Family: Araceae
Common name: Peace lily, Spath
A favorite garden plant, whether indoors or outdoors, peace lilies are now grown all over the world. They belong to the same family as Anthuriums, and are technically not lilies, though they are called so.
Plant Characteristics
Peace lily plants grow to a height of 2-3 feet with broad, dark green leaves that make the plants look beautiful even without the blooms.
The flowers are elongated and yellowish-white, surrounded by a white or light green bract, which is a modified leaf that protects the flowers.
These flowers look very similar to those of Anthurium, but peace lilies are distinguished by their white bracts.
Flowers look beautiful even before they open, with pristine white, long buds that gently unfurl like a flag.
Fruits and seeds are not commonly seen in houseplants, and hence the plant is mostly propagated through vegetative methods.
Gardening Tips
Peace lily plants are very low-maintenance and can go for couple of weeks without water. It’s ok to wait for the leaves to droop before watering them, since they prefer under-watering to over-watering.
They grow well and flourish indoors, but blooms will not be as abundant as that of a plant growing in the sun.
Peace lily leaves contain oxalate crystals like those of Dumb cane, and are toxic to cats, dogs and small children. So if you have little children or pets at home, it is better to keep these plants out of their reach.
Peace lily plants don’t need a lot of fertilization, only once or twice a year. What more could an amateur gardener ask for?!
Even if you forget to water the plants for a long while, and the leaves droop over the edge of the pot, they will revive very quickly if you drench the soil with water and spray some water on the leaves.
Uses of Peace Lily
Peace Lily plants are grown as ornamentals in home gardens and landscaped areas, because of their glossy green leaves, and beautiful white flowers.
Since the leaves contain calcium oxalate crystals and are toxic to pets and humans, they are not used for medicinal purposes.
They are said to remove toxins in the air according to NASA’s clean air study, making it a preferred indoor plant, though they should be kept away from pets and small children.
Propagation
Propagation is by root division.
When the Peace lily plant grows in a pot or in the soil, they produce small plants around them, which can be carefully removed from the soil and replanted.
When the plant is ready for repotting, the roots can be gently divided into multiple portions, each producing a new plant.
Photographed at: Sobha Petunia, Bangalore
