# Identify this stupid plant!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-stupid-plant/450567
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 25, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-stupid-plant/450567 "2008-05-25T16:02:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-stupid-plant/450567/1 "2008-05-25T16:02:12Z")
The damn thing has big, dark green tropical-looking leaves and one long, thick stem sticking up out of the middle, with a pinecone-shaped flower adorned with a single white petal-like leaf.
I can’t remember what the hell it is!
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### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-stupid-plant/450567/2 "2008-05-25T16:16:38Z")
It would help if you told us the zone or other climate and environmental information.
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### Author:  [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-stupid-plant/450567/3 "2008-05-25T16:18:50Z")
[QUOTE=susan]
It would help if you told us the zone or other climate and environmental information.
[/QUOTE]
Indoors.
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### Author:  [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-stupid-plant/450567/4 "2008-05-25T16:25:14Z")
[Is it this?](http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/Hort/Hort332/images/plantlist/peace%20lily%20'Mona%20loa'.jpg)
Spathiphyllum Mauna Loa, otherwise known as the peace lily.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-stupid-plant/450567/5 "2008-05-25T16:26:08Z")
nm. Hazel’s is better.
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### Author:  [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-stupid-plant/450567/6 "2008-05-25T16:41:01Z")
[QUOTE=HazelNutCoffee]
[Is it this?](http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/Hort/Hort332/images/plantlist/peace%20lily%20'Mona%20loa'.jpg)
Spathiphyllum Mauna Loa, otherwise known as the peace lily.
[/QUOTE]
That’s it!
Now, I’ve heard that lilies are extremely poisonous to cats. But is this actually a lily? Is it toxic to cats or any other common pet?
And why is it so damn hard to get good information about houseplants?
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### Author:  [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-stupid-plant/450567/7 "2008-05-25T16:59:15Z")
> **[CatStuff: Plants Toxic to Cats](https://user.xmission.com/~emailbox/plants.htm)**
>
> CatStuff: thousands of domestic cat graphics for web sites, a huge library of information about cats, games, much more.
The peace lily is on that list. Lilies (genus lilium) are quite poisonous to cats, but the peace lily (genus spathiphyllum) isn’t a real lily. Wikipedia describes it as being “mildly toxic” when ingested by humans and animals.
ETA: Here’s another site I found: [23 Common Flowers That Are Poisonous For Your Pet | On Sale | EntirelyPets](http://www.entirelypets.com/toxicplants.html)