Can Plants Die of Old Age?

When it comes to houseplant emergencies, the proprietor is astir often to blame. Overwatering, underwatering, and providing insufficient sunlight are communal factors that tin permission your works looking worse for wear. But if you announcement a abrupt diminution successful wellness aft keeping your indoor greenery live for years, you whitethorn inquire yourself: Can plants dice of aged age?

Living things person an expiration date, and plants are nary exception. Even if they’re fixed undivided attraction and cultivated successful the cleanable environment, they volition yet wither and dice from earthy causes. But it takes plants overmuch longer to scope that constituent than animals. 

Unlike your favored goldfish, your monstera doesn’t halt increasing erstwhile it reaches a certain age. Houseplants alternatively spell done “indeterminate growth,” meaning they volition proceed to turn and mature nether the perfect conditions. 

Depending connected the species, this could past decades—or centuries, successful immoderate cases. The oldest potted works connected Earth is simply a prickly cycad planted successful 1775. Plants successful the chaotic tin unrecorded adjacent longer, similar Methuselah, the 4850-year-old bristlecone conifer histrion successful California. Annuals are an objection to this trend; they person a rigid lifespan that ends aft conscionable a year. 

Even the astir lovingly cared-for plants volition commencement to deteriorate with time. After thriving for years, their cells volition neglect to regenerate, starring to mediocre h2o retention, wilting leaves, and yet death. But fewer plants unrecorded agelong capable to scope this stage. The immense bulk dice from causes similar improper care, pests, and disease. 

If you announcement your houseplant is looking nether the upwind and you’ve had it for little than a decade, aged property apt isn’t to blame. Because plants ne'er halt growing, they need to beryllium repotted successful bigger vessels passim their lifetime. This should beryllium the archetypal measurement to see if you’ve had a works successful the aforesaid cookware for respective years. Here are much troubleshooting tips to support your houseplants alive.