Peace Lily: Introduction, Classification, Native Habitat, Characteristics, Pathological Problems, Utilization, and Care
Introduction
The Peace lily is one of the more popular tropical indoor plants in the United States. Spathiphyllum is its official botanical name. One of the most common interior-design plants in the country, Spathiphyllum is named after the Greek word for the flowers’ spathe-like leaves. It is also known to be effective at removing formaldehyde, benzene, and other pollutants from indoor environments. It is frequently observed in houses and businesses, where the indirect light makes it grow wonderfully. The Peace Lily is not a lily; it was merely comparable to the white lily historically. Many people equate peace, innocence, and purity with peace lilies. However, others in the new age movement assert that they resolve problems and combat negativity. Regardless of what someone may claim, we can all agree that they provide beauty and aesthetic appeal to any space.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Subfamily: Monsteroideae
Genus: Spathiphyllum
Common Name(s): Spath or Peace lilies, Espatifilo, Mauna Loa, Spaths, Spathe Flower, White Flag.
Habit: Peace lilies usually grow as clumps of coarse-textured, luxuriant, evergreen leaves that are around the same height and spread as each other.
Native Habitat: Although the majority of hybrid cultivars sold in the American nursery and greenhouse industry are of garden origin, the genus is originally from Southeast Asia and tropical regions of Central and South America.
Characteristics
1. A small, single, 25 cm tall terrestrial herb;
2. Foliage: Evergreen, alternate, simple, narrow to broadly elliptic, 5 elongated petioles, entire to undulate margins, to 18 on thin, 6 elongated acuminate tips, and cuneate to acute bases; most species have lush, dark green leaves that may or may not be mottled with yellowish or whitish spots.
3. Stem: Internodes towards the tip of the stem are 3–7 mm long and 7–mm in diameter. They are dark green.
4. Leaves with a rosulate habit, petioles that are (7.0-)7.6-10.5 cm long (on average 7.5 cm), sheathed for 0.6-0.84 of their length, sheaths that are 4.8-7.3 cm long, acute at the apex, pale green, quickly becoming thin and scarious, and frequently breaking up, and free parts that are 1.7-3.2 cm long, medium green, semiglossy, flattened adaxially
5. Inflorescences erect, up to three produced in rapid succession from various leaf axils, each inflorescence lasting two to three weeks; peduncles 17.8(-20)-29 cm long, 1.5 mm diam., dark green, thicker 2 mm diam., purplish in apical 1.5 cm; spathe 3.6-4.5 cm long, 2.0-2.3 cm wide, weakly glossy on the inner surface, glossy on the outer surface, white on both sides, midvein dark green
6. Flower: As is typical of many members of the aroid family, the tiny individual flowers are a greenish white, creamy long spadix, some taxa have fragrant flowers, and the aggregate spadix can be narrow or stout, resembling a war mace with a white shield behind it. Perhaps those taxa should be called war lilies instead of peace lilies.
7. Fruit: In cultivation, fruit typically appears as short spikes or racemes of tiny white berries; many hybrid taxa sold in the American nursery and greenhouse industry are sterile and fail to bear fruit.
8. Cultural requirements: Easy to grow with a decent water source because most plants are not very resistant to salinity; very hardy in interior landscapes; outdoors in our region, they need a protected site; prevent drying winds, exposure to salty water, and direct sun; Only the warmest areas in our region can be used outside, other than as annuals due to cold tolerance; Outdoor plants should be cultivated in fertile, acidic to neutral loamy organic soils with a consistent but well-drained moisture supply. For containers, use a decent all-purpose potting mix.
9. Pathological Problems: Overwatering may promote Cylindrocaladium root rot. Typical interiorscape/greenhouse pests like mealybugs, scale, and spider mites are occasionally a concern.
10. Ornamental Assets: White spathes, lush, dark-green or variegated foliage, and resistance to extremely low light levels are the main ornamental assets.
11. Limitations & Liabilities: The sap of some taxa is also a skin irritant; most taxa are intolerant of full sun or excessive salt levels; reported to be harmful to people, cats, and dogs because the majority of tissues contain calcium oxalates.
Utilization: One of our most dependable interiorscape plants, Spathiphyllum excels as houseplants, conservatory, or interiorscape plants but is also a staple of tropical outdoor landscapes where they frequently act as groundcovers, shade borders, or shade accents; it is occasionally used in shaded protected locations in deep South Texas landscapes where it is frequently harmed by winter cold; Peace lilies make excellent container plants for shaded patios or can be used as groundcovers in deep South Texas landscapes
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How to Take Care of a Peace Lily
Ans: Grow as a houseplant inside.
Temperature: Keep the house at a comfortable level, but on the warm side.
Light: They can withstand very low light, but too little light can cause the leaves to turn yellow, and they are unlikely to bloom much, if at all, in the absence of some brightness from a window or a lamp. However, too much light will also cause the leaves to scorch, curl, and turn yellow. They can withstand any kind of light, except harsh direct sunshine, and bloom more the lighter they receive. The ideal setting is a bright, filtered sunlight area.
Water: Ideally, keep the soil evenly damp, rather than saturated or soaking wet. When the soil just starts to feel dry, water the area well, but avoid letting the plant sit in water. Avoid allowing the plant to wilt because the leaves will likely become yellow due to the dry soil, even though Spathiphyllum will recover incredibly well from severe wilting. The plant will withstand low water levels, much like it does low light, but it will never grow as well as it does when it receives adequate irrigation. To prevent the pot from retaining too much water, make sure the container has a drainage hole. The plant may have a root disease due to being overwatered if it is always droopy and doesn’t perk back up after being watered. Remove all black and damaged roots and repot the plant in new, clean soil. After repotting, exercise extreme caution when watering in the future.
Fertilizer: When the plant is growing or flowering, often in the spring and summer, fertilize solely with diluted (1/2 strength) fertilizer once a month. Avoid overfertilizing and avoid fertilizing in the winter because it will cause the leaf tips to brown.
Maintenance: * Repot only when it becomes difficult to keep the plant adequately watered; the plant likes to flower better when it is a little pot-bound. * Can move to a protected, filtered sun site outside only during the warm summer months. Due to its tropical nature, the plant cannot be left outside in weather below 60 degrees F. thrives in environments with more humidity, like a jungle. occasionally mist the leaves with water.
Question: How to Plant
Ans: In our environment, plants are best kept indoors and planted in pots with loose, well-drained soil.
Pruning: Simply pick out any dry or dead leaves.
Water: Weekly watering will keep the plants wet but not soggy. Allow to slightly dry before watering.
Fertilization: Feed once a week with a liquid fertilizer that has been diluted to half its strength.
Soil: Harmony Rich, loose, fibrous potting soil is what lilies prefer.
Propagation: From the crown’s divisions.
Question: Does peace lily needs sunlight?
Ans: They can withstand very low light, but too little light can cause the leaves to turn yellow, and they are unlikely to bloom much, if at all, in the absence of some brightness from a window or a lamp. However, too much light will also cause the leaves to scorch, curl, and turn yellow. They can withstand any kind of light, except harsh direct sunshine, and bloom more the lighter they receive. The ideal setting is a bright, filtered sunlight area.
Question: Where should peace lilies be placed in the house?
Ans: The ideal window faces east and is at a moderate temperature but leans toward warmth.
Question: How often should I water a peace lily?
Ans: Weekly watering will keep the plants wet but not soggy. Allow to slightly dry before watering.
Question: Should peace lily be water from the top or bottom?
Ans: Water should be applied carefully to the soil until it drops through the pot’s bottom.