Living Heirlooms

One of my vivid memories of my grandparents' apartment (just off Tremont Ave. in the Bronx) is seeing a snake plant on the window sill. That tall snake plant was in Grandma and Grandpa's back bedroom as long as I can remember.

What happened to the plant? Since Grandma passed away 60+ years ago, I simply don't know. Many keepsakes were taken by neighbors, and this may have been one of them. But I'll never forget that snake plant. 

Today, my sister and I have house plants with back stories that are meaningful to us.

We each have a pot of oxalis given to us by a long-time friend who has since passed away. No wonder we take good care of these two potted plants, a link to our late friend.

At top, a different kind of plant legacy: A cutting from a plant that a younger relative has nurtured for at least 30 years. I was honored to receive this cutting last year and am keeping it going, hoping that maybe another generation will enjoy it (along with the back story).

Plants are not like the wonderful old photos we inherit or the insightful diaries or colorful maps or other heirlooms we treasure from earlier generations. But they can live on in a different way. If your plants have a family history link, please remember to tell the stories every so often, to let other relatives know the significance of these living heirlooms.