The peace in the home plant, also known as Soleirolia soleirolii, is a delightful houseplant that can add a touch of green and vitality to any indoor space. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about growing and caring for this interesting plant.
What is the Peace in the Home Plant?
The peace in the home plant is a perennial evergreen that originates from the Mediterranean region. It’s a member of the nettle family and is also known by common names like baby’s tears, angel’s tears, and mind-your-own-business.
This trailing plant is prized for its ability to form a dense, lush green carpet of foliage. The tiny round or bean-shaped leaves emerge on delicate trailing stems that can reach 10-15 cm in length Given the right conditions, this plant spreads readily to form a dense groundcover
One of the standout features of the peace in the home plant is how well it tolerates being trimmed and shaped. This makes it a great choice for topiaries bonsai, terrariums, and vertical walls. The plant also produces tiny white flowers in summer.
Overall, the fine-textured foliage and trailing habit of this plant make it an excellent choice for adding greenery and interest to shelves, tabletops, and other indoor spots.
Growing Conditions for Peace in the Home
To keep your peace in the home plant healthy and encourage lush growth, provide the following care:
Light Bright indirect light is best but the plant tolerates low to moderate light. Avoid direct hot sunlight.
Water: Keep the soil consistently moist but not saturated. Allow it to partly dry out between waterings. The delicate stems are prone to rot if overwatered.
Humidity: Average room humidity is fine, but higher humidity is appreciated. Mist the foliage regularly or group plants to boost local humidity.
Temperature: Average room temperatures between 60-80°F (15-27°C) suit the plant well. Avoid cold drafts.
Soil: Use a general purpose potting mix. Good drainage is important to prevent soggy soil.
Fertilizer: Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength once a month during spring and summer.
Pot Size: Size up the pot as needed to accommodate growth, or restrict pot size to control size. Avoid pots much larger than the root ball.
Tips for Growing Peace in the Home Successfully
Here are some top tips to get the most out of your peace in the home houseplant:
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Pinch back leggy stems to encourage bushier, more compact growth. This simple pruning also prevents bare spots from developing.
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Propagate new plants from stem cuttings. Root them in potting mix or water. Dividing established plants is another easy propagation method.
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Display in hanging baskets or trailing over the edges of shelves and tables to showcase the cascading stems.
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Use as a decorative groundcover underneath larger houseplants. The small leaves act as a living mulch.
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Plant in open or closed terrariums and bottle gardens. Just ensure adequate airflow to prevent fungal issues.
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Position in bright or low light spots. The plant tolerates a wide range of light levels. Move to brighter light to boost growth.
Troubleshooting Common Peace in the Home Problems
Growing peace in the home is generally problem-free, but watch for these potential issues:
Dry leaves and wilting: This signals underwatering. Increase watering frequency and volume. Feel the soil before watering to gauge moisture levels.
Slimy or rotting stems: Overwatering is the culprit. Allow the soil to partly dry out before watering. Improve drainage if it remains soggy.
Leggy growth: Insufficient light leads to weak, lanky growth. Move the plant to a brighter spot or provide artificial lighting. Prune back overlong stems.
Pale leaves: Can indicate too little fertilizer. Apply a balanced houseplant fertilizer at half strength monthly in the growing season. Don’t over-fertilize.
Spider mites: These tiny pests cause stippling and webs on the leaves. Wipe leaves with insecticidal soap or a neem oil solution. Isolate affected plants.
Fungus gnats: Letting the soil stay too wet can lead to fungus gnat issues. Allow it to dry adequately before watering again. Use yellow sticky traps to catch adult flies.
Displaying Peace in the Home Plant Creatively Around the Home
The petite size and trailing habit of the peace in the home plant lends itself to creative display ideas. Here are some suggestions:
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Plant in a hanging basket suspended where the long stems can trail freely. Add other small plants like ivy or pilea.
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Let the stems spill over the edges of bookshelves, cabinets, and tabletops. Keep the cascading stems trimmed to the desired length.
