Guest Author - Wendy Lee

For my first installment of the plant of the month I would like to introduce the Peace Lily as known as a Spath or Spathiphyllum. The Peace Lily is a member of the Araceae (air-a-see-a) family and is related to Anthuriums, Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia), Calla Lilies, and Aglaonema.

In Greek the name Spathiphyllum means flower like a leaf. It has large elongated dark green leaves with upright flowers. The white part of the ‘flower’ is actually, like a poinsettia, just a modified leaf (spathe) and the yellow center bit (spadix) is a column of compacted flowers. This plant comes in many varieties some with rounder leaves and other with more pointed ends, there is even a cultivar known as domino which has sage green striations/spots on the leaves.

This simple plant: popular for house warmings and get well tidings; has a super easy care regime. Many just water it whenever it starts to droop, personally, I suggest about once a week seeing as the most common cause of death is over watering.. The plant likes moderate light and little fertilizer. One way you can tell that you are over feeding your Peace Lily is to check the tips of your leaves; are they and the root tips turning brown? Then you just might be. Try a half solution of a balanced fertilizer such as a 20-20-20 instead.

Another issue people have with Peace Lilies is that once they bloom out they do not bloom again. The cure for this is to put your beloved plant in a darker room, yes darker. What this does is tricks the plant into a dormant stage and brings forth new florets.

One other problem with this very common house plant is that the sap or juices of the it has oxalate crystals. Ingestion can cause swelling of the throat and tongue as well as an upset stomach and dermatitis. If you experience a reaction to this plant wash thoroughly with warm water and soap and see a professional if you experience such symptoms. However, as with poinsettias, you would have to ingest a vast amount to actually be in dire straits. Being a florist for 13 years I have never heard of someone having any dermatological problems with this plant.

Your Peace Lily will also benefit from repotting every 2 to 3 years so as to refresh the soil and give it some breathing room. Be sure to use a soil that has a good mix to it such as bark, sand and soil so as to allow adequate drainage. At the time of repotting you can also separate your one large plant in 2 or 3 smaller plants allowing yourself ‘new plants’ at no cost.