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Spathiphyllum wallisii Regel

Peace lily

Native records: 2 botanical areas

Colombia, Venezuela

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Natural distribution

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NativeIntroducedUncertain

Distribution is shown as WGSRPD Level 3 areas. It does not imply the species occurs throughout an entire area.

Last updated:

Distribution last verified:

See sources

Photograph of Spathiphyllum wallisii

An evergreen aroid houseplant with a white spathe and glossy dark-green leaves, native to the humid tropical forests of Colombia and Venezuela.

Description

A clump-forming, rhizomatous perennial that grows in a basal rosette rather than climbing. The glossy leaves are elliptic to lance-shaped on long petioles. The showy white 'flower' is a spathe (a modified leaf) that surrounds the true flowers on a cream to greenish spadix; the spathe ages to green. It tolerates low light and is a popular indoor plant, but its sap contains calcium oxalate crystals and is an irritant if chewed.

Habitat

Native to the shaded, humid understory of tropical forest in Colombia and Venezuela. It favours warm, consistently moist, low-light conditions and tolerates wet, waterside soils.

Distribution areas

  • Bangladesh

    • BangladeshIntroduced

  • Colombia

    • ColombiaNative

  • Comoros

    • ComorosIntroduced

  • Cook Islands

    • Cook Is.Introduced

  • Cuba

    • CubaIntroduced

  • Dominican Republic

    • Dominican RepublicIntroduced

  • Honduras

    • HondurasIntroduced

  • Mayotte

    • ComorosIntroduced

  • Mexico

    • Mexico SouthwestIntroduced

  • Puerto Rico

    • Puerto RicoIntroduced

  • Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of

    • VenezuelaNative
    • Venezuelan AntillesIntroduced

Climate of the native range

The Köppen climate classes found in the areas this plant is recorded as native to. It does not mean an entire area has that climate.

  • Af Tropical, rainforest
  • Aw Tropical, savannah
  • Am Tropical, monsoon

The same climate occurs in 121 areas worldwide, 112 of which have no record of this plant. See them on the map

A matching climate does not mean the plant can grow there. Range limits are also set by things other than climate — dispersal history, soils, competition. Source: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0 (observed period 1991–2020).

Recorded medicinal uses

The cited source records medicinal use of this plant. It is not an assessment of efficacy or safety.

  • Spathiphyllum wallisii is recorded as used medicinally.

    Source location: p.20, left column, line 52

    World Checklist of Useful Plant Species · Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB) · CC BY 4.0 · source version: wcups-2020-62602715

    Open source

Other names

Peace lily、Spathe flower、White sails

Family
Araceae
Genus
Spathiphyllum

Other species in Spathiphyllum

Sources

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Bangladesh · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Cook Islands · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Colombia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Comoros · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Cuba · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Dominican Republic · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Honduras · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Mexico · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Mayotte · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Puerto Rico · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

Image information

  • Photograph of Spathiphyllum wallisii

    Peter Fiskerstrand · Public domain · File page