Also receive the 蜜桃恋人 Daily newsletter including gardening tips, weather, astronomical events, and more.
Growing Peace Lily Plants: Watering, Light, Repotting, and Pests
Learn how to care for a peace lily, one of the most popular indoor plants. These beautiful houseplants are fairly easy to grow, but knowing how often to water peace lilies and what to do if their leaves droop or turn yellow is essential. Plus, find tips on how to repot your peace lily to keep it happy!
About Peace Lilies
Peace lilies are not true lilies. They are tropical, evergreen plants in the Arum family, native to tropical Central and South America. These plants thrive on the forest floor, receiving dappled sunlight and consistent moisture and humidity. Replicating these conditions in the home is the key to keeping your peace lily happy and healthy.
With enough light, peace lilies produce white to off-white flowers starting in the early summer and continue to bloom throughout the year in the right conditions.
Most household varieties of peace lily grow up to 16 inches tall, but larger outdoor cultivars can have leaves up to 6 feet tall. Peace lilies are not cold-hardy, so they can only be grown outdoors in warm, humid climates (USDA Zones 10, 11).
Is the Peace Lily Toxic to Cats and Dogs?
Yes, peace lilies are mildly toxic. All parts of the peace lily plant contain calcium oxalate, which may cause stomach and respiratory irritation if ingested in large amounts. Keep peace lilies out of reach of small children and pets who might chew on the plant. Common plants containing calcium oxalate also include philodendrons, daffodils, true lilies, and hyacinths.
Growing
Lighting
- Place peace lilies in indirect but bright sunlight. An east-facing window is perfect, as the plant will be exposed to the bright morning sun. A north-facing window would also be a good choice for a peace lily.
- Keep peace lilies out of areas where they鈥檒l get direct sunlight all day (such as in a south-facing window), as it may dry them out too much.
Watering
- How often should you water your peace lily? It鈥檚 not the number that matters but the dryness of the soil that counts. Keep the soil lightly moist to the touch but not overly saturated. Peace lilies can tolerate short periods of dry soil, but their leaves will develop brown tips if they don鈥檛 have enough water or humidity.
- Tip: One nice thing about peace lilies is that they will tell you when they鈥檙e thirsty: the plant鈥檚 leaves start to droop. When the plant starts to look less 鈥減erky鈥 than usual, test the soil with your finger. If it feels dry, it鈥檚 time to water again. They can be a bit dramatic; don鈥檛 panic if they start to wilt.
- Peace lilies are sensitive to chemicals commonly found in tap water, such as fluoride, which may cause brown leaf tips. Use filtered, room-temperature water, if possible.
Humidity
- Peace lilies enjoy high humidity. Misting their leaves or placing their pot atop a moistened tray of gravel can help to increase humidity around the plant.
Fertilizing
- Peace lilies are not heavy feeders, so fertilize only occasionally. To encourage spring and summer growth, fertilize every 6 weeks or so with a balanced houseplant fertilizer starting in late winter.
Temperature
- Peace lilies are tropical plants; they do best in temperatures between 65掳F and 75掳F degrees (18 to 23掳C) during the day and about 10掳 cooler at night.
- Keep these plants away from the furnace or a drafty window or door.
Other Peace Lily Care Tips
- The large leaves of peace lilies tend to collect a lot of dust in the home. Gently wipe them down with a wet paper towel occasionally; a thick layer of dust can inhibit photosynthesis.
How to Get Peace Lilies to Flower
- Most often, if no flowers appear, the plant is not getting enough light. Peace lilies are very tolerant of low light, but 鈥渓ow light鈥 doesn鈥檛 mean no light! To encourage flowering, move the plant to a brighter location where it will receive bright, indirect light for at least a few hours each day.
- Green flowers, weak-looking flowers, or a general lack of flowers can also be caused by improper fertilizing. In the case of green flowers, cut back on fertilizing, as the plant may be getting too much nitrogen. In the case of weak-looking flowers or a lack of flowers, try switching to a fertilizer made for flowering plants. This type of fertilizer will have a higher amount of phosphorous, which plants need for blooming.
Wit and Wisdom
- The peace lily is said to have gotten its common name from its white flowers, which rise timidly above its green foliage and resemble white flags of peace.
- Despite the peace lily鈥檚 common name, it is not related to true lilies at all.
- The plant鈥檚 attractive blooms are also the source of its Latin name, Spathiphyllum, meaning 鈥渟pathe-leaf.鈥 The flowers consist of the spathe (the white, sheath-like leaf) and the spadix (the spike of small flowers located within the spathe).
- Peace lilies are poisonous to dogs. Learn more about houseplants that are toxic to your pets.
Photo by W. Carter/Wikimedia
Catherine Boeckmann
ADVERTISEMENT
It sounds like you’re doing everything right! Since the plant has certainly settled into its new pot by now, try giving it a dose of fertilizer made for flowering plants. You can find this in most hardware stores or online. That should hopefully encourage the plant to put out some new blooms.
Does anyone know if its ok if my Peace Lily is touching the wall? I have it on my desk and in order to make room I need it slightly pushed up against the wall. Thanks!
Yes, that’s fine! The leaves may bend and not look as good, but the plant won’t suffer.
I have two large clumps (about Netre square each) if common and variegated peAce Lillie鈥檚 growing under a window outside under west facing patio. They have flourished for a number of years but are getting a bit big. Can I dig up and replant a few clumps and give them some new soil and space. They don鈥檛 get direct sunlight. South coast NSW.
My peace lilies (3 of them) are 20 yrs old. They came from my dad's funeral. They are constantly wilted and have dying leaves. They are in plenty of indirect light and the soil is never over dry. I have tried to liven them up by transplanting but to no avail. I struggle throwing them because of the sentimental value. My question is can their lifespan just be over??
I've tried everything to get this plant to grow but no luck. The tip of the leaves keep turning brown and it's flowers have died. I've repotted it, cutting all the root rot. Place it in a clean pot with fresh potting soil. I've watered it when I see it start wilting with distilled water.
Help.
It sounds like you have addressed two of the most common causes of brown leaf tips, which are over/underwatering and using fluoridated water. Other causes that come to mind are fertilizer, sunlight, and humidity:
- Fertilizer: Too much fertilizer can cause soluble salts to build up, resulting in brown leaf tips. Green flowers are also a sign of overfertilizing. It sounds like you haven’t fed the plant recently, though, so this shouldn’t be the cause.
- Sunlight: Is the plant sitting in direct sunlight for most of the day? Too much intense sun can burn the leaves and cause brown tips. Peace lilies like bright light, but they don’t like direct sunlight for extended periods. An eastern windowsill would be the ideal spot to keep the plant, as it offers bright morning sunlight but isn’t exposed to the intense mid-day sun.
- Humidity: Peace lilies appreciate some humidity, so if it gets too dry in your home, leaf tips may brown. Combat this by placing the plant on a tray of moist pebbles or near a humidifier.
My blooms dry up before they open. New leaves come out great, just the blooms turn brown. Help
When the blooms start to turn brown around the edges, should you cut them off.
Yes, you can cut them when they start to turn brown鈥攖hey won’t last much longer at that point anyway! Cut the flower stem back to the base of the plant.
