Aspidistra

beryl

Aspidistra

Post by beryl »

Hello. Good wishes to everyone. I'm a newbie here and open to good advice concerning Aspidistra elatior. I've been growing them for over twenty years as house plants. I have sold some too. Up to now they have been plain green with the very odd one or two white spots on the leaves. Recently I have aquired a 'three large leaf division' from an Aspidistra sichuansensis. This Aspi I'm really excited about. These leaves have yellow spots all over them! The experience that I have gained in growing the above plants, I hope will be of use to someone. The Aspi Sichi I don't know much about, but believe it is not as hardy as the elatior above. Winter of 2010/11 saw one of Aspi in open porch in all that ice and snow. It is growing well in the house now and I'm looking for new shoots in the near future. I had pink star-like flowers on two of the indoor Aspi plants winter of 2010/2011. This is the first and only time in over twenty years of growing them. I imagine Fungal Gnats are the reason, or Amphipod, I think I saw one on a leaf. It can't be snails or slugs as they have never been outside. icon_study icon_study Beryl.
Trudytropics

Re: Aspidistra

Post by Trudytropics »

Welcome Beryl, sorry don't know the first thing about aspidistra, other than the Victorians liked them :lol: , hopefully someone on here will know a thing or two about them. Enjoy the forum :D
Steph
Posts: 993
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:25 pm
Location: East London, bordering Essex.

Re: Aspidistra

Post by Steph »

Hi & welcome,
The only time I've noticed flowers on an Aspi is when I have been repotting them, they are usually close to or just below the soil level so you tend to miss them.
Odd looking things, you certainly wouldn't grow Aspis for their flowers.
The new one sounds interesting.
billdango

Re: Aspidistra

Post by billdango »

Both forms of the aspidistra grow well outside in a shady corner.

Lots of gardens including my own have specimens that have come through the last 3 winters with minimal damage.

The one I have in my own back garden is about 2 feet high and wide and has come through every winter since the year 2006.

The one I have is a beautiful varigated form and grows a few leaves every year.

Snails and slugs are the biggest problem but are easy to control.

rgds billdango. icon_thumleft
call

Re: Aspidistra

Post by call »

hello beryl
welcome to the htuk forum
icon_salut icon_salut icon_salut
beryl

Re: Aspidistra

Post by beryl »

Trudytropics wrote:Welcome Beryl, sorry don't know the first thing about aspidistra, other than the Victorians liked them :lol: , hopefully someone on here will know a thing or two about them. Enjoy the forum :D
Hi Trudytropics
Aspidistra really do have some history behind them. They are not boring plants as some seem to think. I have learnt a lot over the years about them. The plain green leafed Aspis look nice after a 'hair cut' and polished with Baby Bio leaf shine. If you see one for sale, or are offered one I would say go ahead and try growing one as a house plant. They are easy to grow and there is no hassle with them. They vary a lot in price. Not too many are sold in garden centres. They take their time in growing, but are worth the wait. The cathedrals in Italy are filled with them for decoration. Bye for now
Beryl
beryl

Re: Aspidistra

Post by beryl »

billdango wrote:Both forms of the aspidistra grow well outside in a shady corner.

Lots of gardens including my own have specimens that have come through the last 3 winters with minimal damage.

The one I have in my own back garden is about 2 feet high and wide and has come through every winter since the year 2006.

The one I have is a beautiful varigated form and grows a few leaves every year.

Snails and slugs are the biggest problem but are easy to control.

rgds billdango. icon_thumleft
Hello billdango
I have never grown Aspis in the garden.
We do have our share of slugs and snails. I'm on the look-out for the Okame and Attenuata - one day I might be fortunate to own even one leaf of these! Best wishes Beryl.
grub

Re: Aspidistra

Post by grub »

Welcome aboard Beryl icon_cheers
billdango

Re: Aspidistra

Post by billdango »

Sorry i forgot to say "welcome to the forum" but at my age one tends to forget things.

Hope you are lucky to get the aspidistras that you are looking for and if you do put them outside remember to keep them in the shade.

rgds Billdango. icon_thumleft
flounder

Re: Aspidistra

Post by flounder »

Hi Beryl welcome
Absolutely love aspidistras but I managed to kill all three of mine in the greenhouse in 2009 :(
Will eventually get another though icon_thumright
beryl

Re: Aspidistra

Post by beryl »

flounder wrote:Hi Beryl welcome
Absolutely love aspidistras but I managed to kill all three of mine in the greenhouse in 2009 :(
Will eventually get another though icon_thumright
Hi Gary
Don't know how you managed to do that - try growing one in the house next time. They really are tough as old boots! I think Aspis are too good to be relegated to the greenhouse. In the house I feel they take on persona - to me our home would feel empty without their presence. I'm not particularly green-fingered - they tend to look after themselves. They even helped us to win WW2 you know, as a wireless station. More on that if your interested. Strange since some Aspi originate from east asia - Japan for instance! Cheers. icon_study
flounder

Re: Aspidistra

Post by flounder »

I know the victorians luvved 'em cos they're bullet proof, but I'd always had them in the greenhouse...limited space indoors because of spathiphyllums and calatheas, I'm quite capable of killing the unkillable though :wink:
User avatar
redsquirrel
Posts: 12169
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 8:35 pm
Location: bristol
Contact:

Re: Aspidistra

Post by redsquirrel »

that'll be how we won the war then.we wore them icon_thumright

hi Beryl icon_thumright icon_thumright
hardy exotics gave us a green one for Debs birthday as an understorey plant.its been out all winter and looks fine.
i think they look brilliant when tidy icon_thumright icon_thumright
mars ROVER broken down. headgasket faillure
jungle jas

Re: Aspidistra

Post by jungle jas »

Hi Beryl, welcome I don`t know much about Aspidistras except my great aunt Lucy had one. Grace Fields had the biggest one in the world. icon_thumright
multim

Re: Aspidistra

Post by multim »

I too have Aspidistra growing quite happily in my garden for many years. The original plant was inherited from my Grandmother and I felt obliged to keep it going. When I visited Vancouver BC I noticed that Aspidistra was used quite commonly as undertree planting, so I thought 'why not give it a go'?
It works quite well and fits in nicely with ferns. I guess that the common name of 'cast-iron plant' is pretty true.
I seem to remember that the flowers are pollinated by slugs/snails - I may be wrong?
Post Reply