Growing Peace Lilies: How To Care For Spathiphyllum

Written by Savannah Toal

Spathiphyllum has been a long-time favorite houseplant for experienced and beginner plant parents. Easy to care for and can bloom all year round, peace lilies are a must in your plant collection.

What is Spathiphyllum?

So let's get down to business! Peace lilies are tropical, evergreen plants that are found on the forest floor in tropical America. This explains why they are able to withstand low light situations.

These plants dorm prominent fish-bone patterned leaves and bloom arum-shaped white flowers all year round. They are an adaptable and low-maintenance houseplant. Making them a sought after and common addition to any plant collection.

There's a wide variety of sizes and types of Spathiphyllum. Most being classified by their heights. The most popular midsized Spathiphtllum hybrid, the Mauna loa, can grow up to four feet tall and flaunts a bounty of flowers, or spathes.

Flowers - A gift for giving them good growing conditions!

Peace lilies can bloom all year round given the right growing conditions. Flowers will first appear when the plant is mature enough and will continue to do so!

If your peace lily is not flowering, most often they are not getting enough light. These houseplants can tolerate low light and will survive in dark corners, but will blossom in brighter to medium light indirect light. To encourage flowering try gradually moving the plant to a location that receives bright indirect light. Like a north-facing window. Another way is to place your plant in a dark area for a period of time. Leading the plant to believe they had a dormant period. This will shock a non-blooming peace lily to flower!

---

Perfect For Those Who Always Overwater!

Peace lilies are tropical plants meaning they love some that good H20 nectar! They love moist soil, but also can tolerate short periods of dry soil. I highly recommend this houseplant for those who just LOVE to water their plants almost to the point of killing them. With bright light, these guys can be watered 2 to 3 times a week.

A great rule of thumb is to water when the leaves start to droop. Spathiphyllum are expressive plants meaning they will let you know when they need a drink. Once the leaves start to fall, I bring the pot over to my sink and give it a good rinse until it drains out the drainage hole. This gives me time to inspect the plant, prune any yellow leaves, and ensure he's feeling good!

Nasa Approved - Air-Purifying Peace Lily For The Win!

Nasa did a study and discovered that peace lilies can improve air quality by removing carbon monoxide, benzene, and formaldehyde from the air.

I mean who doesn't love walking into a room and just feeling the freshness on your face - you can thank your peace lily for that.

---

Planting and Propagating Peace Lily

The peace lily is very easy to plant and propagate. They love a well-draining, all-purpose potting soil with a little peat moss added. Repot them every spring to ensure proper root growth and provide some refreshed soil.

The easiest way to propagate Spathiphyllum is through division. In the spring or summer remove the soil from a mature plant and carefully detach rosettes or the smaller plants. Then simply place these new plants in their own pots to grow! These guys grow from rhizomes, like the snake plant, so it can tolerate a bit of roughhousing during dividing.

---

Quick Care Tips

Light:

Bright indirect light in a North facing window is my ideal lighting situation. More mature plants can survive in lower light further from windows, but may not bloom as well.

Temperature:

Can tolerate high temperatures, but will die if in left in the cold for too long. Average house temperatures work perfectly - don’t overthink it!

Watering:

Peace lilies love water, they are simps for water. Water when the plant tells you too and do this year-round as they do not have a dormant period.

Fertilizer:

They are not heavy feeders, so fertilize occasionally. My rule of thumb is every 2 to 3 months, but do what works for you.

Toxicity:

All parts of the peace lily plant contains calcium oxalate. Basically don't eat it in a salad or you will have stomach and respiratory irritation. Keep this plant out of reach of small children and pets.

---

Peace lilies are a staple in every plant collection, and if you don't have one yet you can find them everywhere. Literally. Just don't forget to water and you will have a flowering, tropical, evergreen beaut!

Happy planting!