# Question about plants



## xoidiosx (Dec 24, 2014)

if you take a cutting off say a pothos plant that ia 50 years old. or however long they live. would that cutting if it was a perfect healthy cutting start a new life and live another 50 years? question #2 how long does a pothos live for?

these plants really interest me, my tanks are all heavily planted and i mean over grown with pothos plants the frogs love it. and since it makes them feel more safe and secure i feel good knowing i have frogs that want to be in their enclosures.


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## xoidiosx (Dec 24, 2014)

Anyone?....


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## Y0urbestfriend (Jan 31, 2014)

I have no idea actually. You could test it yourself but that would take quite a long time. If you decide to do so. I'll talk to you again in 2065


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## 55105 (Jan 27, 2015)

The average lifespan seems to be 5 - 10 years.

I believe once a plant is cloned it kind of becomes immortal in a weird way. That is the clone can live, say 5 years and then a clone of the clone can live 5 years... A clone of the cloned clone can live 5 more years...

So yes you could potentially have a plant forever using cloning.


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

I am not sure whether you mean "cutting" instead of "clone." You can cut the hell out of Pothos, and generally it is really hard to kill. It generally makes a long vine unless you trim it to force more growth..... As an aside, I have a hoya that came from my husband's great grandmother...it is OLD...and unless you change the environment, i.e., soil, temps, etc., a plant like pothos or other "easy" ones are what we call "easy doers."


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## Sammie (Oct 12, 2009)

Judy S said:


> *I am not sure whether you mean "cutting" instead of "clone."* You can cut the hell out of Pothos, and generally it is really hard to kill. It generally makes a long vine unless you trim it to force more growth..... As an aside, I have a hoya that came from my husband's great grandmother...it is OLD...and unless you change the environment, i.e., soil, temps, etc., a plant like pothos or other "easy" ones are what we call "easy doers."


You say there is a difference?


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## xoidiosx (Dec 24, 2014)

they are pretty interesting and totally make my dart tanks look as crazy as they do ill have to post some soon, and by cutting i meant clone.


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## Jeremy M (Oct 19, 2012)

Keep in mind that no one who keeps pothos in a dart frog tank is actually maintaining a mature plant. Adult pothos plants (as well as many other vines/shinglers we keep) look completely different than the juveniles, and grow hundreds of feet high up trees with leaves about 18 inches wide 2 feet long which usually have multiple splits in them. If you've ever been to Hawaii you can see it everywhere vining up trees, and I'm sure they're in florida too. Because we keep them in an environment where they're unable to mature, we prevent them from living out a complete natural lifecycle, however long that may be.

Pic from google:


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

A "clone" to me is a manufactured duplicate of whatever...a cutting is "cut" from the original plant and propagated in various ways to duplicate where the "cutting" came from. Clone to me is more like tissue culture...in a lab..


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## Jeremy M (Oct 19, 2012)

Judy S said:


> A "clone" to me is a manufactured duplicate of whatever...a cutting is "cut" from the original plant and propagated in various ways to duplicate where the "cutting" came from. Clone to me is more like tissue culture...in a lab..


A "clone" just indicates that the plant has the exact same genetic makeup. Both cuttings and tissue culture are two different methods of creating a clone, just like runners, keikis, bromeliad pups and prickly pear cactus pads.


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## xoidiosx (Dec 24, 2014)

cutting, clone, you know what i meant. i dont see how taking a cutting and rooting it in water is any different than taking a "clone" in a "lab", whatever thats supposed to mean, and using rooting hormone and whatever other things i could find at the grow store or hardware store. youll have a genetically identical plant either way.. id say its irrelevant weather i meant cutting or clone cause by cutting im cloning


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## Mohlerbear (Feb 20, 2014)

Judy S said:


> A "clone" to me is a manufactured duplicate of whatever...a cutting is "cut" from the original plant and propagated in various ways to duplicate where the "cutting" came from. Clone to me is more like tissue culture...in a lab..



Clear out your inbox  so I can send you your message response 


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## 55105 (Jan 27, 2015)

Normally, unless you're in a lab, the terms cutting & cloning are used interchangeably amongst hobbyists.


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

not to people who would consider themselves "plant" people. As I posted, "clone" may indeed be an exact duplicate on the cellular level...but it is reproduced using tissue culture to produce that exact plant.... A "cutting" from a plant is using the original plant material and propagating it from "natural" means, i.e., putting in water or soil--in most cases--for root development. Yes, there are other more complicated ways to get plant material to reproduce (begonia, African violets.. just ONE example)... But to reproduce the whole plant from tips to root tips the "natural" that was usually done before "cloning" is what at least I mean by "cuttings."


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

and there is anecdotal evidence that tissue grown plants (clones) are inherently weaker than the original...and it is just speculation why--maybe because the "beginning" of life for the plant didn't have to go through the stress of becoming "alive."


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## MWAInverts (Oct 7, 2014)

As a plant person myself I agree with Judy. A cutting for me is a direct duplicate of the host plant via cutting a vine, rhizome, pup etc etc. Cloning to me is TC which uses host tissue but is a nutrient rich medium often with a lot of hormones etc that can cause mutations to occur...we have a ton of these in the carnivorous plant field lol.


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## xoidiosx (Dec 24, 2014)

since i wrote the word cutting in my question i guess thats really the exact term i am talking about as we are talking pothos and there is no need to use anything but water. im obviously not in a lab if i am asking these questions. and were all plant people actually, some are just holyer than thou..


