Peace Lily Plant
Spathiphyllum
Also known as: Peace Lily
This easy care plant is popular because of it’s dark green shiny foliage and beautiful white blooms. The white “bloom” is called a spathe. It is not actually a flower, but a modified leaf that encloses the actual flowers (which are very tiny). A peace lily needs ideal growing conditions to bloom – warm with high humidity and moderately bright light.
Fun Fact: The name “spathiphyllum” is derived from Greek: ‘spath’ is a spoon, ‘phyl’ means leaves – a reference to the spoon shaped leaf. This plant gets it’s nickname “peace lily” because the white flower represents the white flag which is recognized internationally as a truce signal.
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Light |
Thrives under bright light but tolerates low light very well. With variegated species the brighter the light, the more variegation will appear. Avoid direct bright light. |
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Temperature |
Room temperature. Not colder than 50 degrees F. Ideal growth between 65 and 85 °F. |
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Water |
Once-twice a week during summer, once a week during winter. Peace lilies prefer distilled or filtered water over treated or hard water. Water your plant heavily and allow it to drain well. Keep the soil slightly moist and water again when the top inch of soil is dry. |
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Soil |
Standard potting soil is fine. Ideally, a well draining soil mixture is preferred. Use a container with drainage. |
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Fertilizer |
Use a balanced houseplant fertilizer every 2-3 months. Do not over-fertilize; err on the side of less and don’t fertilize during the winter. |
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Repotting |
Peace lilies like to be a bit crowded in their pots, but your plant will let you know when it needs repotting! A red flag is when it seems to be having trouble absorbing water (it’s wilting quickly so you have to increase waterings or notice heavy drainage). You can also carefully slide out the root ball from the pot – if there are roots spinning around inside the pot it’s time to repot. |
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Pruning |
Prune your plant by cutting off leaves at the base of the leaf. A few yellow leaves is normal; excessive amounts of yellow leaves can mean you need to adjust your level of watering. |
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Propagation |
The easiest way to propagate is to divide a plant you already have into multiple plants at the roots, or split the plant. You can gently pull a mature plant apart into two or three sections at the root ball, then re-pot with fresh soil and water well. |
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Pets |
Like many houseplants, peace lilies are mildly toxic to humans and pets if ingested. This plant is not a true lily (which can be deadly to pets) and is generally fine as a houseplant with pets. |
Troubleshooting
Wilting: If your plant doesn’t perk up after being watered, it may have been overwatered and developed a slight root fungus. Slide it out of the pot and let it dry, or remove any black roots and repot in fresh soil. An early sign of overwatering is yellowing leaves.
Brown Edged Leaves: Adjust your watering - decrease or increase - or check to make sure that you aren’t over fertilizing.
With a low-light tolerance and a sure-fire way to know when to water (hello, droopy leaves!) this plant ranks up there as one of the best easy-care plants, and is an attractive addition to your houseplant collection.
