Cast Iron Plant is not a plant you would think you could grow outdoors in the desert. This big leafy shrub is surprisingly hardy. Cold tolerant down to 5 degrees, heat tolerant and doesn’t require humidity. It takes a great potted plant for patios and can also be grown indoors in low light conditions. While it can take some filtered sun, it will do best with full shade. This plant can take a lot of neglect hence the name.
One IMPORTANT note about this plant. The cast iron plant is sensitive to salt buildup in its soil. Because our local water has a high amount of dissolved salts, this can build up in the soil and can lead to salt injury (foliar necrosis) and eventual plant death. To keep your plant happy at least once a month saturate the pot or ground with water to flush out any salts built up in the soil. A good warning sign that there is too much salt buildup is that the leaf tips will start to turn brown.
