Peace Lily

The Peace Lily gives so much and asks for so little, it’s no wonder it’s one of the most popular houseplants.   With their glossy leaves and dramatic flowers, Peace Lilies can brighten up a low light room where other flowering houseplants fear to tread.

The formal name for the Peace Lily is Spathiphyllum.  It’s native to the rainforests of Central and South America, which can give you a clue on the proper care for a Peace Lily – you need to make it feel at home.  Since you probably don’t live in a rainforest, giving it indirect and filtered light, since it’s one of the shorter plants in its native neighborhood, along with moist conditions will help it flourish.

While Peace Lilies are one of the top houseplants for keeping indoor air healthy by removing formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide, they are poisonous to pets, so keep Fido and Kitty out of harm’s way.

If a Peace Lily isn’t happy, it’s sure to let you know and forgiving when you fix the problem.  At the slightest sign of thirst the leaves droop, leaves will pale or yellow with too much light and a scorched look to the foliage is telling you there’s too much direct light.

Keeping Them Happy

While the Peace Lily is a fairly low maintenance houseplant, they do a have a few requirements to keep them blooming and attractive.

Light

The Peace Lilies’ popularity is in part due to its low light requirements.  Although Peace Lilies are ideal for dark corners, they grow even better and offer more blooms in medium light - as long as they aren't subjected to hot, direct sun.  Keeping it within 4 to 7 feet of a window is optimum, although they can even flourish under the artificial light in an office – making them a top choice for desks and interior cubicles.

Water

The Peace Lily likes its water and needs it frequently.  It droops at its first sign of thirst.  Since its best to allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings, misting a few times during the week can give it the humidity that it craves.  In fact, many will wait to water until they see a slight droop and they find that method to be successful, but if you wait too long to respond, the lower leaves may pale or yellow and need to be removed.

Potting

Peace Lilies prefer a rich, loose potting medium, but they’re not too picky.  A good mix of peat and Perlite keep the houseplant well drained, as they don’t like their feet wet.  They have no specific potting requirements, but using a pot that’s too large can keep them from draining properly.

Feeding

A general houseplant fertilizer keeps a Peace Lily happy.  A diluted mix of fertilizer once a month is recommended to encourage blooms.  The plant can bloom twice a year if properly fed.

To help you keep your Peace Lily happy, listen to him or her – they’re not shy about showing their displeasure, but very forgiving once you’ve responded.