spathiphyllum
Spathiphyllum Schott
A genus overview; characteristics vary between its species.
Peace lilies are familiar houseplants with glossy foliage and a pale, sail-like structure above the leaves. That conspicuous structure is a spathe, a modified leaf associated with the flower cluster. Indoor plants are commonly about three feet high and wide, although their size varies with species and cultivated selection. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Spathiphyllum
Botanical name
Spathiphyllum Schott is an accepted genus in Araceae. The database identifies the genus; the pollination example below is explicitly limited to S. friedrichsthalii. Kew: Spathiphyllum, CATE Araceae
Recognizing the plant
The true flowers are densely arranged along a cylindrical spike called a spadix. Each flower has both male and female parts. The usually white spathe persists and turns green as fruit develops. Leaf blades are elongated or elliptical, with numerous fine side veins, and the fruits are greenish berries. Kew: Spathiphyllum, CATE Araceae
Native range
The genus is native from Mexico through tropical America, with additional native representatives in Malesia and the western Pacific. Plants usually occupy humid forest floors and wet places, sometimes rooting on rocks in streams. Kew: Spathiphyllum, CATE Araceae
Ecological relationships
In a fifteen-month study on Panama’s Barro Colorado Island, pollen-collecting stingless bees made most visits to S. friedrichsthalii and experimentally proved effective pollinators. Montalvo and Ackerman (1986): Relative pollinator effectiveness in Spathiphyllum friedrichsthalii
Botanical sources
- Kew: Spathiphyllum, CATE Araceae
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Spathiphyllum
- Montalvo and Ackerman (1986): Relative pollinator effectiveness in Spathiphyllum friedrichsthalii
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.