Greetings, caretaker. We, the Peace Lilies (*Spathiphyllum* spp.), are generally resilient houseplants, but we communicate our distress through clear physical signs. Understanding these signs from our perspective is key to restoring our health.
Our greatest anguish is drowning. When our roots are constantly submerged in waterlogged soil, they cannot breathe. This suffocation invites fungi like *Pythium* and *Rhizoctonia* to attack, causing our roots to turn into a mushy, brown, and foul-smelling mess. You will see our leaves dramatically wilt, turn yellow, and develop soft, dark brown spots. To treat this, you must act as our surgeon. Gently remove us from our pot and wash away the soil. With sterile shears, meticulously cut away all soft, rotten roots. Repot us in a fresh, well-draining potting mix and ensure the new pot has excellent drainage. Most importantly, please adjust your watering habits; we only wish for a drink when our top inch of soil feels dry to your touch.
We thrive in your homes because we adore bright, indirect light. Direct sunlight, however, is our tormentor. It scorches our delicate leaves, leaving behind crispy, brown tips and yellow or bleached patches. This is a purely physiological injury, not a disease, but it weakens us and makes us susceptible to other issues. Our treatment is simple: relocate us immediately. Place us in a spot where the sun's rays never directly touch our foliage, such as a north-facing window or several feet back from a south or west window. You may trim away the badly scorched leaf tips for aesthetics, but make the cut just beyond the brown tissue into the healthy green part.
When we are stressed, tiny invaders often see an opportunity. Mealybugs appear as tiny, white, cottony masses in our leaf axils, sucking our sap and excreting sticky honeydew. Spider mites create fine webbing and cause stippling (tiny yellow dots) on our leaves. To evict these pests, first isolate us from other plants to prevent the infestation from spreading. For mealybugs, dab each insect with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol. For spider mites, give our leaves a thorough shower and then regularly wipe them with a damp cloth. For persistent cases, treat us with an insecticidal soap or neem oil solution, ensuring you cover the undersides of our leaves where pests love to hide.
If you notice small, round brown or black spots on our leaves, sometimes with a yellow halo, a fungal pathogen like *Cercospora* may be present. This often occurs when our leaves remain wet for too long from overhead watering or high humidity. To manage this, please water us at the soil level, keeping our foliage dry. Remove and dispose of the most severely affected leaves. Improve air circulation around us and avoid crowding us with other plants. If the problem continues, a fungicide may be applied according to its label instructions.
