The aspidistra was once the most popular of all houseplants in Britain, but these days they’re barely seen. Why did that happen, asks Martin Fone, and can it make a comeback?
Look at a photograph of a Victorian family posing indoors and there is likely to be a large upright plant with leathery, lance-shaped leaves lurking in the frame. Its sculptural form enhanced the composition, but its presence was much a statement as an artistic prop. For the aspiring 19th…
