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☮️ Peace Lily

Spathiphyllum wallisii

Plant Care Guide

☀️ Light

Bright indirect light ideal; tolerates lower light but blooming reduces. North-, north-east, or north-west window preferred. No direct sun — scorches leaves easily. No more than 2 hours direct sun per day. Drooping in bright light = sunburn stress; move away from window.

💧 Water

  • Keep soil evenly moist — water when top third of soil has dried
  • Soak thoroughly, drain fully
  • Frequency stays roughly consistent year-round
  • Drooping leaves = plant is thirsty — perks up quickly after watering
  • Never let sit in standing water
  • Sensitive to chlorine — use filtered or room-temperature water

🪴 Soil

  • Well-draining all-purpose mix with added perlite or peat
  • Slightly acidic to neutral pH
  • Always use a pot with drainage holes
  • Slightly snug pot encourages blooming

🌡️ Temperature

  • Ideal: 18–29 °C
  • Minimum: 12 °C — cold damage occurs below this
  • Avoid cold drafts, A/C vents, and radiators
  • No sudden temperature changes
  • Average household temperature works well year-round

💦 Humidity

  • Loves humidity — 50–60% preferred
  • Mist every few days or use a pebble tray
  • Kitchen or bathroom are ideal rooms
  • Group with other plants to create a microclimate
  • Brown leaf tips = air too dry, overwatering, or underwatering

🌱 Feeding

  • Light feeder — balanced fertilizer (e.g. 20-20-20) at quarter strength
  • Every 4–8 weeks spring/summer only
  • Stop completely in autumn/winter
  • Over-fertilising causes brown tips and root burn — flush soil if over-fed

🌸 Blooming

  • Produces white spathe flowers spring through summer; can rebloom year-round
  • More light = more blooms
  • Flowers turn from white to pale green to brown — remove promptly to encourage reblooming
  • First nursery blooms are often nursery-induced; subsequent blooms may be less dense
  • Slightly pot-bound plants bloom more readily

🌿 Air Purification

Peace Lilies are NASA-approved air purifiers! They remove formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide, and ammonia from indoor air. They also release oxygen at night, making them excellent bedroom plants. Drooping is actually a communication feature—they're telling you they're thirsty.

🌿 Facts

  • Drooping is a communication feature, not a flaw
  • Can live for many years; grows 30 cm–1.3 m+ depending on cultivar
  • Wipe leaves monthly with a damp cloth for best photosynthesis
  • Named after Gustav Wallis, who discovered it in Colombia in 1824

🐛 Pests

  • Generally resilient; watch for spider mites (dry air), aphids, mealybugs, scale
  • Inspect leaf undersides; treat with neem oil or insecticidal soap
  • Constantly drooping after watering = likely root rot — repot, trim black roots

✂️ Care Tips

  • Propagate by division in spring/summer — separate rooted clumps and pot individually
  • Cannot be propagated from leaf or stem cuttings (grows from rhizomes only)
  • Repot every 2–4 years in spring; go only 1–2 cm larger; slightly pot-bound = more blooms
  • Remove spent flowers and trim yellow/brown leaves at the base

⚠️ Warning

Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans. Calcium oxalate crystals cause oral and throat irritation if ingested.