Peace Lily Chico

Peace Lily 'Chico' (Spathiphyllum 'Chico') is the compact version of the plant that made peace lilies a fixture in Australian homes. It holds a neat rosette of about 40cm tall and 40cm wide, with dark glossy leaves and clean white spathes that appear on and off through the warmer months. It is the one indoor plant that tells you when it needs water, and it does that in shade which would starve most others.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers indoors. White spathes on slim stems keep coming through the warm months, which very few plants will do in low light.
• Small enough for a desk or shelf. At 40cm each way it suits a bench, a bathroom or a bedside table, where a full sized peace lily takes over.
• It asks for water clearly. The leaves droop when it is thirsty and lift again within hours of a drink, so there is no guesswork.
• Shade is not a problem. It grows in genuinely low light, including rooms with only a small window.

Where it works best

Indoors, in the darker rooms. Bathrooms, hallways, offices and any corner that gets no direct sun. Warmth and humidity suit it, so a steamy bathroom is close to ideal.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A 200mm to 250mm decorative pot holds it for two to three years. In tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens it also grows outdoors in full shade, as a low edging along a shaded path at 40cm spacing.

Growing Peace Lily 'Chico' in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light gives the most flowers, low light gives fewer but healthy foliage, and direct sun scorches the leaves. It is frost tender, so outside the tropics and subtropics it belongs indoors year round.

Soil. A quality indoor potting mix that holds moisture without going boggy, in a pot with a drainage hole. Repot every two to three years, or when roots push the plant up out of the mix.

Water and feed. Keep the mix damp rather than wet, letting the top two centimetres dry between drinks: usually weekly in summer, fortnightly in winter. Empty the saucer, since standing water rots the roots. Feed with a half strength liquid fertiliser monthly in spring and summer.

Pruning and grooming. Cut spent flower stems right back at the base, and remove yellowing leaves the same way. Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth every month or two, because dust on glossy foliage reduces the light the plant gets.

What to expect when it arrives

Plants come as tube stock and in 140mm pots sold in packs of 10. Tube stock is young, with two or three leaves, and fills a 140mm pot within a season. The 140mm plants are established and ready for a decorative pot, and the pack of 10 suits an office fit out or a run of shaded edging.

Peace lilies often arrive limp after transit. That is normal rather than damage: water them in, keep them out of direct sun, and they are usually upright within a day. Expect a settling month, then new leaves. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Browse plants for low light rooms
• Compare indoor plants that flower
• Best low light plants for the home

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. Peace lilies contain calcium oxalate crystals that are toxic to cats and dogs, causing mouth irritation, drooling and vomiting if chewed. Keep it up off the floor in a home with pets that nibble foliage.

Why has it stopped flowering?

Usually not enough light. Move it somewhere brighter but still out of direct sun, feed it monthly through the warm months, and check whether it has outgrown its pot.

What do brown leaf tips mean?

Dry air, uneven watering or a build up of salts from tap water and fertiliser. Water more evenly, flush the pot through every few months, and raise the humidity around the plant.