Plant library · Office
Peace lily
The peace lily is a clump-forming plant from the rainforest floor of Central and South America, grown for its dark glossy leaves and white flower spathes. It is one of the few flowering plants that does well in office light. It also shows clearly when it needs water, drooping within a day of drying out and recovering soon after watering.
Spathiphyllum wallisii and hybrids · Spathiphyllum · Peace lily plant · White sails · Spath
Size
40–90 cm indoors
Growth
Moderate
Leaf
Evergreen
Light
Medium to bright indirect light, about 1.5–3 m from a window. It survives lower light but then rarely flowers. Direct sun bleaches and scorches the leaves.
Water
Keep the mix evenly moist. Water when the top 2–3 cm feels dry: about every 5–7 days in an AC office, less in winter and the monsoon. It droops visibly when dry; repeated wilting browns the leaves, so water before it reaches that point.
Potting mix
Moisture-holding but well-drained potting mix with cocopeat and compost, in a pot with a drainage hole. It is sensitive to salts, so flush the pot with plenty of water every couple of months.
01
How to recognise Peace lily
Family Araceae
- aLeaves are dark green, glossy and lance-shaped with a pointed tip and a clear central vein, rising on long stalks straight from the potting mix.
- bFlowers are a white, sail-like hood (the spathe) wrapped around a cream finger-like spike (the spadix), held above the leaves on tall stalks.
- cSpathes open white, slowly turn green over several weeks and then brown.
- dThere is no stem; the plant grows as a clump that thickens as new shoots appear at the base.
- eOften confused with the anthurium, which has a flat, shiny red, pink or white heart-shaped spathe, and with young aglaonema, which has patterned leaves and rarely showy flowers.
02
Peace lily in your city
Indoor conditions differ from city to city: dry air, long air-conditioning seasons, humidity and dust.
Comfortable indoors year-round and flowers well in bright offices. Water less often in the monsoon.
Dry summer air and heated winter rooms brown the leaf tips and dry the mix quickly. Keep it away from vents and heaters, check moisture twice a week and wipe dust off leaves regularly.
Does well in bright offices. In the dry winter keep it out of direct AC or heater airflow.
Cold drafts in winter lobbies cause dark, damaged leaves, and heated rooms dry it out. Place it in the interior of the office, away from doors and heaters.
Humid air suits it and leaf tips stay green. Take care not to overwater in the monsoon, when fungus gnats and root rot are common.
Mild indoor conditions suit it well, and plants flower regularly in bright offices.
Handles indoor conditions well if watered regularly; the mix dries faster in summer. Keep it away from sunny windows.
Very dry summer air browns the leaves and the mix dries within days. Group it with other plants, keep it away from AC outlets and check moisture often.
Humidity suits it and misting is unnecessary. Let the top of the mix dry a little between waterings to avoid rot.
03
Where it fits
- Reception counters and side tables where its white flowers are seen.
- Meeting rooms and cabins with a window, where it gets enough light to flower.
- Workstation planters in medium light, where regular watering can be relied on.
- Cafeteria tables and counters, in small pots.
04
Care
- Water as soon as the top few centimetres are dry; do not wait for the plant to wilt each time.
- Cut spent flower stalks at the base once the spathe turns green or brown.
- Wipe leaves with a damp cloth every two weeks to remove dust.
- Divide and repot every one to two years when the clump fills the pot.
- Feed with a diluted balanced fertiliser every four to six weeks from March to September; too much fertiliser causes brown tips.
05
Common problems
- Drooping leaves — the mix has dried out; water thoroughly and the plant usually stands up again within a few hours. If it droops while the mix is wet, check for root rot.
- Brown leaf tips — dry AC air, salts in tap water or irregular watering; keep it out of airflow, flush the pot and trim the tips.
- Yellow leaves — older leaves yellowing slowly is normal; many at once usually means overwatering or a pot without drainage.
- No flowers — too little light; move it closer to a bright window for a few months.
06
Questions
Is the peace lily poisonous to cats, dogs or children?
Yes, if chewed. It contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause burning in the mouth, drooling, swelling and vomiting. It is not a true lily, so it does not cause the kidney failure that lilies cause in cats, but it should still be kept out of reach of pets and small children.
Does a peace lily purify indoor air?
It appears on many lists based on old sealed-chamber studies. In a real office with ventilation and air-conditioning, a few plants make no measurable difference to indoor air. It is chosen for its flowers, its look and how people feel around plants.
Why is my peace lily not flowering?
Usually too little light. It flowers best in bright indirect light near a window. Mature, slightly pot-bound plants also flower more readily.
How often should I water a peace lily in an office?
About once a week in most AC offices, checking the top few centimetres of mix first. In dry cities and heated rooms it may need water twice a week; in humid cities and in winter, less often.
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