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## MWAInverts (Oct 7, 2014)

Then yes, theoretically the cutting, even from a mature plant, could be considered a juvenile. At least that's what I've been taught.


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## planted-tnk-guy (Mar 9, 2014)

(In regards to how long a plant can live)

In Australia there is a strangler fig that is believed to be older than before Christ and is an impressive sight in person to say the least. Cuttings become a new plant as it's all new tissue. Creeping plants are not like a tree so they are technically immortal. The main roots can fail and the new tips resprout new plants. Tissue culture can either make a plant stronger or make a plant weaker but a good company will work on the plant to be stronger and wait to release it until that happens. Many Ajuga sports before being tissue cultured were unstable and we're stablalized via tissue culture ;however, the opposite can and does happen as well and the variagated Acanthus is a case in point sometimes nothing can strengthen a plant but you need not worry about that with a pothos they will live and keep on living =)


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

some are just holyer than thou??? oh--by the way, cuttings--CUTTINGS--can be started in other things than water--and taking cuttings from a water environment with "water" roots is more difficult than "sticking" the cuttings in other media...if you want to learn--ask questions instead of being a smartass...people do not like that and will back off from trying to help.


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## planted-tnk-guy (Mar 9, 2014)

I posted before reading and just fixing my mistake.


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## xoidiosx (Dec 24, 2014)

your the one being a smart ass. i asked a simple question and you blew it out of the water with trying to flex your knowledge over the internet like i must know nothing your this god and im a peasant. and ofcourse you can take cuttings in other ways too but thats something only you would know right? sorry if you feel im attcking your persona on your forum. the high horse vibes just makes me nauseous


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

to whom is this directed??


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## xoidiosx (Dec 24, 2014)

to whomever feels offended by it... if your offended then rightfully so.. I have no intrest in debating with you any longer, i realize you are a plant person and i am not.. now if its ok with you judy id like to get back on the topic now if there is any left.


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

I am not debating...perhaps you perceive it as such..I was not a "plant person" at your age, but by asking questions as you have--it is an endless road toward learning...the curiosity as a question you have publicly asked, was not just my attempt, but others to teach...not scold, not intimidate, not humiliate--to simply teach. This forum is about asking questions...and our volunteer time is to share what we have, and are learning to teach others. Whatever hobby you choose has more information and learning experience than any one of us can absorb...so, be like a sponge and willingly be open--we (me) are trying to open that door for you and share...


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## JPccusa (Mar 10, 2009)

Things escalated waaaay too quickly for a plants thread. 

Please take deep breaths and always keep in mind this part of the User Agreement:


> B. DB requires each member to maintain a respectful, friendly, and civil approach to every discussion, posting, chat, image, advertisement, etc.


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## xoidiosx (Dec 24, 2014)

oh im chilled as... and one thing to judy.. what makes you think you know my age now


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## Mohlerbear (Feb 20, 2014)

True! Everyone just load a bowl and build a vivarium 😝😝😝😝👏👏👏👏


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## Luke-O-Melas (Dec 20, 2014)

What's a bowl???


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## planted-tnk-guy (Mar 9, 2014)

Luke-O-Melas said:


> What's a bowl???


It's something people that have medical cards or that live in Washington, Colorado and soon Oregon and Alaska put Marijuana in at the end of a pipe or bong and smoke to get high and chill out and eat ding dongs. Lol someone had to go there.


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## xoidiosx (Dec 24, 2014)

what are ding dongs


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

xoidiosx said:


> what are ding dongs


Beauty in it's purest form. And no, I don't have to be high to say that. 

John


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## Mohlerbear (Feb 20, 2014)

planted-tnk-guy said:


> It's something people that have medical cards or that live in Washington, Colorado and soon Oregon and Alaska put Marijuana in at the end of a pipe or bong and smoke to get high and chill out and eat ding dongs. Lol someone had to go there.



Hahaha 😝👏


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

chocolate covered M & Ms


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

xoidiosx said:


> if you take a cutting off say a pothos plant that ia 50 years old. or however long they live. would that cutting if it was a perfect healthy cutting start a new life and live another 50 years? question #2 how long does a pothos live for?
> 
> these plants really interest me, my tanks are all heavily planted and i mean over grown with pothos plants the frogs love it. and since it makes them feel more safe and secure i feel good knowing i have frogs that want to be in their enclosures.


It could live for as long as you keep it alive. "Pothos" (Epipremnum aureum) doesn't have really a life cycle like most bromeliads (dies after blooming) so really it could live forever provided it has the appropriate environment.

Rooting cuttings in water does work but from what I understand, the roots formed in water aren't going to do much good in soil so its best to root cuttings in media that you intend to keep the plant in forever (my gramma has a water rooted plant on her windowsill thats been there in water since I was in grade school and I'm 34 as of this typing).

In the "plant world" (I work at a nursery and have ran my own nursery) a cutting and clone are two different things to _most_ people. Technically a cutting is genetically identical to the plant from which it came (just like a clone) but clones are typically separate entities derived from genetic material i.e. bromeliad pups, tissue cultured material, seedlings from a selfing.


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## xoidiosx (Dec 24, 2014)

Do pothos ever end up growing in or under water in nature? and could you prune the roots of a pothos and repot in a smaller pot like with bonsai? or are the roots too soft


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