Cast Iron Plant- Info

Q: I'm looking for more information on cast iron plants. My new home has some close to the house. It looks great and also hides that red clay stain on the brick foundation! Are these plants from a bulb? Can I reproduce them easily?

A: Cast iron plant (Aspidistra eliator) is also called “bar room plant” because it can withstand even the fetid air and dingy light of a low rent watering hole. Although most people consider it to be an indoor plant, it can live outdoors in Atlanta with a bit of protection. You home’s foundation gives it just the shelter it needs. Aspidistra does not have a bulb, just a mass of tangled roots. You can dig a clump and divide the individual plants from it. Once it’s really warm outdoors you can buy new plants at a discount greenhouse and acclimate them over the summer to a new home outdoors.