Mayfly

The term “life expectancy” refers to the number of years a person can expect to live. By definition, life expectancy is based on an estimate of the average age that members of a particular population group will be when they die.

Today, Asian Americans live the longest (86.3 years), followed by whites (78.6 years), Native Americans (77.4 years), and African Americans (75.0 years).

perennial plant

All plants die eventually. But according to researchers at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, there is no specific lifespan for plants, except for the plants called “annuals,” which are plants that live for one growing season and then die.

lepidophylla is renowned for its ability to survive almost complete desiccation. During dry weather in its native habitat, its stems curl into a tight ball, uncurling only when exposed to moisture. The outer stems of the plant bend into circular rings after a relatively short period without water.

Selaginella lepidophylla

Here are few common symptoms and what they may mean:

• Wilting leaves.
• Plant/soil not holding water.
• Yellowing leaves.
• Roots at the surface or coming through drainage holes.
• Tips/edges of leaves turning brown.
• Flower buds form then drop off before opening, or shrivel soon after opening.

The Rose of Jericho is a desert plant which has come to be known as the “resurrection plant” for its unique ability to survive almost complete desiccation. In the video above, the plant is seen completely dehydrated, until water is poured on its curled body.

The good news is that succulents are very hardy and versatile. While the plant’s diminish may have you a bit panicked, in most cases, reviving succulents is quite easy and the plant will turn around quickly. If the leaves are puckered, the plant needs more water. Don’t worry if there are dry, dying leaves at the base.

While dead leaves at the bottom of your succulent are perfectly healthy, dead leaves on the upper parts of new growth are a sign of a problem–usually over- or under-watering. If your plant’s leaves are starting to look yellow and transparent, and feel soggy or mushy to the touch, it’s likely suffered from overwatering.

The leaf on the right is from an overwatered succulent. It’s a pale yellow, you can see light shine through it, and it’s mushy and wet. Pro Tip: Pick up your pot after you’ve watered and feel how heavy it is.

When you’re shopping for a succulent select a plant that has fat, green, pert leaves. This is the easiest way to tell that the succulent you’re picking is healthy. If the leaves are brown, wilted, or drooping, this doesn’t mean the plant will immediately die, but is showing signs that it hasn’t been well cared for.

Aeoniums can be grown outdoors in zones 9 to 11 and, although they will tolerate partial shade, need at least six hours of full sun a day to develop their leaf colors. Indoors in pots Aeoniums need bright sunlight and moisture and do best in shallow containers.

When succulents are getting the right amount of sun they’ll often “blush” or change colors. This is such a beautiful transformation to see! If they start to get too much sun however the leaves will actually burn. You may begin to notice white or pale patches on the succulent leaves.

Like plants growing outdoors, indoor plants grow well under full-spectrum bulbs, which imitate natural sunlight and provide a balance of cool and warm lights. The optimal color temperature for succulents is at least 5,000 kelvins which will give your succulents full spectrum light that resembles sunlight.

1. Make Sure Your Succulents Get Enough Light. Succulents love light and need about six hours of sun per day, depending on the type of succulent. Newly planted succulents can scorch in direct sunlight, so you may need to gradually introduce them to full sun exposure or provide shade with a sheer curtain.

Your succulents need more time under a grow light than they need under regular sunlight. 12 to 18 hours a day is ideal – be careful not to exceed 18 hours. At least six hours of darkness is required for your succulents to remain healthy.

As long as you provide the correct amount of light, you are able to grow plants including succulents under artificial light as good, if not better, than you would outdoors in real sunlight.

Aloe vera plants require lots of light! So place the plant in direct sunlight or directly under a grow light. Cloud cover and winter can minimize the amount of direct sunlight available and during these times, artificial lighting can support the plant’s development.

Plants tend to use blue light to grow larger while red light can stimulate flowering. Grow lights that produce only red and blue light can be slightly more efficient, but full spectrum, white lights support healthy plant growth without the annoying purple light.

Although plants use the full spectrum for photosynthesis, red and blue light seem to be most critical. Red light stimulates vegetative growth and flowering (but if a plant gets too much, it will become tall and spindly).

red light