I find Peace Lilies to be one of the easier houseplants to maintain and I commonly find they are also very forgiving. For beginner houseplant parents, this is a great plant for you to start with!
Varieties
Botanical Name: Spathiphyllum
Common Name: Peace Lily, Spath, White Sails, Spathe Flower
Cultivars:
Spathiphyllum 'Sensation'- larger growing cultivar at about 4-6 ft tall
Spathiphyllum ‘Figaro’- larger growing cultivar at about 4-6 ft tall
Spathiphyllum ‘Mauna Loa Supreme’- larger growing cultivar at about 3-4 ft tall
Spathiphyllum 'Patricia'- larger growing cultivar at about 3-4 ft tall
Spathiphyllum 'Piccolino'- compact variety
Spathiphyllum 'Sonia'- compact variety
Spathiphyllum ‘Wallisii’- compact variety with slightly ruffled, thin leaves
Spathiphyllum 'White Stripe'- compact variety that has a white stripe down the middle
Spathiphyllum 'Domino'- ruffled leaves with white speckles and variegation
Spathiphyllum ‘Picasso’- foliage with more white and lighter shades of green variegation
Sun Requirements
Peace lilies can survive in just about any type of light aside from direct sunlight. They can handle low to bright, indirect light. For the best, fullest and fastest growth, place it in a bright, indirect window. The variegated varieties should be in bright light to maintenance the variegation. Any peace lily can also grow in low light but you may notice leggier foliage, slower growth, little to no blooms and a change in the amount of variegation. I've placed my green foliage peace lily in low light and it has grown well and produced new foliage. My Domino variety is near a grow light receiving medium light and doing well.
Water Requirement
These need a bit more moisture than the average houseplant. This means about medium water requirements and consistently keeping the soil moist. If you underwater this plant, the foliage will start to droop.
Extra humidity is not necessary. Neither of mine are given any extra humidity and are doing great. That being said, adding medium humidity if you have the means to do it, can always help for the best growth! In Plantopedia, they do recommend misting your plant weekly to add humidity!
Fertilizer
As I always say, there are LOTS of ways to fertilize plants. Unless you are extremely over-fertilizing your plant, there isn't necessarily a wrong way to do this. I currently use Fox Farm's Grow Big Liquid Fertilizer and I fertilize every 2 weeks when I water my plants, starting around the end of February through October. I honestly probably only fertilize once or twice in winter because the plant isn't as active! I use about 1/2 to 3/4 the recommended amount of fertilizer because I would rather under-fertilize than over-fertilize my plants. Based on the below info from Fox Farm it looks like I could increase my fertilizing a bit if needed!
Plantopedia: "...fertilize fortnightly with a half-strength liquid fertilize in the warmer months, upping to weekly when your plant starts flowering."
As you can see, there are MANY ways to fertilize and it is completely up to you! There are tons of products out there you can try but an overall rule of thumb for houseplants is that it is best to under-fertilize, rather than over-fertilize. Always use the recommended amount, or less, when applying your fertilizer to houseplants.
Propagation
Division is the best way to propagate this plant. I would wait until your plant is a little more mature and you see a separate clump of foliage you could cut or pull apart from the mother plant.
Other Facts
These are considered an Part of the Araceae Family with other plants like the Dieffenbachia, Aglaonema, Monstera, Philodendron, etc.
You can find these natively in tropical parts of Asia and the Americas.
In nature, these plants can grow upwards of 5ft tall, but in your home they stay shorter. This plant doesn't get much taller than 2-3ft tall.
Peace Lilies do produce flowers commonly! Mostly of the time they are white but on variegated plants, the flower can have its own variegation as well. These flowers are more likely to show up if they are in bright, indirect light. They can still appear in low to medium light but are less likely.
NASA had proven the Peace Lily to reduce air pollution and according to The Healing Power of Plants, "tests have also shown that the plant is capable of removing airborne mold, which can alleviate allergy and asthma symptoms. As an added bonus, the Peace Lily may help you get a good night's sleep."
These are toxic to pets and humans. Check out Podcast Ep#31 for more info or the corresponding blog post!
Instagram Q&A
I asked followers if they had any specific plant questions I could address in this podcast and blog. Here are the questions and answers for the Peace Lily...
"Will my Domino Peace Lily ever flower indoors?"
Yes it can! Placing it in a bright, indirect window will encourage the flowers. A west window or just off a south window is best but an east window could provide enough light to produce flowers as well.
"Is it possible to overwater my Peace Lily?"
Yes, there is always a possibility this can happen. Luckily, Peace Lilies are a bit more forgiving so I would suggest letting the leaves droop before watering. This will provide a good timeline for how long it takes for your plant to run out of water. Since these need consistent moisture, I would water a day or two closer together so you don't allow the leaves to droop once you understand the watering pattern.
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Love, Holly