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Aspidistra elatior
Also called Barroomplant
In Singapore: Milky Way Galaxy Cast Iron Plant, Striped Cast Iron Plant (Cultivated in Singapore)
Cast iron plant is an evergreen perennial with glossy, dark-green leaves, grown mainly as a tough houseplant that tolerates neglect. Keep it out of direct sun and make sure the soil drains well.
Aspidistra elatior, the cast-iron-plant or bar-room plant, also known in Japanese as haran or baran (葉蘭) is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Japan and Taiwan. Tolerant of neglect, it is widely cultivated as a houseplant, but can also be grown outside in shade where temperatures remain above −15 °C (5 °F). It is used as training material for the seika form of ikebana.
A. elatior is well known in cultivation and has a reputation for withstanding neglect, giving rise to its common name of cast-iron plant. It is tolerant of low light, low humidity, temperature fluctuation and irregular watering. It is best situated in a position away from direct sun to avoid leaf bleaching. Good drainage is also required for optimal growth and to avoid root rot. Widely grown as a house plant, it can also be grown successfully outdoors in shade in temperate climates, where plants will generally cope with temperatures down to −15 °C (5 °F) but be killed by frosts of −15 to −20 °C (5 to −4 °F) or below.
The species is not seriously troubled by insects, but mites and scale may cause occasional problems. Its leaves and roots may be subject to browsing by hoofed mammals such as deer, as well as rodents and rabbits.
Although sometimes thought to be of Chinese origin, the species is in fact native to southern Japan, including Kuroshima, Suwanosejima and the Uji Islands. It occurs in association with overstorey species such as Ardisia sieboldii and Castanopsis sieboldii.
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Aspidistra elatior by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
