Cast iron plant care
Aspidistra elatior
Also called Bar room plant and Aspidistra. Family Asparagaceae.
In short
Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) is a very slow, close to indestructible plant from southern Japan and Taiwan with broad, dark leaves. It wants low to medium indirect light, copes with a dim corner and is bleached by direct sun. Water every 2 to 3 weeks once the top half of the soil is dry, and monthly in winter. It takes 7 to 24°C (45 to 75°F), a cold hallway included, and is safe around cats and dogs.
Updated
Cast iron plant at a glance
- Light
- Low light
- Water
- Every 2 to 3 weeksLess often in winter
- Temperature
- 7 to 24°C45 to 75°F
- Humidity
- Undemanding
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Pets
- Safe for cats and dogs
How often should you water a cast iron plant?
Every 2 to 3 weeks, once the top half of the soil is dry, and monthly in winter.
Cool or warm room, low light, ordinary pot: every 2 to 3 weeks, once the top half of the soil is dry. Overwatering is the only reliable way to kill it. In winter, monthly is plenty. Brown leaf tips usually mean tap water minerals or dry air rather than a watering fault.
How much light does a cast iron plant need?
Low to medium indirect light; it tolerates a dim corner, but direct sun bleaches the leaves.
Low to medium indirect. Genuinely tolerant of a dim corner. Direct sun bleaches the leaves badly.
How to feed a cast iron plant
Half-strength feed two or three times across spring and summer.
Half-strength feed two or three times across spring and summer. Its slow growth needs very little.
When to repot a cast iron plant
Every 3 to 5 years; it dislikes disturbance and grows best left alone in a snug pot.
Every 3 to 5 years. It dislikes disturbance and grows best left alone in a snug pot.
How to clean a cast iron plant's leaves
Wipe the broad leaves every month or two.
Wipe the broad leaves every month or two. In a dim spot, dust genuinely costs it light it can spare none of.
What temperature and humidity does a cast iron plant like?
7 to 24°C (45 to 75°F), and it copes with a cold hallway better than almost any other houseplant.
7 to 24°C (45 to 75°F). Tolerates a cold hallway better than almost any other houseplant. Humidity: Undemanding.
Is a cast iron plant toxic to cats and dogs?
No, it is non-toxic and safe around cats and dogs.
Safe around cats and dogs.
How big does a cast iron plant get?
About 60cm (24 inches), with leaves rising singly from a creeping underground rhizome.
Very slow. Broad, dark, upright leaves rising individually from a creeping underground rhizome, reaching 60cm (24 inches). Expect a handful of new leaves a year at most. In exchange it is close to indestructible and can live for decades.
Where does the cast iron plant come from?
The forested slopes of southern Japan and Taiwan, in deep shade.
Deep shade on the floor of temperate forest, in cool, moist conditions. Its Victorian popularity came from surviving gaslit parlours that killed everything else.
What's wrong with my cast iron plant?
| What you see | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Brown leaf tips | Tap water minerals or dry air, rarely a watering fault | Try filtered or rain water, and keep watering every 2 to 3 weeks as before. |
| Bleached, pale leaves | Direct sun | Move it to low or medium indirect light. |
| Yellowing leaves and soggy compost | Overwatering, the only reliable way to kill it | Let the top half of the soil dry before watering, and water only monthly in winter. |
| No new leaves for months | Its normal, very slow growth | Nothing to fix. A handful of new leaves a year is all it makes. |
Questions about the cast iron plant
Why is it called the cast iron plant?
Because it is close to indestructible. Its Victorian popularity came from surviving gaslit parlours that killed everything else, and it can live for decades.
Can a cast iron plant grow in a dark corner?
Yes. It is genuinely tolerant of a dim corner and grows in deep forest shade in the wild. Wipe the leaves so dust does not cost it what light there is.
How fast does a cast iron plant grow?
Very slowly: a handful of new leaves a year at most.
zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0
Christi Miltz, CC0
Jacqui Geux, CC BY 4.0