Temperature
50–80°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Cast iron plant
Aspidistra elatior
Cast iron plant wants medium light and water every 10 to 14 days, once top 2 inches dry. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Light
Medium
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
Named for surviving Victorian parlors lit by gas lamps. Direct sun bleaches the leaves.
Water
Every 10–14 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when top 2 inches dry, not on a schedule.
Humidity
30% and up
Fine in normal household air. Prefers 50%.
Difficulty
Easy
Scores 1 of 5: Tolerates deep shade, cold, and neglect, and is non-toxic. The trade-off is that it grows very slowly.
Habit
Clumping
Grows to 18–30 inches. No support needed.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs
Eating a large amount of any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.
Detail for cats → Detail for dogs →
What each authority says
- ASPCA
- Non-toxic to cats and dogs
- NC State Extension
- Entry exists and records no poison data.
Light
Medium light. Named for surviving Victorian parlors lit by gas lamps. Direct sun bleaches the leaves.
Water
Every 10 to 14 days in a 6-inch pot, when top 2 inches dry.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | top-water until draining |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | top 2 inches dry |
Soil and potting
Standard potting mix with one part perlite added.
Repot roughly every 4 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- Brown crispy edges monitor
- Yellow leaves this week
- Slow growth monitor
Pest and disease guidance for this species consulted at the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, checked 2026-09-11.
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
- Spider mites act today
- Scale insects this week
Propagation
Division in soil. Roots in 42 to 90 days.
| Preferred method | division |
|---|---|
| Medium | soil |
| Time to root | 42–90 days |
| Node required | No |
| Best season | Spring |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Aspidistra elatior Checked 2026-09-11.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Aspidistra elatior (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-11.
- Wikidata entity Q3239567 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Aspidistra elatior Accepted name; family Asparagaceae. Checked 2026-09-11.
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Aspidistra elatior Pest and disease guidance. Checked 2026-09-11.
- Photograph: frau-doktor, Wikimedia Commons , Public domain.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02