Oldest plant in your collection

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Shane
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Location: Los Angeles, CA (zone 10b)

Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Shane »

What's the oldest plant in your collection? Mine is probably this Pilosocereus leucocephalus I rescued earlier this summer
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My friends landlord threw away some plants that had been on her property forever (10+ years). I took them and have been trying to bring them back to life. The leucocephalus is starting to bloom, so I'd say its vitality is returning :D. Based on what I know of its life, I'd guess it's in the 15-25 year old range

Counting plants I no longer have, my oldest is an apple tree I planted as a little kid 23 or 24 years ago. I also planted a birch tree from seed in 2006 but last I heard it may have been cut down

What's your oldest plant?
Los Angeles, California (USA)
Zone 10b (yearly minimum temperature 1-5° C)

Fishhook cacti are like cats, they only like to be petted in one direction
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Aiko
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Location: the Netherlands

Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Aiko »

My biggest plant is a walnut tree I planted in 2003. My oldest sown plant is a 1998 sown Pachypodium lamerei. My oldest plant is probably an Echinocactus grusonii of about 40 centimeters.
Dodi Russell
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Joined: Fri Jul 19, 2019 4:20 pm
Location: Sri Lanka, tropical climate, high humidity( no winters)

Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Dodi Russell »

My oldest cacti(on its own roots) are 2 melocactus, thelocactus setispinus and a gymnocaluycium horstii subs. buenekeri I brought in 2013 when I was 10 years old some how they survived all the trouble I gave them when I was 10 years, now I am 15 and know a lot about cacti now. I recently got a cutting from a 20 year old cactus but that doesn't count.

Oldest plant is a Adenium obesum my grandfather brought in 2008.
Location: Sri Lanka, tropical climate, high humidity( no winters)
Newton
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Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Newton »

Oldest plant I have is a pup offshoot from a 1968 store purchased cactus that I was gifted by a friend in 1982
I still have it and it only flowered for the first time last year
Dodi Russell
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Location: Sri Lanka, tropical climate, high humidity( no winters)

Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Dodi Russell »

Newton wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 4:14 pm Oldest plant I have is a pup offshoot from a 1968 store purchased cactus that I was gifted by a friend in 1982
I still have it and it only flowered for the first time last year
Would really like to see it :mrgreen:
Location: Sri Lanka, tropical climate, high humidity( no winters)
Newton
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Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Newton »

In flower
In flower
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Image

There you go
In flower
In flower
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Newton
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Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Newton »

Apologies for the duplicate
I am trying to workout the picture uploading instructions
Dodi Russell
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Location: Sri Lanka, tropical climate, high humidity( no winters)

Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Dodi Russell »

I don't know what it is maybe Echinopsis oxygona but that is one spectacular plant.
Location: Sri Lanka, tropical climate, high humidity( no winters)
Newton
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Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Newton »

Thanks
It has had some considerable abuse thrown at it over the years. Started off in a tiny pot with poor soil on a window sill in the uk with very low light levels. Thereafter it ended up on a garden wall and got forgotten about for two years. It was left outside in the frost rain and snow. It was then brought back inside and forgotten about again this time in a conservatory on a high shelf. It was only when it's been reported and put in a greenhouse in my new house that it took off spectacularly and flowered its little heart out. I'm afraid because it didn't flower it tended to get ignored and forgotten about. Obviously it didnt flower because it didnt have the right light and soil conditions. But it's a true survivor...
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hegar
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Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by hegar »

My oldest cactus is a plant which has been in my possession since 1986. It was then between 5 and 10 years old and had been thrown into a trash can.
Now the slow-growing Echinocactus texensis measures 16 cm across (6 1/4 inches). The image was taken in April of last year.

Harald
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Newton
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Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Newton »

hegar wrote: Tue Mar 31, 2020 12:43 am My oldest cactus is a plant which has been in my possession since 1986. It was then between 5 and 10 years old and had been thrown into a trash can.
Now the slow-growing Echinocactus texensis measures 16 cm across (6 1/4 inches). The image was taken in April of last year.

Harald
E_texensis4.JPG
Awesome..... trashcan and abandoned rescue plants are my personal favourites. It's almost like a philanthropic service to plant lives
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Shane
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Location: Los Angeles, CA (zone 10b)

Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Shane »

Newton wrote: Tue Mar 31, 2020 4:11 am Awesome..... trashcan and abandoned rescue plants are my personal favourites. It's almost like a philanthropic service to plant lives
And a cheap way to expand your collection!
Los Angeles, California (USA)
Zone 10b (yearly minimum temperature 1-5° C)

Fishhook cacti are like cats, they only like to be petted in one direction
Aloha916
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Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2020 12:20 am

Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Aloha916 »

Amazing texensis, Harald!
Last edited by Aloha916 on Mon Jan 02, 2023 10:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Newton
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Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Newton »

Awesome collection
That hahnihania looks superb with its growth habit. I bet its stunning in full flower
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Shane
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Location: Los Angeles, CA (zone 10b)

Re: Oldest plant in your collection

Post by Shane »

Aloha916 wrote: Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:56 am Oldest plant is not one I can take any credit for at all, as I just recently got it as a family gift. It's a Mammillaria hahniana that is about 40 years old and it has great sentimental value. Since the early 80s it's been in southern California, sitting outdoors on a patio.
This is a stunning cactus! I have a M. hahniana that's maybe baseball sized. I hope mine grows into something like that someday...
Los Angeles, California (USA)
Zone 10b (yearly minimum temperature 1-5° C)

Fishhook cacti are like cats, they only like to be petted in one direction
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