There are many different houseplants out there that you can purchase. Perhaps you just want one pretty houseplant to put in your living room or in your home office.
Two of the most appealing houseplants that you commonly see in stores are dieffenbachia plants and peace lilies. Both plants are very appealing, but what if you only wish to buy one of them?
Should you buy a dieffenbachia plant or would it be better to buy a peace lily? Below, you’ll get information about both of these popular plant types.
It should help you to decide between them. They’re both excellent options, but you’ll have an easier time deciding after you’ve read all of the information.
Both Plants Are Easy to Care for
Both peace lilies and dieffenbachia plants will be good choices when you want indoor plants. They’re decidedly easy to care for.
One of the reasons why these two plants have become so ubiquitous is that they’re simple for beginners. Even newcomers will have an easy time keeping these plants alive.
They aren’t incredibly picky plants so long as you learn how to take care of the basics. Out of the two options, peace lilies are considered to be easier to keep alive.
Taking care of dieffenbachia plants isn’t that hard either. However, you can make mistakes that will kill the plant if you water them incorrectly.
Dieffenbachia plants are more prone to over-watering issues. You can water peace lilies too much as well, but dieffenbachia plants are well-known for having issues with root rot.
You need to be careful when watering these plants. When caring for a dieffenbachia plant, it’s best to check the soil to see if the top two inches are dry before watering it.
Peace lilies are similar, but you need to check to ensure that the top inch of the soil is dry before watering them. You shouldn’t have too much trouble caring for either plant so long as you’re being careful.
Light Requirements
The light requirements for each plant aren’t too different either. They both make great houseplants due to not requiring a lot of sunlight.
Both plants certainly do need sunlight to thrive. However, these are plants that can tolerate a bit of shade.
Dieffenbachia plants do pretty well in full shade. They do better in partial shade, though.
Peace lilies do best in indirect sunlight. They can do fine in low indirect sunlight, and this makes them a great option for office environments that don’t get too bright.
Both of these plants don’t do well at all in direct sunlight. Putting either plant in direct sunlight will cause issues with scorching.
The leaves will get scorched and sections of the plant will turn brown. Since you don’t want that, it’s always best to give these plants indirect sunlight.
Dieffenbachia Plants Rarely Flower
You’ve likely noticed that dieffenbachia plants and peace lilies have a similar look. The big difference between the two is that dieffenbachia plants rarely flower.
The flowers will resemble that of the peace lily when they do come out, though. Most say that the flowers of the dieffenbachia are not that impressive compared to the foliage.
You don’t need to worry if your dieffenbachia isn’t flowering. It might do so every so often, but it doesn’t happen as often as it does with peace lilies.
Peace lilies will flower pretty regularly. If you’re more concerned with flowering, you might wish to go with peace lilies instead of dieffenbachia plants.
Both Plants Can Live for a Long Time
If you’re looking for plants that will last for a long time, you’ll be happy with both peace lilies and dieffenbachia plants. They’re both capable of sticking around for many years if you care for them properly.
The average lifespan of a peace lily is between three and five years. Regular pruning and good care practices will go a long way toward making the peace lily survive for as long as possible.
Dieffenbachia plants will live for many years as well. If you refresh the plants by pruning them and getting rid of dead leaves, it’ll help them to thrive.
You’ll also need to repot the plant when it grows. Dieffenbachia plants will outgrow their pots and they’ll run the risk of becoming root-bound.
You should check the plant every growing season to see how it’s doing. It might need to be put in a new pot every other season depending on how fast it’s growing.
Which Is Most Impressive?
Determining which plant is most impressive isn’t as easy to do as you might think. It comes down to your personal preference.
Dieffenbachia plants are bold and add lush greenery to any room you put them in. So do peace lilies, but they’re also more likely to flower.
Some might like the look of peace lilies the best, but it’s hard to deny the appeal of dieffenbachia plants. Truthfully, both are great plants to put in your home.
If you’re looking for a lush houseplant that will stand out in your living space, you can’t go wrong with either option. Since both are very simple to care for, it’s going to make the decision come down to whatever plant you think looks the best.
You could even choose to get both of these plants if you want to. They’ll look good together and there’s no reason to choose only one if you have room in your home for multiple houseplants.
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve learned about dieffenbachia plants and peace lilies, it’ll be time to make a decision. You can choose to buy one over the other if you’d like to.
However, it’s easy to see that both plants are appealing. Dieffenbachia plants don’t flower as often as peace lilies, but the plants look somewhat similar overall.
When the dieffenbachia plants flower, they wind up looking a lot like peace lilies. Both plants work well in office environments, too.
If you’re new to caring for houseplants, you’ll have a good time with these plants. They’re easy to keep alive and you’ll love how nice they look.
Even if you’re looking for a plant to give to someone as a gift, these plants will be a good choice. Since they’re easy to keep alive, they’ll make a good gift for someone who isn’t known to have a green thumb.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.