Bar Room Plant

Cast iron plant earns its common name through near-indestructible resilience. A clump-forming evergreen perennial from southern Japan and Taiwan, it produces arching, lance-shaped leaves one to two feet long from rhizomes just below the soil surface. The inconspicuous brownish-purple flowers bloom at ground level in summer and are rarely noticed. Hardy to Zone 7b.

Grow in partial to full shade; direct sun scorches the leaves. Cast iron plant tolerates low light, dry soil, temperature fluctuation, and neglect that would kill most houseplants and shade perennials. Useful as a deep-shade groundcover in mild climates or as a container/houseplant elsewhere. Variegated forms ('Variegata', 'Milky Way') need slightly brighter conditions to maintain their markings. Few pest or disease issues.