Family: Araceae
Common name: Peace lily
At first glance, these beautiful plants look like a normal Peace Lily or Spathiphyllum wallisii on steroids because of their large leaves and flowers. These tropical evergreen plants are native to South America, but they grow well in most tropical and subtropical countries.
Plant Characteristics
Peace Lily plants can grow to a height of 1 m with a bushy spreading foliage, as opposed to Spathiphyllum wallisii which only grows about 40-50 cm tall, and both plants are known by the name Peace Lily.
Roots of the plants are quite shallow spreading horizontally below the surface of the soil to maximize water absorption. The stem is quite short, in fact, the plant appears almost stemless since the leaves arise almost from the base of the plant.
The leaves of the Peace lily plant are dark, green, glossy, and very beautiful. They are lance-shaped with a distinct midrib and very prominent, slightly sunken veins.
Each leaf is 30-50 cm long and about 10-20 cm wide, with a smooth slightly undulating margin. The glossy texture and prominent venation make the plant look beautiful as an ornamental, even when it is not blooming.
Flowers of the Peace Lily are typical of plants in the Araceae family, with a spadix and spathe structure like in Anthuriums. Each flower has a long cylindrical white column called spadix, surrounded by a petal-shaped bract called spathe, which is also white in color.
Each flower is 10 to 15 cm long, adorning the plants during spring and summer. These plants do not bloom as abundantly as their smaller counterparts, Spathiphyllum wallissii.
Peace lily plants are capable of producing fruits, though this is not commonly seen in garden plants due to the lack of pollinators. Hence, propagation is through vegetative methods.
Gardening Tips
Peace Lily plants prefer bright indirect sunlight, as harsh sunlight can burn the edge of leaves. They prefer rich well-draining soil, which has a good proportion of compost, peat, and perlite in addition to potting mix.
Water the plants only when the soil feels dry as their tender stems can rot with over-watering.
Since these are tropical plants, they need high humidity and rainfall. Therefore, it is essential to the plants during the summer season.
Peace lily plants can be kept in pots that are placed in trays filled with water, so that the plant can absorb water as required.
Fertilize once in one to two months with a balanced liquid fertilizer. They are not heavy feeders and do not need much care and attention. Pruning can be done after the flowering season to remove flowers and dead leaves.
Repotting should be done only once the plant fully covers the pot with no space for more leaves to grow, since these plants like to crowd inside a pot.
Uses of Peace Lilly
Peace lily plants were included in NASA’s clean air study since it removes toxins like benzene and ammonia from the atmosphere, making them ideal indoor plants for homes and offices.
They are excellent ornamental plants because of their beautiful lush, green foliage and white flowers. Plant them in a corner of your garden, with less sunlight to bring in a tropical vibe.
Propagation
Propagation is through root division, since the plants normally do not produce fruits or seeds.
Parent plants are capable of producing small plants around them, which can be carefully removed from the soil and replanted.
When it is time for reporting the root mass can be gently separated into individual plants for propagation.
Photographed at: Devanahalli area, Bangalore
