Complete Care Guide: Domino Peace Lily
Complete Care Guide:
In this article, you'll find…
Plant Info
Care Guide
Lighting
Watering
Humidity
Soil Needs
Types
Propagating
Common Issues
Frequently Asked Questions
Plant Info
All the various species of Spathiphyllum are called "Peace Lilies", which is a holdover from when a vast number of plants were categorized as "lilioid monocots" -- plants that they thought looked lily-ish enough! (I personally don't see it for any aroid, including peace lilies!) Despite the common name, though, peace lilies are aroids (as shown by the distinctive flower) -- one very close relative is the Monstera, believe it or not! Because they're aroids, though, peace lilies have raphide crystals, which can cause mild harm to the digestive tract if eaten. Peace lilies are one of the few plants I do need to keep out of my cats' reach, or they will think it's a snack -- but, luckily, because it's not a true lily, it doesn't share true lilies' toxicity for cats.
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Common Name(s) |
Peace Lily Domino, Domino Peace Lily, Spathiphyllum Domino |
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Botanical Name |
Spathiphyllum 'Domino' |
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Botanical Family |
Araceae, the aroid family. |
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Mature Size |
Can grow 6' tall and 4' wide |
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Lighting |
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Watering |
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Humidity |
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Soil Mix |
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Flowers |
White, held above the leaves; one of the focal points for the plant! |
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Hardiness |
Not frost-hardy; keep above 15C/60F |
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Native Region |
Mexico (wild form) |
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Toxicity |
Mildly toxic |
Take a look at this care guide as an infographic!
Care Guide
Peace lilies have a bushy growth habit -- each leaf will pop out of the petiole of the previous leaf on that stem, grow, and then sprout the next one. It will also form offsets fairly frequently -- these will appear as new leaves growing out of the substrate, and will grow into their own thick stem and bunch of leaves over time!
The Domino peace lily, in particular, has a ton of white flecks across its broad, strap-like leaves -- it creates almost a marbled effect.
Lighting
The peace lily is well-known as a low-light plant (which is only partially true, anyway) -- but because of the variegation found on the Domino peace lily's leaves, you'll want to leave your Domino under bright, indirect light. Direct sun is still going to be too strong for it!
Bright light will also encourage more blooms, so it's a win-win!
Make sure to check out our general article on lighting!
Watering
Like any other peace lily, the Domino Peace Lily is a very thirsty plant -- and it will play dead the minute it decides it's thirsty! It's not unheard of to go to bed one night with it looking fine, and wake up the next morning with it looking haggard and neglected; aim to keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged, and if it's being a drama queen, give it a good watering and wait!
Make sure to check out our general article on watering!
Humidity
Since they're tropical rainforest plants, Peace Lily Domino wants higher humidity than most households can give it without a humidifier running; it'll mostly adapt to lower humidity, but you may see browning of leaf edges, leaf tips, and even flowers.
Make sure to check out our general article on humidity – including a couple common myths!
Soil Needs
Domino Peace Lily is a terrestrial plant that needs good drainage to prevent root rot, but for the substrate to also hold on to a good amount of moisture so that it doesn't go thirsty. Balance is key!
Suggestion: Start with 2 parts peat-based potting mix or coco coir, then mix in 1 part perlite. Anything else is gravy -- but make sure that you keep it balanced!
Don't know why you're adding these things? Check out our article on potting mixes!
Types
Peace Lily 'Domino' is very similar to another variegated cultivar, the Jessica Peace Lily. There are even rarer variegated varieties, as well -- but for anything other than a Domino, you're likely to need to contact a specialty shop!
Propagating
The best way to propagate a peace lily, including the Domino peace lily, is to divide it during a repot, separating what was previously "one" plant into two more more chunks. You'll need to wait for your plant to produce offsets or "pups", smaller plants around the base that grow their own strong stems and bunches of leaves. Once a pup has a few leaves, you can take a sharp, clean knife and separate them!
Common Issues
The most common issues for a Domino Peace Lily are watering-related -- either too much, causing root rot, or too little -- causing your plant to look just awful! Remember to aim for "moist, not waterlogged". I give mine a small drink whenever the top of the soil is dry to the touch.
All houseplants are susceptible to pests, including mealybugs, spider mites, and more. This plant isn't known to be particularly susceptible to any specific pest, though!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't my Domino Peace Lily blooming?
There could be two things at play here: first, after a period of blooming, most plants -- including peace lilies -- may decide to rest before blooming again! Flowers are "expensive" things to create, energy-wise, since they have no chlorophyll and don't help pay for their own energy upkeep -- it's no wonder plants need to rest, too!
Is Domino Peace Lily rare?
Domino Peace Lily is an uncommon houseplant -- it may occasionally appear in your local garden centre, but it's unlikely they'll always have it in stock. It is, however, the most commonly-cultivated variegated peace lily!