Peace Lily Sweet Chico

Peace Lily 'Sweet Chico' (Spathiphyllum 'Sweet Chico') is a compact peace lily that holds to about 60cm tall and 50cm wide, so it suits a desk, a shelf or a shaded courtyard pot rather than a whole corner of the room. Glossy dark leaves carry clean white spathes through the warmer months, and it flowers in far less light than most flowering plants accept. It is toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, so place it accordingly.

Why you'll love it

• Compact by breeding. At 60cm by 50cm it stays in proportion on a side table, where a standard peace lily quickly outgrows the spot.
• It flowers in shade. White spathes keep coming in light levels that stop most flowering plants, which is why it works in offices and hallways.
• It tells you when it is thirsty. The leaves droop dramatically, then lift within hours of a water, so the guesswork is gone.
• Low maintenance. Repotting every two to three years, a monthly feed in the warm months and the occasional tidy is the whole job.

Where it works best

Indoors. The main use, and the one it suits best. Bathrooms, bedrooms, offices and shaded living rooms all work, because indoors your climate stops mattering.

Balconies and courtyards. A shaded, frost free balcony or courtyard pot is ideal in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. Keep it out of direct sun and wind.

Shaded borders and edging. In warm frost free gardens it makes a neat low edge under trees or along a shaded path, set about 50cm apart to match its mature width.

Growing Peace Lily Sweet Chico in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light indoors, never direct sun through glass, which scorches the leaves. Outdoors it belongs in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens in full or part shade. Being frost tender, in cool temperate and Mediterranean areas it stays inside or under cover.

Soil. A quality indoor potting mix in a pot with a drainage hole. It likes moisture but not stagnant water, so tip out the saucer rather than letting the pot stand in it.

Water and feed. Water once the top 2cm to 3cm of mix feels dry, keeping it evenly moist in the warm months and easing back in winter. Feed a half strength liquid fertiliser monthly from spring to late autumn.

Grooming. Cut spent flower stems and tired leaves back at the base rather than trimming partway, and repot every two to three years when roots crowd the surface.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tube stock, in 140mm packs of ten, 200mm packs of six, 250mm packs of three, and as single 300mm pots. The 300mm is the one to buy for an instantly full decorative pot, while the multi packs suit a shaded border or several rooms at once. Tube stock is the value option if you are happy to grow it on.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect a week or two of stillness after arrival, then new leaves once it settles. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Compare indoor flowering plants
• Browse the wider indoor plant range
• Plants for genuinely shaded positions

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. Peace lilies are toxic to cats and dogs, and chewing the leaves causes mouth irritation, drooling and vomiting. Keep it on a high shelf, or choose a pet safe plant instead.

Why are the leaves drooping?

Almost always thirst, and it recovers within hours of a deep water. If the mix is already wet, the problem is the opposite one and the roots need to dry out.

Will it flower in a dark room?

It will live in low light but flower sparsely. Move it somewhere with bright indirect light and the spathes return within a season.