Plant Of The Week: Jan 9, 2024 Peace Lily

Peace lily (white sails, spathe flower)

Family: Araceae (air-ace-see-ay) 

Scientific Name: Spathiphyllum spp.

Fun facts:

- Peace lilies make their home in the tropical rainforests of Colombia and Venezuela, and were introduced to Europe in 1870, since then becoming a massively popular houseplant 

- Despite its name, peace lilies do not belong to the lily family, and instead belong to Araceae, the same family that philodendron, pothos, and zz plants belong to.

- Peace lilies are commonly found at funerals, often given as a gift. Since Victorian times they were thought to be symbolic of peace, innocence, tranquility and rebirth.

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Care: 

- Peace lilies can do well in low light situations and can even flower with only 2-4 hours of light. Providing them with bright indirect light is key to ensuring constant blooms and lush foliage. Prolonged direct light can lead to burning of foliage and should be avoided. 

- Peace lilies are drama queens when it comes to watering and will be sure to tell you when they are thirsty. Water whenever the first inch or so of the soil is dry. 

- Fertilizing is not a necessity with Peace lilies, but they can benefit from infrequent feedings every 6 weeks or so in the spring/summer months. 

- If your peace lily’s roots look a little snug in their pots, don’t fret. Peace lilies don't mind being rootbound and actually prefer it. Repot when your plant seems to start to wilt more frequently.

- If the tips of their leaves turn brown, as they often do, you can pinch them off or carefully cut with scissors. It’s the plants way of saying it needs to be watered more regularly.