My 4th of July Peace Lily

June Stoyer

This morning I spent several hours transplanting some houseplants into larger containers. Oddly enough, one plant in particular that I was transplanting was the Peace Lily (common name) or Spathiphyllum  (botanical name).  It is native to the tropical regions of North and South America as well as South East Asia.

Spathiphyllum, more commonly known as the Peace Lily.
Spathiphyllum, more commonly known as the Peace Lily.

It made me think about immigration and how so many people from all over the world have settled here. I thought about how immigrants, just like plants need to spread their roots. Roots, of course, are where everything begins and grows.

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”-Marcus Garvey

On this 4th of July in the USA, we celebrate our freedom from the British and also the birth of a new way of life. Our freedom enables us to take our roots and evolve into something new. How fitting that on this very morning, I should be transplanting plants that are from lands far away.

As I continued with my work, I thought about how grateful I am to all of the soldiers, including members of my own family who have served this great country and made many sacrifices. It is interesting how when you work with nature, you are able to connect with nature and experience peace.

For those that have never transplanted anything, it is really easy. Here are some pictures from my 4th of July Peace Lily.

It is important that you start out with a clean pot to avoid spreading diseases to your new plant.
It is important that you start out with a clean pot to avoid spreading diseases to your new plant.
Make holes for drainage in the bottom of the pot.
Make holes for drainage in the bottom of the pot if your pot doesn’t have a built in drainer.
Fill your pot halfway with potting soil, not dirt from the ground.
Fill your pot halfway with potting soil, not dirt from the ground. Potting soil contains the proper amount of nutrients and fertilizer to keep your plants healthy.
Spreading the plant's roots.
It is important to spread the plant’s roots in order to stimulate new growth.
Roots from a potted plant.
Here is another example of what roots look like from a potted plant.

When you’re transplanting, always break up the roots once you pull it out of the container. You can either use your fingers or a fork. Breaking up the roots will help stimulate growth. This is actually good for the plant, yet most people do not know to do this.

Fill the rest of the pot with soil then water till the soil is moist!
Fill the rest of the pot with soil then water till the soil is moist!

The Spathiphyllum can get droopy if it doesn’t get enough water or if it is exposed to direct sunlight. Make sure that you water it daily or when the soil does not feel moist. This will prevent your plant from getting too much water.

Subsequently, house plants are not only great to look at but they also help purify the air. Did you know that indoor air pollution is a realistic threat to human health?  NASA research demonstrated that the use of household plants can help remove harmful pollutants from the air we breathe. The results showed that 15 to 20 houseplants can effectively purify the interior of a typical 1,800-square-foot house. They also recommend that the plants be grown in six inch containers or larger. Here is a list of common houseplants that are approved for air purification and are available at your local nursery:

1. Philodendron scandens `oxycardium’, heartleaf philodendron
2. Philodendron domesticum, elephant ear philodendron
3. Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana’, cornstalk dracaena
4. Hedera helix, English ivy
5. Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant
6. Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig’, Janet Craig dracaena
7. Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii’, Warneck dracaena
8. Ficus benjamina, weeping fig
9. Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos
10. Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa’, peace lily
11. Philodendron selloum, selloum philodendron
12. Aglaonema modestum, Chinese evergreen
13. Chamaedorea sefritzii, bamboo or reed palm
14. Sansevieria trifasciata, snake plant
15. Dracaena marginata , red-edged dracaena

Here are some other helpful resources from NASA:

NASA Publications on the Vascular Aquatic Plant Program

Plants Clean Air and Water for Indoor Environments

It is amazing how the plant world is so similar to our world. You take a plant, spread the roots, watch it grow and thanks to freedom, enable it to improve the world around it! God Bless America!

43 thoughts on “My 4th of July Peace Lily”

  1. Thanks so much for symplifying the process of transplanting. I am also happy that you remind everyone that plants are the most natural air purifyers there are. Also, I believe that plants emit a loving, peaceful vibe that has a subtle yet healing affect on the home. Thank you for paying homage to our leafy brethren.

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  2. What a great post.. Very useful information for helping to create a better “Clean Air” environment within your home.

    I reaaly like the list of 15 common houseplants that are approved for air purification THANKYOU RICH :0)

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  3. A great post , i like the pics , the steps of planting is wonderful , you are encouraging me ! i have a lot of planting too that i did not take a pic of it , good idea to exchange any information about what we know by experience or by others .
    the 15 common houseplants , are affordable in my place & not expensive to buy , i have some ,i will run to complete the set 🙂
    you are wonderful!

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  5. Nice post, June! I grew up around a lot of plants inside and out, so I know the benefits are there. It wasn’t obvious until I moved away though. Great information for those who want to start 🙂

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  6. You need to seriously write some more about this. I had no idea house plants could be so effective. I am not a big garden person but will definitely add more plants to my home. Thank you for such a great article!

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