Ruscus Species, Butcher's Broom

My experience was receiving a bouquet that contained ruscus hypoglossum (as I learned) for the green element. Very beautiful bluish-green...Read More leaves (not really leaves, as I learned) have now lasted a month, and counting. I am hoping it will decide to root, eventually.
I am responsible for maintaining the bouquets for a meditation center. I would really love to be able to grow this plant! So far I have not found any nursery that offers them nearby – or anywhere in California.
The plant is not a fast grower, but what virtues! Thrives in dry shade, beautiful, very long-stemmed, (eventually), unique and interesting. BTW, I also learned that it is both medicinal, and toxic to cats.

This plant is vert poisonous to cats. my mom bought me a rose for valentines day and this was part of the foliage in with the rose and my...Read More cats ate some of it and became very sick. he spent 5 days at the vet and ended up having surgery. The doctor told us that we might lose him because he was so sick he was vomiting, not eating, very lethargy and know he might have kindney damage. So if you have cats please get this plant out of your house we did'nt know what this plant was it came with the rose. I have done research on this and it is very poisonous to cats this plant is related to the liliaceas family which is the related to the lily family and lilys are very poisonous to cats also. So please don't have this plant in your house if you have one in your house and your cat has not ate it yet don't take the chance. Move it outside.

This plant can be traced back to the 1600s. The English peasants gathered it from the understory of the forests and sold it to butchers,...Read More who used it to scour the blocks where they butchered meats. Also used to scour the floors.
The new growth is tender and can be steamed. Tastes like asparagus!

This is an oddball plant so I of course got one for the garden.. it has itty bitty flowers in the middle of the leaves, which are themsel...Read Moreves sort of ordinary. I got a dinky plant and it grew well for me... but then I discovered what a large shrub this can become and not so sure I want it where it is anymore.