cast iron Plant

Cheerful cartoon sun character with sparkles on its face, holding a flowering plant in one hand and a daisy in the other. A smiling cloud floats beside it. The sun wears pink sneakers and is surrounded by radiant yellow beams.

Shade to low light

Prefers low light conditions

☀︎ Avoid harsh sun ☀︎

Cast iron plant is one of the rare houseplants that actually prefers to stay out of the spotlight. Keep it in a low-light area to keep it thriving and to avoid scorched leaves!

A black and white dog sitting on a wooden floor, looking to the side.

Orange sun icon with rays coming from a curved line in a simple, clean design.

Cartoon water droplet character smiling and flashing a peace sign while holding a yellow watering can. Surrounded by flowers, bees, and grass, wearing pink sneakers.

WATER WHEN DRY

This is a semi drought-tolerant plant

Let the soil completely dry out before watering, then give it a deep soak. Cast iron plant can still thrive on some water neglect, making it perfectly low maintenance. Avoid overwatering!

Cast iron plant prefers low to moderate humidity.

It isn’t fussy, so indoor humidity will work just fine.

Cartoon snail with a bright blue spiral shell and a smiling cream-colored body.

Groovy Root mascot. A cartoon red flower pot character happily planting a seedling with a trowel, surrounded by dirt, smiling flowers, bees, and a second small pot. Wearing blue sneakers.

soil needs

Cast iron digs a well-draining and loose mix that can hold some moisture without getting soggy.

When choosing a potting mix for cast iron, look for mixes that include:

ᯓ Coco Coir ᯓ

Helps hold moisture without making the soil too wet.

ᯓ Perlite ᯓ

Improves drainage and prevents waterlogging.

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Common Issues

Often due to overwatering or poor drainage.
Cut back on waterings. Allow the soil to completely dry out before watering again. Soil that has been overwatered can lead to root rot.
Check the pot’s drainage holes. Consider repotting in fresh soil if current soil is too soggy and compacted.
Brown tips do not heal! You can totally snip them off for a cleaner and greener look. Use clean scissors to trim slightly past the yellowing edge, following the natural leaf shape.
Snipping them off is primarily cosmetic, but also can help redirect energy to healthy growth.
Usually a sign of too much sunlight aka leaf scorch.
Remember, cast iron plant prefers to stay out of the spotlight - literally. Make sure it is in a lower light area, out of direct sunshine.
Brown tips do not heal! You can totally snip them off for a cleaner and greener look. Use clean scissors to trim slightly past the yellowing edge, following the natural leaf shape.
Snipping them off is primarily cosmetic, but also can help redirect energy to healthy growth.

Sometimes issues can be the result of a pest infestation. Make sure to watch out for these creepy crawlers:

𖢥 Mealybugs

𖢥 Scale

𖢥 Spider Mites

PET SAFE

Cast iron plant is a non-toxic plant that is considered a safe plant to grow indoors or outdoors in pet-friendly spaces.

Smiling cartoon daisy in a red flower pot with a buzzing bee flying nearby. To the right of the image it shows the text “Rooting For You” in a wavy line.