Peace Lilies | How to Grow and Care Guide

Indoor plants are the perfect way to turn your home into an oasis. However, ideally, you’ll want an indoor plant that offers a lot of aesthetic value without needing a lot of hassle. 

That’s what makes the peace lily such a popular indoor plant. Also known as closet plants, peace lilies are great if you’re looking for an evergreen, flowering plant that can handle a little bit of neglect.

Whether for your home or office, here is how to cultivate, care for and grow peace lily plants. 

Understanding Peace Lilies

Spathiphyllum or the Peace Lilies are an incredible tropical plant with dark green foliage and long-lasting white hooded flowers. Originating from the rainforests of Colombia and Venezuela, this cultivar thrives under the canopy of trees, making it a great choice for lower light conditions. 

Although the name alludes to a Lily, Peace Lilies aren’t, in fact, part of the Lily species. The Peace Lily is a member of the Araceae or Arum family. To date, there are over 50 different cultivars of this striking plant. 

According to legend, the peace lily is believed to be a bringer of peace – and with its glorious white flowers, it can definitely help bring a sense of calm and peace into your home.

Peace Lily Varieties

There are a multitude of peace lily varieties to choose from, each with a unique appeal for indoor and outdoor growers. However, despite the many types of peace lily, many speciality varieties won’t always be available in every region. 

Here are a few of the most popular types of peace lily: 

How to Grow Peace Lilies

Peace Lilies fare incredibly well in medium to low-indirect light. However, the lighter they receive, the more they will flower. Whether indoors or outdoors, where it would be sitting in direct sunlight for too long.

This will scorch and damage the leaves. Avoid keeping your peace lily anywhere that experiences heavy drafts, strong winds or extremely cold temperatures. 

Peace lilies also enjoy moist, rich, loamy soil to grow in as it’s a plant that thrives in humidity; moisture levels in the soil are key. However, the trick will be to not waterlog the roots. 

Peace Lily Indoor Tips

Peace lilies are well accustomed to living indoors and will often adapt to lower light conditions. Still, when picking a spot for your peace lily, you’ll want to choose somewhere close to but not directly under a window, somewhere warm in your home. 

North or west-facing windows are often a great choice. Many growers will recommend using a terra cotta pot when growing indoors, as the porous peace lily pot will help to retain soil moisture without causing the soil to waterlog.

When growing the lily plant indoors, a general potting mix with equal parts peat and perlite is a great choice. Growing peace lilies in water is also a possibility. 

If planning on growing your peace lily in water, it’s important to fill the bottom of your container with stones or pebbles. 

This will allow you to rest the roots just above the water – giving them the moisture they need without giving them too much. The pebbles will be able to hold the water and support the base of your plant. 

It is important to note that the foliage of the peace lily is mildly poisonous when ingested and should be kept slightly out of reach of pets and children. 

Peace Lily Outdoor Tips

Although often seen as a houseplant, when grown outdoors, the peace lily bloom can be quite spectacular and far more than opposed to growing indoors. 

As the peace lily plant isn’t the biggest fan of full sun, you’ll want to choose a sheltered spot with dappled sunlight. Any sheltered area in your garden will do, ideally somewhere protected from strong winds. 

Should you live in an area that experiences an incredibly cold winter, you will need to protect your peace lily. In these regions, it’s recommended to grow your peace lily in a pot which can be moved indoors at the start of winter.

Propagating Peace Lilies

Although peace lilies are generally readily available at many garden centres, propagating peace lilies is relatively simple and can be done regularly when repotting or planting.  

When re-planting, gently tousle the roots free and separate the root ball into two or more sections. For particularly knotted roots, use a sharp blade to separate them. Be sure to keep several healthy leaves per clump. 

Plant these clumps into fresh potting soil and keep moist until it begins to establish its own roots. Another viable option is to propagate by peace lily seed which is readily available from the plant. 

When to Harvest Peace Lily Seed

The peace lily flower produces a wealth of seeds every time it begins to bloom. These can be harvested and used to propagate new peace lily plants. 

As the pod appears, it starts as light green, meaning the seeds are still unripe. Once the peace lily seed pod begins to brown and turn black, it will be ready to harvest.

Simply use a pair of scissors or garden shears to remove the seed pod from the flower. Using the it's blade, scrape off the seeds. 

Sow immediately into a fresh potting mix or keep in an envelope to sow at a later stage.

One of the best things about the peace lily is that it won’t require too much of your care nor attention. While it thrives most with some extra attention, it won’t die off from a little bit of neglect. 

The biggest trick in caring for a peace lily plant will be watering. Although it enjoys a good amount of moisture, underwatering is often better than overwatering.

As such, it’s a good idea to follow a schedule or watering routine. An overwatered peace lily will quickly develop issues, so sticking to a routine should help to combat the issue. 

When in doubt, you can check the soil with your fingers – only the first inch should be dry to the touch. If caring for your peace lily indoors, it is advisable to regularly mist your peace lily to help promote general moisture around the plant. 

It’s also best to use filtered tap water or rainwater for peace lily watering. The peace lily has incredibly sensitive roots, which can become scorched from certain chemicals in tap water. 

Fertilizing peace lily is recommended, as it can help to support your plant and promote flowering. A balanced fertilizer can be added every few months to support flowering. 

Especially when caring for peace lilies indoors, the deep green leaves tend to be a dust magnet. Occasionally wipe down the leaves with a clean cloth to ensure leaves can photosynthesize properly. 

Peace lily pruning will be required every now and then, as this will allow the centre growth to thrive. It will also prevent the spread of pests and diseases.

