perennial
Cast iron plant
Aspidistra elatior
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 7–11, Cast iron plant is a slow-growing evergreen perennial. It grows 2–3 ft tall and 2–3 ft wide, so plant it 2 ft apart. Give it part shade to shade and little water once established. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the filler role: a flowering plant that fills the middle or front of the bed. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Mountain West and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Aspidistra elatior
- Plant type
- Perennial, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 7 to 11
- Sun
- Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Any well-drained soil; tolerates root competition under trees.
- Mature size
- 2–3 ft tall × 2–3 ft wide
- Spacing
- 2 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Grown for foliage
- Roles in a bed
- Filler
- Styles
- classic, low water, modern
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. ASPCA lists cast iron plant as non-toxic.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $15–$30 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer until roots establish, then only during long dry spells.
- Pruning
- Cut out sun-scorched or torn leaves at the base.
Sources: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List (from general knowledge; not re-checked unless verification is web-checked); Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder and grower tags; State extension service guidance and USDA PLANTS distribution maps; Rutgers NJAES Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States and state noxious weed lists; Typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box retail listings (estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Cast iron plant, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Holly fernCyrtomium falcatumfern · zones 7–10
- Mondo grassOphiopogon japonicusgroundcover · zones 7–10
- Shrubby yew pinePodocarpus macrophyllus var. makishrub · zones 8–10
- Dwarf mondo grass 'Nana'Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana'groundcover · zones 7–10
- Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'shrub · zones 7–10
- African irisDietes iridioidesperennial · zones 8–11
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Cast iron plant: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants