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Monday, May 06, 2024

Finally Taking Care Of An Old Friend

Outside of your family, with what living thing have you had the longest relationship?

For me, it's a cast iron plant. Yes, I am that pathetic. I've had this character in my life for 43 years, having rescued it from certain death outside a friend's dorm room. It's lived in a pot the whole time. It got root-bound ages ago, but I never planted it in the ground until yesterday.

43 years and I haven't bothered to give it a name.

It was horribly root bound because while I kept it alive, I never got around to re-planting it in a bigger pot.

Finally! It's in the ground and can spread and thrive. I need to go through my filing cabinets and find the to-do list from 40 years ago and check off "Put cast iron plant in the ground."

Yes, life here at the Catican Compound is one hair-raising thrill after another.

3 comments:

  1. I'd never heard of this name before, so I looked it up. There are a lot of web pages about it, and they all lead with phrases like:

    "Tolerant of neglect" - Wikipedia

    "Has earned a reputation as a nearly indestructable houseplant" - The Spruce

    "Cast iron plant care is easy" - HGTV

    "It is called barroom plant because of its ability to withstand spittoonish conditions" - North Carolina Extension Service

    "well known for their ability to survive with low light, poor soil, and just general neglect" - Plant Delights Nursery


    So now that you have actually paid attention to it and planted it outside, one of two things will probably happen:

    - It will turn into an invasive plant that completely takes over the shady side of your house, OR:

    - The care and attention will kill it, like a Pottslyvania Creeper https://youtu.be/bZW0H_xUgE8?si=LH9Qh2ZIulvMifzg


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  2. Lookslike it lived up to its name: "The cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) has earned a reputation as a nearly indestructible houseplant." :)

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  3. Did you have it at the house? Or was it up at your folks house; when we lived together.

    I have to say, I don't remember it. Glad to know I rate a little lower than a plant. That seems right.

    Last fall, I went down to Kansas City, ok Overland Park - its apparently one of the happiest cities in the US. I went for the funeral of the Dad of a couple of friends of mine. Friends that I met when I was 8. Those 2 are the people I've known the longest outside of family.

    I do have some tools that were my Dad's, and even Grandpa's tools. But you couldn't call those mine until my Dad died in 1995.

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