Peace Lily

Peace lily grows best in partial to deep shade and should never be placed in direct sun; it prefers warm daytime temperatures between 68 and 85°F with no more than a 10-degree drop at night, growth slows markedly between 40 and 60°F, and extended cold below 40°F damages leaves, stems and roots.

Watering: keep the potting mix moist but not soggy, letting it dry somewhat between waterings; watering from below works well, and the plant wilts dramatically when too dry but recovers quickly once watered again. It also favours high humidity, which can be supplied by grouping it with other plants or standing the pot on a gravel tray of water.

Feeding and potting: fertilize at about one-quarter of the recommended strength, flushing the soil between applications to prevent salt build-up that can burn leaf tips and roots, or simply feed once or twice a year with a general-purpose fertilizer. It does best in a large pot of soil high in organic matter, kept somewhat pot-bound, repotted in February or March, and is propagated by division.

Mealybugs are the most common indoor pest, often gathering beneath the broad leaves; wiping the foliage regularly with a damp cloth removes dust and helps dislodge them. Brown leaf tips are typically caused by excessive direct sunlight, underwatering, or low humidity, and persistently dry air can also brown the leaf edges.

Ornamental: peace lily is grown chiefly as an interior foliage and flowering plant, prized for its deep-green glossy leaves and white spathe blooms that turn pale green after about ten days and stay attractive for a further month. Its shade tolerance and easy care make it a common specimen or grouped accent in interiorscapes, with larger types used as floor plants and smaller ones kept on tabletops or stands.

Cultural: the raised white spathe, likened to a flag of surrender, gave the plant its common name and its association with peace, and this symbolism has made it a frequently chosen gift plant, including one traditionally given at funerals.

Spathiphyllum wallisii was found growing wild in the Colombian jungle by the German plant collector Gustav Wallis, for whom it was named, and the species was formally described in 1877. Its natural range extends across parts of Mexico, the Caribbean islands and northern South America, and it has since been taken into cultivation as a houseplant worldwide.