Flower Female happiness: what is indoor Spathiphyllum, a photo and description of species, everything about home care, plants similar to it, and also what he loves

Many indoor flowers accompany different legends; Spathiphyllum, which is also known as a symbol of female happiness and joy, has its own legend. It is considered a good sign to receive this flower as a gift, especially to a young girl. This means that someone loves her or she will soon meet her love. Of course, you need to take care of the flower so that it blooms profusely and not be given to anyone from the house. We learn about this and other interesting facts from the life of Spathiphyllum with his photographs from this article.

What it is?

Spathiphyllum or Spathiphyllum (lat. Spathiphyllum) is a perennial herbaceous plant from the Aroid family, thermophilic, more than 40 plant species are known.
Plant passport - grows in moist forests, along the banks of streams and rivers, growth is very fast; Doesn’t like bright sunlight, doesn’t like drafts.
Country of origin of spathiphyllum - Central and South America, as well as Southeast Asia.
Plant organs - the root system is weak, fibrous, the roots are short, the leaves are oblong on the long petioles, which expand at the very base, they grow directly from the ground, there is no stem; flowers represent an ear surrounded by a white “veil” like a sail.

Where did the name come from?

Spathiphyllum got its name from the two Greek words “spata” and “phyllum” (which means “veil” and “leaf”), the cob (inflorescence) as if covered by a veil (bract).

On a note. The name “female happiness” was born among the people thanks to signs - after the appearance of the flower, love and harmony settled in the house, children were born, he has very good energy.

Read more about what is also called spathiphyllum, read here.

Description of similar plants

Let's get acquainted with the description of flowers resembling our Spathiphyllum:

Anthurium

Gorgeous flower, which is popularly called "male happiness", and this means that both plants must grow in the apartment, then a favorable harmonious atmosphere in the family is guaranteed; in this flower (also from the tropics) the inflorescence is an ear of corn, and the dense bract is juicy red; its conditions and rules of care are similar to Spathiphyllum.

Calla

A very elegant flower (also from the Aroid family), widely distributed at home, many varieties with flowers of various shades are bred; the shape of the leaves and flower is also very similar to the structure of Spathiphyllum.

Life span

The flower has a life span of approximately 10 years; much depends on the care taken. It is worth saying that it is better to timely divide the plant (propagate) and plant new specimens than to try to extend the life of an already overgrown flower. It will be more decorative and aesthetically pleasing.

Benefit and harm

From the point of view of science, a plant perfectly cleans the air of impurities harmful to humans and saturates it with ozone. If there are 4 plants in the room, then there will be clean, almost mountain air. According to Feng Shui, it is very useful to keep this plant in the house, but it is forbidden to give it away or give it to someone, you should not do this in any case - otherwise happiness will "leave" the house. That's why you need it in the house, but if you want to give it to someone, you better buy it in a store.

Important! Oxalic acid is present in the juice of the plant, which, if it comes in contact with the skin or mucous membranes, can cause an allergic reaction in the form of rashes and shortness of breath. This is mainly dangerous for young children and for people with weakened immune systems.

Advice for those who have a cat at home - better put a flower out of reach, plant juice can have a bad effect on your pet if he suddenly wants to eat a leaf (about the poisonousness of spathiphyllum for a cat and first aid for flower poisoning, read here).

You can read more about the benefits and harms of spathiphyllum here.

Types and their description with photos

Let's see how the most popular types of spathiphyllum for home floriculture look in the photo and get acquainted with their description:

Blooming

Highly good for spacious rooms, as it will be crowded on the window, the bush is very lush (grows up to 40 leaves on it), high enough (reaches 50 cm), blooms for a long time (can bloom all year round).

Wallis

Compact low bush, very convenient for growing on window sills.

Cannulate

This is a particularly decorative variety, it has wide bright green leaves and a large flower - an ear of juicy yellow color with a long blanket of white color with a greenish tint.

Where can I get it?

Spathiphyllum - a fairly common plant and you can buy it both in the usual flower shop, and in the online store. Everyone decides for himself - what is more convenient for him, because there are nuances everywhere, you can buy cheaper in an online store, but in an ordinary store you can carefully consider the plant yourself.

Reference. The cost of a flower, for example, in Moscow ranges from 185 rubles to 5 thousand, depending on the variety and size. In St. Petersburg, it costs a little more expensive, but also acceptable - from 250 rubles to 8 thousand.

Buying Rules

There are several important points that you should definitely pay attention to when buying:

soil condition - it should be moist (moderately), not overly flooded and not dry;
leaf condition - they should be clean, shiny, not lethargic, there should be no spots on them;
no pests - carefully examine the underside of the leaves, it should also be clean, there should be no spots and no plaque;
condition of flowers - if all the flowers are already beginning to wither and the ear becomes dark, then such a plant should be discarded immediately.

