Friday, April 10, 2009

Hell Strip Mystery

I saw these in a couple of places around town during our recent outing to Eugene. They were always in a parking strip (or Hell Strip if you prefer). I feel I should know what they are; there is something vaguely familiar about the leaf, in fact it looks like a huge lilly of the valley leaf. Each one comes out of the ground on it's own stem, also like a lilly of the valley does (there must be a term for this?).

I can’t decide if I like them or they annoy me (that usually isn’t a good sign, although some of my favorite people, at first, annoyed me). There was also a variegated version l but I didn’t get a pic of that one. Anyone know what they are?

8 comments:

  1. looks like Aspidistra aka Cast-Iron Plant, which would make it a prime candidate for the hell strip (in the PNW at least, since it's generally considered an indoor plant)

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  2. It looks like aspidistra, or cast-iron plant. But they like shade. Is it a shady hell strip? Is that an oxymoron?

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  3. Ah yes...Thank you! I thought that might be the case but for some reason I had the cast iron plant pegged as a zone 9 or 10, not Eugene material. I guess this bears further investigation! How exciting!

    Pam - ya I do think a shady hell strip is an oxymoron, however they were in a semi shady spot. Still qualifying as a hell strip though as any high traffic area in a University setting is bound to be in hell. At least on Friday and Saturday night.

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  4. Re: the hardiness zone for cast-iron plant, it is perfectly hardy in Austin's zone 8b. It's a dependable, deer-resistant plant for dry shade.

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  5. Thank you! Obviously I need to learn more about this plant. And zones....I had no idea we were both in an 8!

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  6. If you can't kill it, I say propagate and start a hell strip plant business. I like anything that survives on neglect. Well, mostly....

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  7. Hey Miss Danger, I'm bringing something spiky your way!!! Hope all is well at AMAA :)

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  8. Oh my! You've got me all excited now...hurry back!!! Enjoy your final days of Tucson sun, it's raining like mad here and only 48 degrees!

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