The humble Cast Iron Plant, mainly represented by Aspidistra elatior, is a well-loved garden plant worldwide. Most would be surprised to hear there are more than 90 recognized species, with more being discovered and described yearly. Aspidistra is a subtropical to tropical genus native to Southeast Asia. Juniper Level Botanic Garden has been collecting Aspidistra for more than 20 years and has amassed a documented collection of 172 taxa, including wild-collected specimens, rare cultivars, and seed-grown individuals. The Garden is actively studying, documenting, and contributing to taxonomic and scientific research to expand our knowledge and appreciation of this genus.
This poster was presented at the 2018 Plant Collections Symposium in Vancouver.
