Cast iron plant
Aspidistra elatior
Also called Bar room plant and Aspidistra
Houseplant · Trees & big statementsThe plant that survived Victorian gas lamps. If anything will live in your darkest corner, this will.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Once a fortnightDrench and drain — water the whole surface until it runs from the holes.
- Light
- Low — deep shade is fine
- Feed
- Every 60 days
- Humidity
- Low
- Hardiness
- Hardy — an average winter RHS H4, to -10°C
- Size
- 0.6 m tall · 0.6 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Japan and Taiwan
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsSafe for pets
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A bleached papery patch on the leaf face exactly where an hour of direct sun lands — this plant's one real weakness is light, not neglect.Sun scorch · disorder
- Domed brown discs along the underside of the midrib, and a sticky film on the leaf below them.Brown scale · pest