Aspidistra elatior

Aspidistra elatior, Cast-Iron Plant is endemic to the Satsunan Islands, the group of archipelagos that form the Northern Ryukyu Islands of Japan, specifically the Uji Islands, the Ōsumi Islands and the Tokara Islands. The climate on these islands is humid and subtropical with very warm summers and mild winters. Moisture and high rainfall are a constant feature of the climate and there is rainy season from May through to September when rainfall is particularly heavy. The islands are volcanic in origin and Suwanosejima in the Tokara Islands is one of the most active volcanos in the world. The soils are volcanic and heavily mineralised. It is something of an irony therefore, that Aspidistra elatior has acquired the common name of Cast Iron Plant because of it sure-fire tolerance of neglect as a houseplant when subjected to prolonged periods of non-watering and depleted potting mixes. Imagine how lush it would grow for you if you gave it the conditions it thrives on! That said, it is a remarkably resilient plant... the ideal houseplant for many. Yet it is also surprisingly tough outdoors and more hardy than many people realise. It is capable of taking sub-zero temperatures down to around -12C or thereabouts and withstanding both frost and snow. Its main requirement is shade. An understory plant in its natural habitat, it has no tolerance of sun whatsoever and the foliage will quickly bleach or burn if exposed to full direct sunlight. It prefers a moist but well-drained fertile substrate rather than the dry impoverished soil it famously tolerates!