Houseplants 101 By Yasmin Concepcion Hi, my name is Yashie and I’m an indoor plant addict. Being a self-confessed plant addict does not, by any means, make me an expert on indoor and tropical plants. All I have to offer is my experience with the varieties I’ve had and lost, those that I still have and struggle to keep alive, and the ones I have successfully kept alive and healthy for months or years.
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he peace lily, or Spathiphyllum wallisii, is not a real lily despite its name. It is actually a member of the Araceae family, same as anthuriums, calla lilies and monsteras, native to the tropical regions of the Americas and southeast Asia. They thrive on the forest floors, receiving dappled sunlight which makes them perfect house and office plants. Aside from the gorgeous foliage, with creamy white flowers giving a striking contrast to their rich, deep, emerald green leaves, another reason they are great houseplants is their air cleaning ability. Identified by the NASA Clean Air Study to be one of the top 10 indoor plants for air purification, the peace lily is able to break down and neutralize toxic gases like benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. So, it’s good to have a peace lily plant, or two… or three. One of the reasons I love the peace lily is because its care and growing requirements are very straightforward and effortless. It tells you what it needs, you just have to know what it’s telling you. Light They usually thrive in medium to low light, even artificial light. But if you want your peace lilies to produce more of those white spathes and flowers, give them more light, but not direct sunlight as that will burn their leaves. Water Peace lilies like evenly moist soil. Have a regular watering schedule once a week or check the soil. When the top one to two inches of soil is dry, it’s time to water. If they go too dry between waterings, they wilt. But don’t worry, just give them a deep and thorough drink of water and they will bounce back. The best way to bring them 10 • 2020
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