Aspidistra, Cast Iron Plant 'Milky Way'

When it says that it likes shade, it really means nearly all shade. Had it for a year on the north side of the house. It would get sun...Read More early in the morning and late in the afternoon. It would get sun scorched even though exposure to the sun was very early and very late in the day. Pulled it up and put it in pots on the patio where it gets maybe an hour of sun a day. It is growing very fast and crazy. Probably needs to be divided at this point. Give it mostly shade and you will be rewarded with a very full plant with very striking foliage.

I had divided my large plant a few years ago for my small nursery. Unfortunately a fire burned the greenhouse. The 'Milky Way' Aspidistra...Read More were on the prop tables and their pots had melted with globs of melted metal & glass on the soil. Most of the "fried" plants actually came back and have done well. This plant colours-up better in drier and poorer soil than organic-rich & wet soil. They also prefer being root-bound. The foliage is interesting and reminds me of the maps or images of atom-splitting with streaks, blips, & stars.

I've had this plant for one year. I suspect the desert-like summer we experienced in 2005 took a toll on my plant. Planted in morning s...Read Moreun, afternoon shade, inground. Slow grower.
March 2010: If planted outdoors, definitely keep plant in shady and moist location for a beautiful display, too sunny and it will look ratty. Suffered freeze burn in Winter 09/10 so I trimmed to the ground and green shoots already coming out.
Makes an absolutely wonderful indoor plant.

I bought this at a greenhouse in their "bargain bin" of plants which looked only marginally healthy. It was a bit scraggly, but it survi...Read Moreved and now I keep it at work in my north-facing office. A problem I have had constantly is tip dieback... I trim off the dead part but it just keeps advancing down the leaf. I only recently tried cutting the leaf out completely, and that spurred some new growth. I've cut a few dying leaves out, and with the new growth it's looking better than ever. I'm sure that this will keep it healthy and vigourous for a long time.