PSA: I just read that some orchids can live for over a century

Found it in a library book on houseplants, which said a specific Cattleya in a UK greenhouse was documented from 1898 to 2002. Has anyone actually seen a plant that old in person?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair_davis2mo ago

Wait, they can live that long? I always thought orchids were kind of fussy and short lived. That book fact totally changes how I see them.

betty_reed619d ago

Some of those moth orchids in the grocery store can actually live 20 or 30 years if you don't overwater them. I've got one that was a gift from my neighbor back in 2005 and it's still going strong. It really surprised me how easy they are once you just leave them alone. The trick is to let the roots dry out completely between waterings, otherwise they rot. So yeah, definitely not the short term houseplants people think they are.

gavinhunt2mo ago

Yeah @blair_davis, some types can outlive their owners if you get their care right.