Spathiphyllum, the plant that most oxygenates the environments

Today we are going to talk about a genus of neotropical plants that has great characteristics to oxygenate the place where it is planted. This genus is known by the name of Spathiphyllum. It is better known by the name of Spatiphilus and other common names such as cradle of moses, flower of peace, Lily of peace, white flag and sail of the wind. It is a group of plants with good ornamental characteristics and can be planted both indoors and outdoors.

In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics and care of the Spathiphyllum.

Biography of the Spathiphyllum

This genus of plants belongs to the Araceae family and is native to places like Mexico, Brazil, the tropics of America, Malaysia, and the western Pacific. Beyond the variety, it is a herbaceous plant with large flowers and leaves, They can measure up to 65 cm long and 3.25 cm wide. The flowers are white, yellow or greenish.

There are 36 types of Spathiphyllum and most of them are Neotropical. That is why you are most likely to find them in places like Mexico, Brazil or the Caribbean islands. However, three of them grow outside of America: in places like the Philippines, Palau or the Solomon Islands.

The environment is dying and calls for help from all of us, who must become aware of our habits and customs. Not throwing garbage anywhere, reducing CO2 footprints and opting for ecological vehicles are some of the daily practices that we can introduce but we can also collaborate by planting those plants that produce a large amount of oxygen.

Do you know which is the plant that produces the most oxygen? The Spathiphyllum, a highly recommended plant to have at home as cleans the air while transforming carbon dioxide into oxygen while it evaporates the water improving the environmental humidity.

That is why it is ideal to have it inside the house as it will help the air in the rooms to be purified.

Key features

We are talking about a plant that usually exceeds 50 centimeters in height and what stands out the most about them are its shiny leaves or spathe-shaped sail of the ship. It has white flowers and they have a very important function when it comes to placing it indoors. And it is that these flowers are capable of filtering the air. This will help us to renew the air inside so that it is not too loaded and is a healthy air.

Flowering takes place in spring and summer. If the environmental conditions are adequate, it is not necessary for the plant to wait until spring or summer to be able to flower. That is, if in the late winter months there are pleasant temperatures and the frosts have stopped, the plant may start to flower on its own.

The Spathiphyllum has great aesthetic value and great interest for interiors. Thanks to its ability to purify the home environment, it has an advantage that helps you eliminate pollutants that accumulate in our home. In addition, it stands out for the elegance of its flowering and resistance to different adverse conditions.

All these characteristics make the spatiphile in a very interesting indoor plant to have in homes. It is composed of a series of leaves with a medium size and a bright intense green color. Not only are the leaves beautiful, but at the time when it is not blooming it also has great ornamental capacity. It has the petiole that joins the leaf with the base of the rosette. When flowering takes place you can see the contrast of the white flower against the green background of the foliage and it is quite elegant and decorative.

Plant needs

This plant is easy to care for as it does not need a large amount of water or light. It is enough with the basic conditions to subsist. Ideally, it should grow in a place with a mild climate and a temperature between 21 and 24 degrees Celsius. Below 16 degrees Celsius, the plant will start to have problems.

Although it is best that it receives natural light, it should not be exposed directly during the summer. At this time, you will also need regular watering, although without overly moistening the soil, as excessive watering can affect the plant.

Spathiphyllum cultivation

The first thing before growing this plant is to take into account the amount of natural light that it will be able to obtain. Since it is a more recommended plant for indoors, it is possible that this plant does not tolerate too much light. It is suitable for placing it in darker places in the house. Especially we must look for a darker area in the summer time where temperatures are higher and intense light could damage the tissue. The plant should be kept away from any source of direct light and kept in a shady place.

For the substrate that we must use in the pot, it is enough to mix sand, peat and some mulch. With this mixture we will have all the necessary nutrients so that the roots of the spatifilo can grow in good conditions. These roots do not tend to grow too large, so the pot should not be very large. When the plant is fully grown, we can transplant it into a slightly larger pot, but without going overboard. The most important thing is that the pot must guarantee good drainage so that irrigation does not accumulate.

Do not be too demanding with watering. We only have to water between 2 and 3 times a week and increase the frequency a little more when summer arrives.. If the heat is high enough, it is advisable to spray the leaves from time to time to remove some of the heat. During the winter we can extend the irrigation up to 10 days or more.

A more recommended way to water this plant is to submerge the pot in the bucket without the water touching the leaves. When the water stops making bubbles, we just have to remove the pot and take it to its usual place. This helps the roots grow in good condition.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Spathiphyllum.