I have two aspidistra. They go way back to the olden days. One is mine, an offspring of the other one, which I am taking care of for the old lady I got mine from. She again got it from a lady who has been diseased for many years. The "mother" plant may be 40 years or more, the "grandmother" went even further back.

Howdy,

Don't know if this counts.

I was given a cutting, (1994) from my brother's, mother-in-law.
She had the mom plant at least 20-yrs. All I know is this plant was hauled from Poland.

It was ID'd, here on GW, as Pandanus, but sure doesn't act like Screw Pine.

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My family detests plants, so no family heirlooms. Toni

My Gramma thinks these Sansevieria trifasciata vacationing in the ground for summer (with Gladiolus foliage, and Tradescantia pallida,) are about 80 years old. Her mother had them when she was a little girl, but we don't know how it came to be in her possession in Kentucky almost a century ago. Of course none of the molecules still around are 80 years old, but we know the plant's been in the family that long. I've had them for about 20 years.

October 2002:
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Fall 2013: (The light colored leaves are new growth from this year.)

This post was edited by purpleinopp on Thu, Sep 26, 13 at 15:36

Hopefully I'll never have a chance to count the rings in this trunk, but I've had this tree for about 20 years, given to me at the same time as the Sans above. Gramma doesn't remember when this one showed up but she said she had it for a very long time before giving it to me, and she remembers having it in Indiana, so it's got to be at least 50.

October 2002:
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Sept. 2013: (At the base are Begonias, Alternanthera, Hypoestes, Tradescantia 'Red Hill.' Excuse the mess, front porch is activity central-station!)

This post was edited by purpleinopp on Thu, Sep 26, 13 at 15:38

This came from my Uncle's funeral in 1996, heart-leaf Philodendron.

Wow there are some old plants! My christmas cactus was found at houseplant rescue place. I was huge! But when I got it, it had horible root rot and was able to save 2 major plants. (Ones with real major corkin.) In the pot was four total plants . ð I tied to save alot of cuttings but I gave them all away to my closest plant friends as back up plants. But recently was able it find some true Christmas cactus for sale at a nursery. The one in plastic orange terricata pot is one I bought 3 years ago, the one in small black pot is the one I bought from the same nursary this year.

This is a true Christmas cactus that is about 40 years old. It was given to my father by my cousin's grandmother, and it w only a small cutting off a mother plant that was gorgeous and big. When my dad passed away in 1999, my black-thumbed mother almost killed it, so I rescued it and have treasured it since. It has had its ups and downs, but seems to be doing pretty well. We've been in our house for 2 years, and it seems to have settled into a nice spot and has some new growth on it. In only got one bloom last year, hoping for more this year.

This is my favorite plant and I would be devastated if something happened to it.

Hall gall, very pretty looking one! What color are the blooms?

Being old myself, I have some old plants. I have a green spider plant that has been cloned many times as it got scales when I had it outside while I lived in CA, and it took many clonings to finally get rid of them once I moved and had to have it inside. It was given to me by a friend who got it from a neighbor when we were girls. So that would be at least 45 years since then. I have a Mamillaria that was given to me in an 6 in. pot when it was my son's first birthday. So it is about 23 yrs since then. It is in a 14 in pot and is getting so big I can't move it in and out anymore. It took me until just two years ago to figure out that if I water it in March, even though it isn't outside yet it will bloom like crazy. (I don't water my cacti at all in the winter)

Oh, I forgot all about spider plant. That's been kickin' around with me since the 70's. Moved locally in central OH about a dozen times, then in the back of the U-haul to come to AL (like the others I mentioned.) Not all of my furniture fit in the truck, and I left a lot of plants in OH, but no way I was leaving the "important ones." I don't really even like spider plant, but not having at least one little clump around would be like a missing appendage, a toe maybe. Down here though, it's equivalent to growing violets in a pot up north. At least it doesn't have to come inside.

It actually looked this bad in October 2002, but still lives today, in a pot here, and a few pieces still popping up in the ground at Mom's from a few deep roots I missed.
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Which reminds me of plants that used to be house plants in OH but are happy in the ground here in AL.

I've had this EE bulb for about a dozen years total, in the ground for the past 5. October 2002:
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Sept. 2013:

This post was edited by purpleinopp on Thu, Sep 26, 13 at 15:42

Got these Cannas about the same time. They lived in a pot for 2-3 years, then I started putting them in the ground in OH, digging them up to store in basement. Brought some to AL where they are maybe too happy in the ground. They're all around my yard, my Mom's, DH's Mom's yard, and shared with about 10 other people.

This is often grown as a 'fat plant' with fat caudex stem/trunk. Mirabilis jalapa. Had this for close to 20 years. Back story here.

AHA!
So THAT'S what the cannas look like,..SWEET!!

