Aptly named 'cast-iron plant' for its seeming ability to last forever in the most adverse conditions, the humble Aspidistra elatior is a staple of the shade garden and will grow in almost total shade. It has wide, evergreen leaves that rise up from tough, rhizomatous roots. The lance shaped evergreen leaves are dark green, shiny and leathery. The aspect of cast-iron plant is decidedly vertical. The plants spread in clumps, but at a moderate enough rate not to be invasive or even troublesome.