My 10th aspidistra

Today, I'm sharing something a little different. Today, I gave a home to my 10th aspidistra plant. I spotted her on eBay a few weeks ago, looking the worse for wear and crying out for a new home. I was tempted to bid but didn't ... as I have nine other aspidistra plants.

A few days ago, I revisited the eBay page and she was still there, in need of adoption - so I bought her, no bidding, no haggling - a straight buy now! Her botanical name is aspidistra elatior variegata - as you'll see from the photos there is little, if any variegation showing on those leaves - hence, the reason why I bought her. Her three broad spear-shaped leave are virtually emerald green apart from a tiny aspect of variegation on one leaf, confirming her true identity. And that's why I bought her - that tiny faint yellow-green strip, which should be a vibrant white or cream told me that she was being neglected. So I've  given her a new home.

She arrived today, via Royal mail, wrapped in a wealth of plastic bags and stuffed inside a cardboard box - no sodden paper towels in an attempt to provide moisture for the roots. As the picture shows, she was planted in the bottom half of a plastic pop bottle!  The soil was as dry as the Gobi desert and her leaves were as dusty as most people's loft space.

I know the potential of this plant. I know what her leaves should look like - which is why I know, she has been starved of sunlight, water and basic care. She should have large broad stripes of white or cream running the length of each leaf - each a unique pattern as distinct as a fingerprint. But she hasn't, she is 99% emerald green. Hopefully, she won't be by Christmas!

It took me just 30 minutes, to unpackaged, clean away the old stale soil, give her a 'spa' soak in fresh water and clean her leaves, before repotting her in rich soil and adding some liquid feed. Whilst potting I noticed she has two off-shoots which have the potential to become new leaves protruding from the rhizome. Fancy being neglected yet still trying to survive and grow?

In recent months, I've shared some of my other plant successes, such as my bird-of-paradise plant. I've always been green-fingered, even as a child. I had a tiny 'garden' behind the trellis and would shove sticks into the ground only to find they would root and sprout as a hebe or lavender bush.

Aspidistras can have a life expectancy of some 50 years, if looked after. I believe this specimen has quite mature leaves, despite there being just three, so must be propagation attempt that's a couple of years old but still, she'll outlive me.

She's now resting and sitting pretty on my other desk, not far from the window enjoying some warm indirect rays.

I'll put a note in my diary to give you an update in the coming months.

Note: this is not the 'obsession' I discussed in a recent post ... I have a collection of aspidistras.