Had to pick between saving my wilted orchid or my peace lily last weekend

I came home from a 4-day trip to find both plants bone dry and drooping. I only had enough water in my jug for one, so I chose the orchid because it cost me $35 at a little shop in Austin. The peace lily bounced back in 2 days with some extra TLC, but the orchid lost 3 blooms and looks rough - anyone else ever have to play favorite with their plants like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

thompson.nathan1mo ago

Yeah, did you see that one study where orchids actually hold more water in their stems than peace lilies? It's wild because I always thought peace lilies were tougher but apparently they can go longer without water sometimes lol. I made a similar call last summer and my peace lily was fine after a good soak but the orchid never quite recovered.

kimr101mo ago

Doubt that study a bit. Peace lilies are basically drama queens that look dead long before they actually are, while orchids panic way faster. Your peace lily proved the point by bouncing back in 2 days.