How can we expect people to respect aspidistra (Aspidistra elatior, cast-iron plant) if aspidistra does not respect itself? A stubborn survivor, this herbaceous perennial from Japan has long been the butt of Western insult. It debuted as a tortured container plant in the dusty, drafty parlors of VictorianEngland and became a maligned icon of literature and song. A forgiving character, aspidistra sought refuge at the local pub only to serve admirably potted in a spittoon. The barroom plant escaped across the Atlantic in the mid-19th century to become a staple of southern horticulture (zones 7 to 10). It is here that the slowly spreading clumps of broad, glossy evergreen foliage (to 36 inches tall and 6 inches wide) add a quiet touch of greenery when planted beneath the lumbering canopies of ancient liveoaks (Quercus virginiand) and southern magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora).
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