Aspidistra sichuanensis 'Kinboshi' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Cast Iron Plant (Kinboshi)

Aspidistra sichuanensis 'Kinboshi'

£35.99
Hardy in the UKShade-tolerantEvergreen
Pot size
12cm / 1L £35.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

The Aspidistra sichuanensis 'Kinboshi' is a strikingly speckled form of the famously tough cast iron plant, its deep green, leathery leaves flecked and dusted with cream-gold, exactly as the name 'Kinboshi' (gold star) suggests. Where the plain cast iron plant is prized for sheer resilience, this selection adds real ornament, lighting up the darkest corners of the garden with constellations of pale spotting on bold, upright foliage.

Reliably evergreen and rated around RHS H5, 'Kinboshi' holds its architectural clump of leaves right through the British winter, shrugging off frost down to roughly -15C once established. It is one of the most dependable evergreens for year-round structure in shade, and because the interest is all in the foliage there is no fleeting flush to wait for. Curious maroon, bell-shaped flowers appear at soil level in spring, half-hidden at the base of the plant, a quiet novelty rather than a display.

Water regularly through the first year or two so the rhizome establishes, after which 'Kinboshi' becomes impressively tolerant of dry shade, the toughest spot in most gardens. It is a natural choice for shade planting and the front of exotic borders, and pairs beautifully with ferns and other woodland groundcover such as Asarum. Grow it in a pot to brighten a gloomy courtyard, or weave it through a shady hardy exotic scheme for evergreen texture.

As with all our plants, please read our what to expect guide for seasonal notes. Every specimen is nursery-grown, selected for a healthy crown and strong roots, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Cast Iron Plant (Kinboshi)

Give me sun with a little shade and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Cast Iron Plant (Kinboshi)

Aspidistra sichuanensis 'Kinboshi' needs partial shade or full shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H5 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −15°C

fully hardy in most of the UK, evergreen, and remarkably drought-tolerant once settled.

Position

Partial shadeFull shadeNorth-facingEast-facingWest-facingSheltered

deep to partial shade, ideal for north and east-facing beds and shady containers where little else will thrive.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

any reasonable, well-drained soil; tolerant of chalk, clay, sand and loam across the pH range.

Watering

Keep lightly moist through the first year or two; very drought-tolerant once settled. Read moreShow less

Keep lightly moist through the first year or two; very drought-tolerant once settled.

Mature size

Height50-70 cm
Spread40-60 cm

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Flowering

Mar-Apr

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

Evergreen; simply remove any tatty or marked leaves at the base in spring.

Toxicity

No reported toxicity to people or pets; the cast iron plant is widely regarded as non-toxic.

Native range

S. China (Sichuan); cultivar of garden origin

Family

Asparagaceae

Also known as

Aspidistra sichuanensis 'Kinboshi'

Genus

Aspidistra
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Aspidistra 'Kinboshi' hardy in the UK?

Yes. Aspidistra sichuanensis 'Kinboshi' is rated around RHS H5, so it is hardy in most of the UK, tolerating roughly -15C once established. It stays evergreen through winter, holding its gold-speckled foliage when many plants have died back.

Will it grow in deep shade?

It is one of the best plants for dry shade. 'Kinboshi' thrives in deep to partial shade, including north and east-facing spots, and is ideal for the difficult ground under trees or in a shady courtyard. Explore more plants for shade.

Is the cast iron plant safe for pets?

Aspidistra has no reported toxicity to cats or dogs and is widely regarded as non-toxic, which is part of why the cast iron plant is such a popular, low-worry choice. As always, discourage pets from chewing ornamental plants.

How big does Aspidistra 'Kinboshi' get?

It is a slow, clump-forming perennial, reaching around 50 to 70 cm tall over several years with a similar or slightly narrower spread. It grows gradually, so it stays neat and in proportion for a long time.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes, it makes an excellent container plant for a shady patio, courtyard or doorway. Use a free-draining, loam-based compost and keep it out of strong midday sun. See our plants for pots.

Does Aspidistra 'Kinboshi' need pruning?

No routine pruning is needed. Simply remove any tatty, marked or faded leaves at the base in spring to keep the clump looking fresh, and the new foliage will carry the bright gold speckling through the year.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Aspidistra sichuanensis 'Kinboshi'
£35.99