Hardy Cast Iron Plant

Aspidistra zongbayi 'Yunnan Sunbeam'

Name: Aspidistra zongbayi 'Yunnan Sunbeam'
Brand: GROW TROPICALS
SKU: ASPIZONGYUNN9
Price: 24.99 GBP
Availability: InStock

£24.99

Hardy in the UKShade-tolerantEvergreen

Pot size

9cm / 0.5L £24.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Aspidistra zongbayi 'Yunnan Sunbeam' is a collector's aspidistra that almost nobody in the UK has: broad, deeply ribbed, deep green leaves, each lit by a bold flash of lime-gold running down the centre, with golden speckles scattered across many of the leaves besides, as if the clump has been caught in a shaft of sun. As the name suggests it comes from material collected in Yunnan, China.

Hardiness and seasons. The same clone is rated H4 by the RHS under its synonym 'Uan Fat Lady', hardy to around -10C in a sheltered spot with winter wet kept off the crown. It is evergreen, slowly building a clump about 40cm tall and 60cm wide.

In the garden. This is a jewel for dry, deep shade where almost nothing else with variegation will grow: under evergreens, in a shaded courtyard pot, or at the feet of larger exotic border planting. One of the true rare and unusual plants of the outdoor range.

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 Hardy Cast Iron Plant

I am happy in 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 Hardy Cast Iron Plant

Aspidistra zongbayi 'Yunnan Sunbeam' needs full shade or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −10°C, standing an average UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H4 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −10°C

Rated H4 (-10 to -5C) by the RHS under its synonym 'Uan Fat Lady'. Reliable outdoors in mild and urban gardens with shelter; in cold inland spots grow it in a pot moved under cover for the worst spells. See what to expect from outdoor plants.

Position

Full shadePartial shadeNorth-facingEast-facingWest-facingSheltered

Full or partial shade only, in a sheltered spot; the gold-marked leaves scorch in direct sun. North-, east- or west-facing suits it.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

Any reasonable well-drained soil, chalk, clay, loam or sand, acid to alkaline. It hates winter waterlogging, so add grit on heavy ground and keep the crown dry.

Watering

Water through the first season, then keep just moist; keep the clump drier over winter and mulch the rhizomes in autumn. Read moreShow less

Water through the first season, then keep just moist; keep the clump drier over winter and mulch the rhizomes in autumn.

Mature size

Height0.3 to 0.5m (RHS gives 0.1 to 0.5m for the same-species clone 'Uan Fat Lady'; Plant Delights gives about 30cm)

Spread0.5 to 0.6m (Plant Delights: clumps to about 60cm wide; RHS 'Uan Fat Lady': 0.1 to 0.5m)

Reaches full size in 5 to 10 years (slow, rhizomatous)

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Flowering

Small urn-shaped purple-brown flowers at soil level in spring, hidden beneath the foliage; insignificant - this plant is grown entirely for its leaves

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

No pruning needed. Remove tattered or scorched leaves at the base in spring. Clumps can be lifted and divided in spring once established.

Toxicity

No known toxicity; Aspidistra is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs, one of the safest foliage genera for homes with pets.

Native range

Yunnan, China

Family

Asparagaceae

Also known as

Aspidistra zongbayi 'Yunnan Sunbeam'

Genus

Aspidistra

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you really grow an aspidistra outside in the UK?

Yes, this one. Most aspidistras sold in the UK are houseplants, but a handful of Chinese species take real cold, and this clone is rated H4 by the RHS, around -10C. Give it shade, shelter and good drainage and it lives outside in most milder and urban gardens.

Is 'Yunnan Sunbeam' the same plant as 'Uan Fat Lady'?

Yes, by the best available evidence. Plant Delights, who introduced the name 'Yunnan Sunbeam', state it is the identical clone that Crug Farm in Wales distributes as 'Uan Fat Lady', and the RHS hardiness rating belongs to that name.

How much shade will it take?

Deep shade, happily. Like all cast iron plants it photosynthesises efficiently in very low light, and the central gold flash and speckling hold their colour in shade. What it will not take is direct sun, which bleaches and scorches the leaves.

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. Aspidistra is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs, which makes it one of the safest genera you can grow around pets, indoors or out.

How fast does it grow?

Slowly, which is part of the charm. The rhizome creeps and thickens year on year, adding a few new leaves each season, reaching a solid clump in 5 to 10 years. Feed lightly in spring and leave it undisturbed.

Why is it so rarely offered?

Slow growth and slow propagation. Aspidistras are divided, not grown from cuttings, so stock builds at a crawl and named clones like this one appear only in small numbers. If you collect rare plants, this is one to take when you see it.

Are your plants treated with pesticides?

We aim to avoid using pesticides where possible, but we can't control the whole supply chain.

If the plant is going into a vivarium, terrarium or aquarium with live animals, rinse the leaves and roots well, remove any soil and let the plant dry out before adding it. We'd also suggest keeping it away from animals for a month first.

Can I see a photo of the exact plant I'll receive?

We're not able to send photos of individual plants or let you choose a specific one, as plants are selected by our team when your order is packed. Our photos show the variety and the kind of plant you can expect, and yours may vary a little in height, shape or fullness.

If a size has a code next to it, such as 9cm / B2, you're buying the exact plant pictured.

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 7 days 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.

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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.

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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.

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

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Aspidistra zongbayi 'Yunnan Sunbeam'

£24.99