Imperfect Nature.

Flowers are, of course, beautiful objects to our eyes and we seek to grow the perfect specimen. However, things can go wrong in a flower's development, just as in all other living things. This Peace Lily Spathiphyllum flower has encrustations of reproductive parts erupting from the flower stem, in places where they shouldn't. Who knows what is going on at the cellular level to produce such imperfection, but the message is clear, that nature is far from perfect, and that things do go wrong. I guess that the miracle is that things go to plan most of the time!

Peace lilies are tropical and originate from Central and South America. They were brought into cultivation by the Victorians and they make excellent house plants. They are easy to grow and they have an ability to clean the air, by removing chemicals like formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. They do, however, have a downside in that the plant contains oxalate crystals and is toxic to children, cats and dogs.