Peace Lily

Spathiphyllum spp.

click pic to enlarge

Zone 10 or Indoors

Peace Lily, Spathiphyllum, is a very popular indoor houseplant.  In the warmest parts of Florida, Spathiphyllum is happy in the landscape in the shade, and with protection from wind and never temperatures below 55 degrees

Spathiphyllum is a clump-growing herbaceous perennial which produces white or green-white spaths during the warm months.  Leaves are shiny and glossy, attractive even with no spaths

Care is easy if you fertilize lightly during all the warm months.  Make sure the soil is free of nematodes, otherwise, any decent mix is OK.  Soil should be kept lightly moist, never wet.  It is best to water thoroughly, likely once a week. Let the soil dry out almost completely between waterings indoors

Diana in Missouri sent us these interesting pics of facing blooms on one Spathiphyllum flower stem

click pics to enlarge

Spathiphyllum is grown commercially using hot houses covered in plastic, even in South Florida.  The indoor temperatures are kept at 90+ degrees and the humidity is also very high.  There is no air movement and the light (sun through plastic) is very bright 10-12 hours per day

We tell you about warmth, humidity and sunlight because many people have trouble after taking a Peace Lily home.  As a house plant, often, there is a sudden decline.  In severe cases, the plant can quickly look like this.  The damage in the photo is mostly from wind, but it could have been from cold (just an hour or two below 55 degrees).

There are many hybrid varieties of Peace Lily:

• Spathiphyllum 'Ceres'
• Spathiphyllum 'Cupido'
• Spathiphyllum 'Debbie'
• Spathiphyllum 'Flower Power'
• Spathiphyllum 'Jetty'
• Spathiphyllum 'Lynise'
• Spathiphyllum 'Mauna Loa Supreme'
• Spathiphyllum 'Pallas'
• Spathiphyllum 'Petite'
• Spathiphyllum 'Sensation'
• Spathiphyllum 'Sierra'
• Spathiphyllum 'Sonya'
• Spathiphyllum 'Starlight'
• Spathiphyllum 'Stephanie'
• Spathiphyllum 'Sunlight'
• Spathiphyllum 'Supreme'
• Spathiphyllum 'Sweet Pablo'
• Spathiphyllum 'Taylor's Green'
• Spathiphyllum 'Ty's Pride'
• Spathiphyllum 'Vicki-Lynn'
• Spathiphyllum 'Viscount Prima'
• Spathiphyllum 'Viscount'
• Spathiphyllum wallisii

Depending on your variety, your Spathiphyllum will vary by size (leaves, height), color of the spaths and intensity of bloom production.

You can divide your Spathiphyllum by separating the clumps and re-planting the pieces.  Be very sure you plant at the same level as the original soil, and use a well drained mix.

Peace Lily can tolerate much less light than nursery conditions, but the brighter the better for location.  Keep away from drafts and cold.

Keep your leaves clean with water washes to remove dust and dirt.   Peace Lily can attract mites, scales and mealy bugs so cleaning will help keep these pests away.