Thanks again Purp!
You're the best! :)

...Still debating on whether or not to do anything with the rhizomes this year,..probably have more of an idea after getting the plants inside,huh? lol

I have a tricolor mosses in a cradle (or boat) can't remember which. But I got this plant two years ago. My great grandma had this plant before she passed away and got this plant. Not an heirloom plant, but I would like to keep it alive for generations.

You gals and guys are lucky you're family kept plants.

Purple...do the Sans, 'which have beautiful coloring,' stay in-ground or do you lift them?

Are you serious about counting rings on your D. marginata?
After reading your ring comment, I had to look at my marginata. There's hundreds of circles, lol. Are they the rings you're talking about?
I had NO idea Drac rings were like counting outdoor tree rings. Amazing!!!

Asleep...Wow, yours is the largest Mam I'd ever seen. How in the world do you carry outside?
I'm not a cactus person, 'have a few,' but that is one, beautiful Mamm.

Are the flowers real??

Purple, can you keep your Mirabilis indoors? One stem, since it's a caudex??? Does it go dormant in winter?

Here are my oldest plants..

Spider, green. In 2010, the hottest summer I remember, I was sick, left both Spiders in an extremely hot room, west windows..They both died.

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Clivia, was sowed from seed, 1982/3. This picture was taken last summer...Clivia is a little larger now.
I promised a division to a friend, so, the pot will have extra space.

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In bloom...

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Last...Crown of Thorns, milii..Dh's friend at work, gave me a cutting..It's ever-flowering.

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Toni

i am a horrible child. My grandmother gave me a slip of her Epi (ackermannii rev) i believe, one of the oldest forms of the plant, found in 1897 or something. Anywho. She gave her two mother plants to the college and gave me a slip when i was 12. it died. And i have spent YEARS literally YEARS to find the exact plant, with the exact bloom (next to impossible since theres been so many hybrids) however, luck has found me, and i found some cuttings on ebay from a woman who has had the plant for 25 years, and who got it from her grandmother who had it for lord knows how long! I think i found my gramma's plant!

My other grandma gave me a slip of her drunkards dream rhipsalis hydiora (i think) when i was in sixth grade... kept it alive for a very long time, up until i moved into my own apartment 10 years ago. it got mealies and i couldnt get rid of them. she has had the mother plant for 40 years and got it from a neighbor who threw it in the trash 40 years ago. that woman is said to have had it for about the same amount of time. Its GORGEOUS, and HUGE! so glad to have found it again.

that leads to my saddest story. My grandmother had a hoya bella that hung in her stair well. it was about 6 feet long and flowered all the time. she got sick of it and put it outside in the full sun and it burnt and died. i managed to save a piece of it. seperated it and took cuttings for 4 years and made a nice plant out of it. Then again, improper watering when i got to busy with work.... MEALIES! i just found again a seller on ebay who was offering cuttings. going to try again.

i find that it may not be the oldest of plants, but recreating the good plant memories of my childhood that bring me the most joy. turning 29 in just a few months... i've come a long way since i was in 6th grade collecting house plants, and im happy with myself that i can now say that i have my grandmothers plants. Even if they aren't necessarily from their plants. they are still their plants none the less.

Wow what pretty plants everyone has! Grr what makes your epi so special, compared the other ones, size,flower color?

Grrr, now that's the spirit! Whatever brings out positive feelings in the world, the good memories, that is worth pursuing. As they say, it's the thought that counts.

Its an old school epi. Before the hybridizing really took off.
http://allthingsplants.com/plants/photo/28106/

looks like that. HUGE red blooms. old school leaf texture, beautiful basket growth. flat and triangular growth. Its just. her plant. Not that its relatively special. just special to me:)

Above, I added some 11-year old pics of some of the plants I'd already shown. Found a cache of old pics. Was reminded of a couple others too...

Here's some of the Sans again, with some Aglaonema I've had since around 1980.

October 2002:
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September 2013:

Purple, I remember this thread now.
Heck, I even posted, TWICE! :)

Purp..About your Mirabilis. You mentioned a caudex. Do you keep outdoors year round, or bring inside?

Everyone has such nice plants..Toni

Hithere, Toni, glad you remembered. I'd LOVE to 'fat plant' a Mirabilis but since they're hardy, it just seems silly to try to cram one into the house when so many other plants will die if left outside. If I had a bigger house...!

Grrr, are you living in the same appartment?
Beware of mealy; they're the worse house plant insect in the world.

I ended up tossing Clivias, African Violets and Hoyas away after 3-yrs fighting mealybug.
I do admit, I don't use chemical insecticides which probably would have saved my plants..

Howdy Asleep... :)

Purp, I know what you mean about adding more plants when the house is filled.
However, as a fat plant/caudex lover, keeping one Mirabilis shouldn't take much space...or would it?

Mirabils sown from seed this year are fairly small..compared to the other type on the side of the house.

You are right though. I considered saving Coleus cuttings, but decided it's best not to. The house is filled w/plants..