taiwan and Japan, can grow to a height of two feet. The long, towering leaves resemble philodendrons in some ways, but they are neater and cleaner looking. The cast iron plant Aspidistra can withstand neglect without dying on you, which makes it conducive to a surprisingly long existence.
Bird of Paradise
The presence of the bird of paradise plant on this list may surprise you. Fair enough. The Strelitzia, which belongs to the family Strelitziaceae, is from South Africa. The appearance of the plant isn’t very noteworthy. The beautiful blooms are what really make the bird of paradise so adored. Long, pointed orange petals with touches of deep, rich blue, vibrant pink, white, or sunny yellow characterise these flowers.
You can plant your bird of paradise and then wait for the blossoms to bloom. The bird of paradise plants will take their sweet time to grow the magnificent flowers, possibly up to 20 years, so you best have some patience!
Monstera
Let’s review the Swiss cheese plant and Monstera deliciosa as we haven’t discussed them in a while. This plant is native to southern Mexico and is also found in Hawaii, the Society Islands, Ascension Island, and the Seychelles. The monstera almost seems like a philodendron at first glance, but the rounded shape of the leaves distinguishes these two houseplants.
What is the lifespan of your monster? Don’t be duped if you’ve heard that an average lifespan is five years. There’s a lot of false information out there. Monstera is a houseplant that can live up to 40 years or longer, like many others. It all depends on how well you take care of this tropical indoor plant, such as by giving it plenty of strong light.
Philodendron
The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families estimates that the Araceae family member philodendron contains about 490 species, while there may be more or less. The philodendron and monstera have different leaf shapes, with the former’s having a distinctive teardrop or heart shape. You have many alternatives for outfitting your interior garden with philodendrons because they may liven up a pot or a hanging basket.
As we previously stated, the Pennsylvania woman owned her philodendron for forty years, which was long enough for her to include it in her will. This houseplant is capable of living even longer, in our opinion. Why not try growing some yourself and observe?
English Ivy
Unlike English ivy, pothos vines may live for much longer periods of time—up to 30 years—than pothos vines can. There is no defined lifespan, so if you follow a regular maintenance schedule, you can anticipate owning your Hedera helix for many years. You should have plenty of time to take in its amazing growth, with the longest English ivy reaching lengths of approximately 50 feet!
Insects like spider mites are one of the main obstacles to your English ivy living a long life. The mites should stay away if you fill a spray bottle with soft water and shower the plant once a week. For the ivy, you must also keep your house or workplace relatively damp, even in the winter.
Weeping Fig
The weeping fig, or Ficus benjamina, is an evergreen with a reputation for elegance. It prefers rich, swiftly draining soil. Make sure you allot space in your house or apartment for this houseplant because a weeping fig can grow up to six feet tall.
The weeping fig, in contrast to several of the other plants on the list, won’t grow well in any lighting. Instead, it requires a mix of largely indirect and some direct light, preferably in the morning. Additionally, you must frequently water this plant and keep it moist. The weeping fig remains with you once you do so for years to come.
Snake Plant
You kind of had to expect to find the snake plant, also known as Sansevieria trifasciata, on this list as it is another member of the Asparagaceae family. While its lighting needs are rather flexible (indirect light is ideal, but low light and sunlight won’t harm it either), overwatering could cause your snake plant to pass away before its time. Please take caution.
Undoubtedly, the snake plant has a five to ten year lifespan on average. However, many people who grow plants indoors have their snake plants for far longer, often up to 25 years or more. That is why giving indoor plants good care is so important.
How frequently should indoor plants be changed?
Although repotting your plants may seem difficult, we have some advice to help you succeed.
First things first: repotting refers to replacing the soil or potting mix, not necessarily the planter that it is now in. The nutrients in new soil are new. This is fantastic news if you adore your present planter, but it’s also okay if you want to get a new one or your plant has clearly outgrown its existing container. Try to choose a planter that is no more than 2″ larger in diameter for tabletop planters and no more than 4″ larger in diameter for floor planters when choosing a new one. Your new container might just need to be an inch larger if you’re repotting a really tiny plant! The size of your plant’s new home is crucial because we tend to give it more water in larger planters. Small plant in large planter with loads of soil and water results in unintentional dying. You want to give your plant some additional room to expand in the coming months rather than drowning it in soil.
Repotting should be done on average every 12 to 18 months, depending on how quickly the plant is developing. Some slow-growing plants, like cactus, can live for years in the same pot with only a soil resupply. The best time to repot your houseplants is typically in the spring, at the beginning of the growing season.
If you notice one or more of these indicators, you’ll know it’s time to report:
1. The grow pot or planter’s drainage hole(s) are being penetrated by roots 2. The plant’s roots are almost pushing it out of the planter. 3. The plant’s growth is significantly slower than usual (different than winter dormancy) 4. The plant is quite top-heavy and is prone to falling over. 5. The potting soil dries out the plant faster than before, necessitating more frequent waterings. 6. The plant’s foliage is larger than its present planter by more than three times. 7. The plant or planter has a pronounced salt and mineral buildup 8. You haven’t repotted your plant in more than a year.
What you’ll need on hand is as follows:
Of course, whether it is a new or existing factory.
The container you’re using for planting (if reusing a container, make sure to thoroughly rinse the inside first)
new potting soil
If your planter does not have a drainage hole, use lava rocks or something similar.
If you’re touching a plant like a Ficus elastica that has unpleasant sap, wear gloves.
a water bottle, a sink faucet, or a watering can
a newspaper, sheet for pots, or surface that is simple to clean
1. Take the plant out of the pot or planter it is currently in. Your plant will slide out of its current container if you grip it firmly by the stems or leaves while turning it sideways and tapping the bottom of the container. With a few little tugs on the stems’ bases, you might need to assist it a little.
2. Take the roots out. Use your hands to gently loosen the plant’s roots. Make sure to keep the thicker roots at the base of the leaves and cut any extra-long threadlike roots. Unbind the roots as much as you can and give them a trim if your plant is root-bound (the roots are growing in very small circles around the base of the plant).
3. Get rid of the old potting soil Remove at least a third of the old potting soil that is encircling the plant’s roots. You should give your plant new potting soil or mix because as it grew, it may have consumed all or part of the nutrients in the old mixture.
4. Include fresh potting soil Fresh potting soil should be added to the empty planter, and it should be packed down to eliminate any air pockets. Before adding the potting mix, layer the bottom of the planter with lava rocks or something comparable (rocks, gravel, etc.) if it has a drainage hole. The idea is to carve out areas for the additional water to collect in and flow away from the roots of your plant.
5. Include a plant. Make sure your plant is centred before placing it on top of the newly added layer of soil in the planter. Then, pour extra potting soil all around the plant to secure it. You want the roots to have room to breathe, so avoid packing the planter with too much soil.
Water and pleasure. The potting soil should be evened out, then water well. It’s important to remember that a plant that has just been re-potted doesn’t require fertiliser.