Peace Lily Jet Diamond

Peace Lily Jet Diamond (Spathiphyllum 'Jet Diamond') is a variegated peace lily with dark green leaves speckled and streaked in cream, reaching about 70cm tall and 60cm wide indoors. It carries the same white flower spathes as the plain green forms, but the foliage is the reason to buy it: no two leaves carry the same pattern. It is one of the few genuinely low light tolerant plants that still looks like a feature.

Why you'll love it

• Variegation you notice from across the room. Cream flecks and splashes over deep green, in a different pattern on every leaf.
• It tolerates a dim corner. Bright indirect light is ideal, but it holds condition in low light where most variegated plants revert or thin out.
• It tells you when it is thirsty. The leaves droop clearly before any damage is done, then recover within hours of watering.
• Flowers indoors. White spathes appear through the warmer months on plants that are settled and lightly fed.

Where it works best

Indoors as a feature. A single plant in a decorative pot suits a side table, a desk or the floor beside a sofa, anywhere with light but no direct sun through glass.

Bathrooms and kitchens. It is genuinely humidity loving, so the rooms that punish other houseplants are the ones where it looks best.

Sheltered balconies and courtyards. In tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens it can live outdoors in full shade, provided it is protected from frost, wind and direct sun.

Growing Peace Lily Jet Diamond in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light indoors, or deep shade outside. Direct sun scorches the pale sections of the leaves first. It is frost tender, so outside a warm frost free garden it is an indoor plant year round.

Soil. A quality indoor potting mix with added perlite or coarse bark for aeration. Choose a pot with drainage holes and never let it stand in a full saucer, because constant wet at the roots is the usual cause of collapse.

Water and feed. Water thoroughly when the top few centimetres of mix are dry, letting the excess drain away. Reduce watering in the cooler months. Feed monthly through spring and summer with a half strength liquid fertiliser.

Maintenance. Wipe the leaves occasionally so dust does not dull the variegation, and cut spent flower stems off at the base. Repot every two years into a pot one size larger, and divide crowded clumps at the same time.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tube stock and as a 200mm pack of six. Tubes are young single crowns and the economical way to grow it on yourself or to fill several small pots. The 200mm pack of six gives established plants with a full head of leaves, ready to go straight into a decorative pot.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Some leaf droop on arrival is normal after time in a box; water it, give it indirect light and it usually lifts within a day. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Practical indoor plant care
• Plants for low light rooms
• Browse variegated plants
• Browse the full indoor plant range

Common questions

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

No. Like all aroids, peace lilies contain calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and throat if chewed. Keep it out of reach of pets and children who are inclined to chew houseplants.

Why are the white parts of the leaves browning?

Usually too much light or dry air. The pale variegated tissue burns before the green does, so move the plant further from the window and keep it away from heating and cooling vents.

Why has it stopped flowering?

Almost always light. A peace lily will survive in a dark corner but it needs bright indirect light to produce spathes, and a monthly feed through spring and summer helps.