Sweet Romano Peace Lily

Sweet Romano Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum 'Sweet Romano') is the large growing peace lily, reaching about 1.2m tall and 1m across rather than the desk sized clump most people picture. Broad glossy leaves and tall white spathes make it a genuine floor plant for a shaded corner. Very few indoor plants flower reliably in low light. This one does.

Why you'll love it

• Floor plant scale. At 1.2m by 1m it fills a corner or flanks a doorway, a job the standard peace lily is simply too small for.
• White flowers away from a window. Tall spathes appear through the warmer months even well back in a room.
• It tells you when it is thirsty. The leaves droop visibly and lift again within hours of watering, which makes it forgiving for a first time plant owner.
• It likes humidity. Bathrooms, ensuites and sheltered subtropical verandahs suit it better than they suit most indoor plants.

Where it works best

Indoors. Any room with filtered light or shade, anywhere in the country. Inside, your climate stops mattering, which counts for a plant this frost tender.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. Outdoors it needs a warm frost free position in a tropical, subtropical or warm temperate garden, in full shade or under a canopy. Direct sun scorches the leaves.

One caution. Like all peace lilies it contains calcium oxalate crystals, which irritate the mouth and throat if chewed. Keep it away from cats, dogs and small children.

Growing Sweet Romano Peace Lily in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light or full shade, never direct sun. It is frost tender, so outside the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones treat it strictly as an indoor plant.

Soil. A quality indoor potting mix that holds moisture but still drains freely. Repot every two to three years, moving up one pot size at a time.

Water and feed. Water when the top few centimetres dry out, then empty the saucer. Half strength liquid fertiliser monthly through spring and summer, none in winter. Brown leaf tips usually mean the mix dried too far or the water is heavily chlorinated.

Pruning. Cut spent flower stems and tired outer leaves right down at the base rather than trimming partway. Wipe dust off the foliage every few weeks so the plant can use the light it has.

What to expect when it arrives

This peace lily is sold in 200mm pots in packs of six and 250mm pots in packs of three. Those quantities suit a whole room, an office fit out or a run of matched planters rather than a single gift plant. Both sizes arrive established and already showing the broad foliage of the variety.

Peace lilies travel with their leaves folded down and can look flat on arrival. Water them, give them a shaded spot, and they lift within a day. Expect new growth inside a month and flowers in the first warm season. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read how to keep your indoor plants alive for the watering and light basics.
• Browse the wider indoor plants range.
• Compare other plants for low light rooms.
• See more indoor plants that actually flower.

Common questions

Is it safe around pets?

No. The leaves contain calcium oxalate crystals, which cause drooling, mouth irritation and vomiting if a cat or dog chews them. Rarely serious, but keep the plant out of reach if your pet chews foliage.

Why are the leaves drooping?

Almost always thirst. Give it a thorough soak and it should recover within a few hours. If the leaves stay limp after watering, the problem is the opposite one and the roots are sitting wet.

Will it flower in a dark room?

Yes, and that is its strength. It flowers in bright indirect light and in genuinely shaded rooms, though the blooms come less often the darker the position.