For many of the species we grow in our landscapes, there is little or no information about typical life spans. Our climate, in which most plants grow throughout the year and in which even deciduous species undergo only brief periods of dormancy, makes it difficult to gauge the ages of trees at death. The forester counted what he thought were the stump's rings and guessed that the tree had been 150 years old. Bemused, Fairchild told him the fig tree was less than 20 years old and explained that tropical trees don't form annual rings.
Palms are tricky too.
But I've read reports of pindos in Italy more than100 years old. Both observations may be correct. I firmly believe many plants' life spans depend not only on genetics, but also on the conditions they grow in. For example, when I moved into my current home eight years ago, I noticed a nine-inch tall, volunteer seedling of a Phoenix palm. The little plant was growing out of the reach of the irrigation system, in deep shade and competing with the roots of large trees.