One of the common plants around our Community is the cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior). Did you ever wonder how it got that name?
Here is some insight from Dr. Lew Feldman, the Executive Director at the Botanical Garden at Berkley.
Gas Lighting
Aspidistra elatior (the cast iron plant) was a popular houseplant in Victorian England and was often considered a “symbol of middle-class respectability.”
After gas lighting was introduced to illuminate homes in the late 19th century, Aspidistra was often the only plant that could be grown successfully indoors, leading to the descriptor, “cast-iron” plant, meaning that it was very hardy.
But what’s the basis for this hardiness?
When the gas used for illumination was chemically analyzed it was found to have a contaminant, a low molecular weight compound known as ethylene. We now know that ethylene occurs naturally in plants where it functions as a growth regulator (a “hormone”), promoting various types of developmental events. When present in high amounts, as in the illumination gas, ethylene is toxic.
Given this toxicity why does the Aspidistra appear unaffected, while most other plants die? The answer is, that the Aspidistra hardly “sees” the ethylene; that is, that the usual biochemistry found in most plants for reacting to ethylene is absent or greatly modified in Aspidistra. Hence, Aspidistra plants can grow successfully in rooms with relatively high levels of ethylene gas.
So next time you are viewing a movie supposedly set in Victorian England, check out the plants in the background. If you see ferns, rubber plants, and orchids, you need to contact the movie’s Director and update her using your newly acquired botanical knowledge.
Casting Off
Now we get to the more immediate point — I have decided to “cast off” one patch of my cast iron plants.
I will be having them removed and hauled off very soon. If you want a DIY project, give me a call. We can set up a time for you to grab your shovel and dig up a patch for yourself before I have them removed.