Peace lily blossoms are breathtaking. But how do they grow from a seed into a beautiful flower?
We normally purchase plants, such as peace lilies, when they are already in bloom. We miss out on all of the developmental milestones in between. Today, I’ll go over the stages of development that a peace lily goes through.
The key stages of the flower life cycle are seed, germination, growth, reproduction, pollination, and seed dispersal.
Seed Stage
A seed is the start of a plant’s life cycle. A seed contains an embryo, which will germinate and then mature into an adult plant.
The peace lily seed is a monocot. This means that it only has one cotyledon, which will develop into the seed’s initial leaf.
The seed coat is the seed’s hard outer coating that protects the embryo. Certain seeds may continue to sprout even after many years if kept cool and dry.
Germination
A peace lily seed that has fallen to the ground needs warmth and water to grow. The hypocotyl, or stem, finally pushes through the dirt with the cotyledon after being exposed to the right conditions. This phase is referred to as germination or sprouting.
In this stage, the little root pushes down and expands in quest of water and sustenance. Soon after, the cotyledon splits and the first true leaves appear.
Growth
In order to complete the floral life cycle stage of growth, plants must produce their own food. This process is known as photosynthesis.
As soon as the leaves grow, the photosynthetic process begins. Plants store sugars in their roots and stems.
As the plant matures, the root system of the peace lily will continue to grow. The roots anchor the plant to the ground and produce root hairs that aid in water and nutrient absorption.
The stem is responsible for transferring water and nutrients between the roots and leaves. The closer the stem is to the light, the more it lengthens.
The stalk’s apex grows new leaves. This foliage will aid in the absorption of more sunlight, hence enhancing photosynthesis.
Flowering and Reproduction
Peace lily flowers are used as a reproductive method in the wild. It is the sexually reproducing part of the plant.
The blossom appears as a pencil-thin, tightly coiled flower bud that rises gently from the plant. Immature blooms are light-green in color, but unfold to a snow-white tint.
It could take up to a week for the flowers to fully bloom. When the bud first develops, the leaves will have a “white” swelling area. Keep an eye on it as it slowly unfolds in front of you.
The pistil is the flower’s female component, whereas the stamen is its male component. Pollination is necessary for reproduction and seed production to occur.
Pollination
Two separate peace lily blossoms must pollinate each other within 24 hours of the bloom opening.
The spadix is a small section of the flower and must be white in order to be pollinated. Once it turns brown, it is no longer viable.
In the wild, pollination is carried out by insects such as bees and butterflies, which carry pollen from one blossom to the next.
After a few weeks, when the seeds form, the blooms will begin to enlarge. In a few weeks, if the peace lily plant is properly pollinated, the stem will be laden with seeds.
Spreading Seed
Seed dispersal, also known as simply dispersal, is the final stage of the flower’s life cycle.
A peace lily’s seeds are usually spread by wind and animals.
If the seeds come to rest in a suitable location, the growing process begins all over again.
