Peace Lily

I had a big patch of peace lily in my allotment in NTU. I also have some growing in pots. The flower is white and I guess that is why it is called Peace Lily.

In New Zealand, it is grown as a pot plant. There are two pots in my staff room.

For those of you who never liked plants, may be this NASA article will change your mind.

Peace lily, Spathiphyllum 'Mauna Loa'

Regarding this NASA article, many of the plants are quite common, and I have many of them, eg. spider plant, mother-in-law tongue plant,Dracaena etc.


******************************************************

Houseplants That Help Purify The Air

Houseplants are not only beautiful in the home, they
also help cleanse the air. Bamboo palm, Spider plant;
flowering Mums; Peace lily plant and
Mother-in-laws-tongue, are just a few of the best
houseplants for purifying air in the home, according
to an ongoing two-year study by NASA and the
Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA).

The NASA/ALCA tests 'Interior Landscape Plants for
Indoor Air Pollution Abatement' concentrated on
solving the very important question: 'Indoor air
pollution is a realistic threat to human health, so
how can the problem be solved?' A promising,
economical solution to indoor air pollution was to
take a look at nature's life support system, plants.
The initial testing has been for the indoor
purification of the air from the chemicals, Benzene,
Trichloroethylene and Formaldehyde.

Benzene is a commonly used solvent in such items as
gasoline, inks, oils, paint, plastic and rubber.
Furthermore, it is used in the manufacture of
detergents, explosives, pharmaceuticals and dyes.

Formaldehyde is found in virtually all indoor
environments. Its major sources include
urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, particle board or
pressed-wood products. Consumer paper products,
including grocery bags, waxed paper, facial tissue and
paper towels, are treated with urea formaldehyde
resins. Many household cleaning agents contain
formaldehyde.

Trichloroethylene is a commercial product that has a
wide variety of industrial uses. It is used in some
printing inks, paints, lacquers, varnishes and
adhesives.

In the NASA/ALCA research it was determined that some
plants are better than others for purifying the air
indoors. The twelve plants tested were:

Bamboo palm, Chamaedorea seifritzii
Chinese evergreen, Aglaonema modestum
English ivy
Fiscus, Benjamina
Gerbera daisy, Transvaal daisy
Dracaena 'Janet Craig'
Dracaena 'Marginata'
Corn cane, Dracaena massangeana
Mother-in-law's tongue, Sansevieria laurentii
Peace lily, Spathiphyllum 'Mauna Loa'
Pot mum, Chrysanthemum
Dracaena 'Warneckei'

All plants were tested in a sealed experimental
chamber during a 24 hour exposure period. Here are the
results of the studies:

Gerbera daisy, Dracaena Marginata, Peace lily
(Spathiphyllum), Dracaena 'Janet Craig' and Bamboo
palm in order were the five most effective plants in
removing Trichloroethylene concentrations from the
air.

Gerbera Daisy, pot Mum, Peace lily, Bamboo palm,
Dracaena Warneckei, English ivy and Mother-in-law's
tongue are the seven top houseplants for removing
Benzene concentrations in the air.

Bamboo palm, Dracaena 'Janet Craig', Mother-in-law's
tongue, Dracaena Marginata, Peace lily, green Spider
plant, and golden pathos are seven of the top plants
for removing concentrations of Formaldehyde in the
air.

It is estimated, as a result of this research, that 15
to 20 of these test houseplants can purify the
interior of a typical house of 1,800 square feet.

In our homes and in space, it looks like we can count
on these houseplants to help remove harmful pollutants
from the air we breathe. At the same time, these are
some of the easiest plants to grow and most attractive
to use for interior decorating.