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Use as a decorative top dressing in dish gardens and mixed plantings. Allow some stems to trail down as a accent.
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Plant in a shallow bonsai pot or tray to create a miniature green carpet. Keep trimmed to maintain the compact shape.
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Fill a large glass terrarium with the plant to create a lush indoor garden. Ensure good airflow to prevent issues.
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Line the base of large houseplant pots with a border of peace in the home. It serves as a living mulch under other plants.
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Create a moss wall or living wall to decorate blank indoor surfaces. Train established plants on sphagnum panels or mesh.
Key Takeaways for Peace in the Home Care
Growing the peace in the home plant is easy and rewarding when you fulfill a few basic needs:
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Provide consistent moisture and well-draining soil. Don’t allow pots to dry out or stay waterlogged.
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Moderate to bright indirect light encourages the best growth. Low light is tolerated but causes sparse, weaker growth.
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Average room humidity and temperatures suit the plant well. Avoid cold drafts.
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Monthly fertilizing sustains growth in the active growing season. Go easy on fertilizer to prevent issues.
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Prune back long stems at any time to shape the plant and encourage fullness. Pinching maintains compact growth.
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Limit pot size as needed to restrain the naturally spreading, creeping habit of this plant.
With its trailing stems and tiny round leaves, the peace in the home plant is an easy-care option that adds a dash of green and visual interest to indoor spaces. A bit of pruning and proper watering is all it takes to keep this charming little plant looking its best.
Maidenhair vine or wire vine (Muehlenbeckia complexa)
Of all the oddities this one was love at first sight when I saw this vinelike scrambler or mounding groundcover for the very first time in a friend’s shady garden. There it is allowed to grow wild, covering whatever it likes with its long but rigid and twisting chocolate brown stems covered in small, shiny dark green to nearly black leaves.
In this environment, where it is regularly watered and fertilised (and its roots are never disturbed), it has grown so lush that it resembles a maidenhair fern on steroids. In a coastal situation in full sun with very little water, my first plant (which I simply tossed still in its nursery pot into a gravelled succulent bed, meaning to play with it later) seemed to show me a middle finger due to my neglect.
It started to escape from its pot, rooting between the gravel chips, and soon grew into a little green but very wiry mound between tough succulents. If it was watered, it produced lush green leaves. If it sat dry, they would turn black and even disappear only to return again after a little wet salvation.
- Plant in full sun or dappled shade outside or in high light indoors;
- Fast and efficient groundcover finally reaching a spread of approximately 3 x 3m. (Can this be construed as invasive growth?);
- It is easily trimmed if needed and works well under trees where it is not affected by competitive tree roots or deep shade. It will also tolerate foot traffic, although nobody will want to walk over or through it – it would take a long while to untangle yourself;
- As a wandering wine, it is able to support itself with its twisted stems;
- On a trellis, in a hanging basket or as a topiary, its vigorous growth makes for a quick end result and simple pruning or harsh mowing back into shape keeps it in check;
- It tolerates coastal conditions (it is resistant to salt and wind) and is also able to cope in cold and light-frost conditions. Should the plant be exposed to severe cold it simply needs to be cut back to allow it to re-shoot in the summer;
- Tolerant to a wide variety of soil types from sandy or loam to clay soils, as long as they have very good drainage;
- Regular watering will keep the plant happy in the summer months, and much less watering is required in the winter months.
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FAQ
What house plant symbolizes peace?
Positive Energy Plant #1 – Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Starting with the plant that symbolizes peace and tranquility! Peace Lily’s have detoxifying capabilities and are known to relieve stress headaches. They are also quite easy to care for! They thrive in bright, indirect light, but can even grow in low light areas.
Which plant removes negativity from a house?
Snake Plant not only purifies the air but also absorbs negative energy, creating a more positive atmosphere. Peace Lily is another fantastic choice as it helps to cleanse the environment from toxins while fostering feelings of serenity.