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Plant care

Mauna Loa Peace Lily (Mauna Loa) care

Spathiphyllum cochlearispathum

Also called Mauna Loa, Giant Peace Lily, White Anthurium.

RHS H1bUSDA 10-12Toxic to petsIndoor 60-120 cm tall indoors

Watering rhythm

7-10days

When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days

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Light

Low light (north window or shaded room)

Soil

Peat-free well-draining potting compost

Humidity

40-60%

Temp

16-27°C

Pet safety

Toxic to pets

Mature size

60-120 cm tall indoors

Care at a glance

Light

If you have a corner where every other plant turned leggy and died, try mauna loa peace lily. One of the best houseplants for lower light conditions, tolerating as little as 100-150 lux. However, it blooms most reliably and grows most vigorously in medium indirect light (500-1,500 lux). Avoid prolonged direct sun, which scorches the glossy leaves. The catch: when a low-light plant does fail, it's almost always because someone watered it on the same schedule as their brighter plants. Less light = less water, every time.

Watering

Watering mauna loa peace lily: when the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Water thoroughly and allow excess to drain. Spathiphyllum will wilt dramatically when thirsty — this is recoverable in the short term but repeated wilting stresses the plant. Reduce watering in winter. Avoid using cold hard water; tepid filtered or rainwater is preferred.

Soil and pot

Mauna Loa Peace Lily grows best in peat-free well-draining potting compost. A quality peat-free potting mix with 20-30% added perlite prevents waterlogging while retaining adequate moisture. Repot in spring when roots emerge from the drainage holes or when the plant appears root-bound, typically every 1-2 years. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Mauna Loa Peace Lily sits happiest at around 40-60% humidity and 16-27°C (60-80°F). Adapts to average household humidity but appreciates levels above 50%. Low humidity can cause brown leaf tips, especially in centrally heated rooms. A pebble tray or occasional grouping with other plants helps without the risk of wet leaves. If you keep the room above 16 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed mauna loa peace lily sparingly. Feed monthly from spring to early autumn with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength. A formula with a slightly higher phosphorus content encourages flowering. Do not fertilise in winter. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on mauna loa peace lily in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

  • Brown leaf tips — The most common complaint, linked to fluoride in tap water, low humidity, or over-fertilising. Use filtered or rainwater, maintain humidity above 40%, and feed at half strength only.
  • Failure to bloom — Insufficient light is the most common cause. Move to a brighter spot; some growers briefly expose the plant to cooler night temperatures (around 15°C) to trigger flowering.
  • Yellow leaves — Overwatering or root rot. Check that the pot drains freely and that you are not watering on a fixed schedule regardless of soil moisture.
  • Wilting despite moist soil — A sign of root rot. Inspect roots; healthy roots are white and firm. Remove rotted sections, treat with a dilute hydrogen peroxide solution, and repot in fresh compost.
  • Scale insects and mealybugs — Both conceal themselves along leaf midribs and in leaf axils. Remove manually with alcohol-soaked swabs and follow up with neem oil spray.

Companion plants

Mauna Loa Peace Lily pairs well with Spathiphyllum wallisii, Anthurium scherzerianum, and Philodendron scandens. These are species with similar light and water needs, so you can group them in the same room or on the same shelf and water as a batch.

Propagation

Divide established clumps in spring. Pull or carefully cut sections from the outer edges of the clump, each with several healthy leaves and roots attached, and pot individually in fresh compost. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Mauna Loa Peace Lily is toxic to pets. The ASPCA lists Spathiphyllum species (peace lily) as toxic to dogs and cats. All plant parts — particularly the leaves and sap — contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals and other irritants, causing oral burning, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. Seek veterinary advice immediately if a pet ingests any part of this plant. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Mauna Loa Peace Lily care — frequently asked questions

What is the common name for Spathiphyllum cochlearispathum?

Spathiphyllum cochlearispathum is most commonly called Mauna Loa Peace Lily, but it is also known as Mauna Loa, Giant Peace Lily, White Anthurium. The names refer to the same species, so care instructions for Mauna Loa Peace Lily apply identically to anything sold as Mauna Loa.

How much light does mauna loa peace lily need?

Mauna Loa Peace Lily grows best in low light (north window or shaded room). One of the best houseplants for lower light conditions, tolerating as little as 100-150 lux. However, it blooms most reliably and grows most vigorously in medium indirect light (500-1,500 lux). Avoid prolonged direct sun, which scorches the glossy leaves.

How often should I water mauna loa peace lily?

Water mauna loa peace lily when the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days. Water thoroughly and allow excess to drain. Spathiphyllum will wilt dramatically when thirsty — this is recoverable in the short term but repeated wilting stresses the plant. Reduce watering in winter. Avoid using cold hard water; tepid filtered or rainwater is preferred. The finger-test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) beats a fixed weekly calendar because pot size, light, and season all change how fast the soil dries.

Is mauna loa peace lily toxic to cats and dogs?

Mauna Loa Peace Lily is toxic to pets. The ASPCA lists Spathiphyllum species (peace lily) as toxic to dogs and cats. All plant parts — particularly the leaves and sap — contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals and other irritants, causing oral burning, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. Seek veterinary advice immediately if a pet ingests any part of this plant.

What USDA hardiness zone does mauna loa peace lily grow in?

Mauna Loa Peace Lily is rated for USDA zone 10-12 (indoor-only in temperate climates) and RHS hardiness H1b. Outside that range, grow it as a container plant that overwinters indoors before the first hard frost.

Mauna Loa Peace Lily deep-dive guides

Every aspect of mauna loa peace lily care, each with its own calibrated guide:

Featured in these plant shortlists

Mauna Loa Peace Lily qualifies for 2 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

Related guides

Mauna Loa Peace Lily is also known as Mauna Loa, Giant Peace Lily, and White Anthurium.