Landing at home

Choosing a landing method - the most convenient ways that are successfully used at home are:
- Planting with rosettes - during the spring transplantation of an adult bush it is very convenient to divide it into separate rosettes (delenki) of 2 or 3 leaves with their formed roots, they take root very quickly and easily. When planted in this way, the plant will bloom in about a year.
- Seeds - you need to sow in a light substrate, you can take equally sand and peat. It is necessary to place the tray with seeds in a mini plate, do not forget to periodically ventilate it, maintain high humidity and a temperature of at least 22 degrees. Germination is usually 50-60%. With this method of planting, flowering can begin no earlier than after 3 years.
Soil preparation - the soil must be composed of humus (leaf) and sod land with the addition of sand and peat (take everything in equal parts), mix everything thoroughly and add a little charcoal.
Pot selection - the pot is suitable for anyone, the main thing is not to be too large in size (its size should be about 2 cm larger than the size of the root system).
The landing procedure itself - First of all, you need to put drainage on the bottom of the pot, then carefully plant the plant and gradually add the substrate, pour over with soft, settled water.

You can learn more about planting spathiphyllum from this article.

Room care

Conditions of detention - First you need to make the right choice of place, Spathiphyllum loves diffused light, so the best place will be in the north (as well as east or west window), it will have to shade from the bright sun, it is very important not to put the lights on the draft. The temperature in the summer needs 22 - 25 degrees, and in the winter within 16 degrees.Important! Humidity should be high, it can be provided with a humidifier or with a fountain (put it next to the plant).
Watering - Need abundant during the period of active growth and flowering and moderate during the dormant period (in winter). It is also necessary to spray the flower (in summer you can 2 times a day) and bathe in the shower once a week (only warm).
Top dressing - you need to fertilize the plant in spring and summer with a special balanced fertilizer strictly according to the instructions.
Pruning - only damaged leaves are removed (cut off) from the plant, which have begun to dry out or become sick and cut off faded flowers along with peduncles, sprinkled with charcoal on the sections.
Transfer - they are engaged in this process in the spring, young bushes are transplanted every year, and adults can be in 2 or 3 years. At each transplant, we select a pot slightly larger than the previous one, the soil is only specially made up or purchased - “For Android”.

Read more in this article for more details on how to care for spathiphyllum.

Possible problems during flowering

Spathiphyllum blooms for a long time - from the beginning of spring until autumn (some species bloom all year round), first a peduncle is produced and on it a white bud that gradually grows and unfolds - as a result we see the inflorescence (cob) and the “white sail” of the bract.

Sometimes it happens that a flower grows, but doesn’t want to bloom, here the main reason may be in a wrongly picked pot - it is large in size for the flower, because until the extra (free) space is filled with roots, you can not wait for flowering.

Also, the reason for the reluctance to bloom may be a lack of light, dry air or a lack of fertilizers, all urgently brought into line with the needs of the flower.

You can read more about the general flowering of spathiphyllum here.

How to breed at home?

Spathiphyllum easily propagates at home by dividing the bush. This is the most popular and easiest way, usually when transplanting an adult plant is divided into several completely independent, ready to plant in separate pots. You need to take small delenki, they should have 2 or 3 normal (healthy) leaves and developed roots (at least 3 cm long), small bushes can be planted only in small containers, in which case the plants will have excellent survival.

Are there any other ways? Yes, this is propagation by seeds or cuttings, and you can, of course, try them, but they are more laborious.

You can read more about the features of the propagation of spathiphyllum here.

Diseases and Pests

Like every plant, our flower also sometimes has troubles, diseases are manifested:

Blacken leaves - this usually happens due to an excess of moisture, when the roots have already deteriorated, that is, the plant has been flooded for too long. <нужно срочно="" пересадить,="" удалив="" при="" этом="" все="" загнившие="">
The leaves are dry and curled - the reason is dry air, the plant does not have enough moisture, not enough spraying. You need to establish the correct watering regime and do not forget to spray the plant.
Brown dry leaf tips - there is not enough top dressing or the wrong soil. It is necessary to cut off all the spoiled leaves, and transplant the plant into a new substrate.

What pests most often cause problems for Spathiphyllum?

Spider mite - between the leaves you can see a thin cobweb. Urgently handle the “Aktara”.
Aphid - This small sucking pest causes a lot of trouble, aphids suck juice, small dry spots appear on the leaves. Need processing "Actellic."
Shield - brown convex plaques are noticeable on the back of the leaves, this is a scab, which also loves juice.Reference. Before insecticide treatment, you first need to wipe the sheet with a damp cloth to remove unwanted guests.

Prevention

Of course, the best prevention of any disease will be the creation of comfortable conditions for the plant and the provision of all necessary life processes:

creating the right microclimate with the right temperature and humidity;
proper placement of the plant, taking into account the need for lighting;
selection of a pot, taking into account the desired size;
preparation of a substrate suitable for the plant;
application of fertilizing in compliance with the required amount and clearly on schedule;
obligatory regular inspection of the flower for the presence of diseases and pests.

Useful video

Watch a video about the Spathiphyllum plant. Full details of the flower "female happiness":

Conclusion

We tried to tell you everything about the cultivation and maintenance of this plant at home and we hope that by purchasing it you will not be disappointed in it.