To prune, gently tug dead or dying stalks out from the base of the plant. Peace lily pruning will also be an important factor to keep your peace lily in bloom.

Stalks that have already produced a flower will not flower again, and as such, need to be removed.

How to Repot Peace Lily

One important factor for plant care is regular repotting. Once leaves begin to droop or begin to deform, you’ll know that your peace lily roots need a bigger home. 

Repotting should be done annually during the spring. This also helps replenish the soil nutrients. 

Be sure to choose a pot that is at least twice the size of the root ball. 

Here is what you’ll need to do:

• Give your plant a good soak before repotting your peace lily. 
• Fill your container with a fresh potting mix. You’ll want to put just enough soil that the root ball will sit just under the rim of the container. Repotting your peace lily too low can damage the roots. 
• Backfill around the root ball with soil, using your fingers to very gently pat down the soil and secure the plant. 
• Don’t panic if your plant looks a little disgruntled the first few days after repotting your peace lily. Slight wilting often occurs.

Keep a close eye on moisture while your newly planted peace lily establishes itself. Avoid adding any fertilizer in the first few months after planting.

Common Peace Lily Plant Pests, Problems & Diseases

There are three major concerns that arise with the peace lily. These include: 

• Brown Leaf Tips. This is often caused by excessive light or over-fertilization. You’ll want to avoid fertilizing during the winter and ensure that your peace lily is getting enough light. 
• Yellow Leaves. Yellowing leaves can be caused by a variety of reasons. This could be due to overwatering, underwatering or just old age. 
• Scale & Mealybugs. Given a chance, smaller insects may invade your peace lily. These can be treated by regularly rubbing your plant leaves with soapy water or an insecticidal soap.
  
  If you notice your plant have white, fuzzy bugs, it is essential to learn how to deal with mealybugs. 

How to Revive A Peace Lily

Peace lily plants thrive in rainforests, so moisture is absolutely important to general care. However, if you notice your peace lily drooping or looking a little worse for wear, you’ll quickly know you have a moisture issue. 

Drooping, sad-looking leaves is usually an indication that your peace lily flower is getting far too little humidity. A yellowing plant, however, is a sign of an overwatered peace lily. 

How to Revive a Peace Lily that is Drooping

If your peace lily is drooping, it’s almost always a moisture issue. So, a key way to combat it is to recreate more humid conditions, both short and long term. You’ll want to: 

• Give the soil a good soak. If you can feel that the soil is very dry, remove your peace lily plant from the pot and place it in your basin and allow it to soak for about 10 minutes. Then, allow the water to drain for about 10 minutes. 
• Increase your water schedule. You may also want to consider increasing the frequency of your peace lily watering. You can increase it to as much as once a week. 
• Mist your peace lily once a week. A mist spray is a great way to replicate rainforest conditions. Misting could be done a few times every week.
  
  This will help to increase ambient humidity and slow the rate of transpiration from the leaves. 
• Move your plant away from the draft. Drooping plants are more common indoors than outdoors. Ceilings fans, air conditioners and drafty locations can suck the moisture from the leaves and dry out the soil.
  
  Consider repositioning your plant if you notice drafts as an issue.

How to Revive a Peace Lily with Yellow Leaves

Yellowing leaves is most a sign of an overwatered peace lily. This, again, is why peace lily watering is such an important factor to keep an eye on.

Here’s what you can do to combat it: 

• Scale back your watering. If the case of root rot is not too far gone, simply cut back on watering. Instead of watering once a week, consider only doing so once every two weeks or so. 
• Remove the saucer or pebble tray. If your peace lily plant is being kept on a tray, this can cause the moisture to build up and prevent the soil from draining properly.
  
  Removing the tray will prevent water from pooling and allow the soil to dry properly. 
• Apply some fertilizer. Especially if the lead tips are beginning to yellow, you can consider adding some fertilizer to the soil, which will help to prop up your plant.
  
  Fertilizing is best during spring and summer. Avoid fertilizing peace lily during winter.

Peace Lilies Frequently Asked Questions

Why do peace lilies have green flowers? 

Peace lily green flowers are often a sign that there is too much light. This is due to the plant photosynthesizing more and the green pigment is overtaking the white pigment in the flowers. 

How Long Do Peace Lilies Last? 

When well cared for, peace lilies will last for as long as two months. If in incredibly ideal conditions, they can last even longer. 

What are Peace Lilies Good For? 

Peace Lilies are so much more than beautiful flowering plants. They are incredibly good at filtering indoor air. They’re a great tool to use in the bedroom to remove airborne allergens.

They’ll also help to increase room humidity. If you want to grow plants to filter your indoor air, here is our list of indoor plants perfect for home and dormitories. 

How to Get Peace Lily to Flower Again? 

In some instances, growers may struggle to get their peace lily to flower again after the first flowering season. In order to combat low-flowering rates, you can try to increase light, water and humidity, which can nudge your plant towards flowering. 

Should I Cut Off Dead Peace Lily Flowers? 

Once your blooms begin to fade and wilt, it’s a good idea to prune off dead flowers. This will also allow better light and airflow to the rest of the plant. 

Does Peace Lily need sunlight? 

It is not advisable to keep your peace lily in direct sunlight. This can tend to scorch the leaves and dry up the roots. 

How do you know your Peace Lily needs replanting? 

Peace lilies don’t mind having slightly crowded roots. However, once you discover the roots are growing through the drainage holes, it’s a good idea to start considering repotting your peace lily.

Wrapping Up Our Peace Lilies Growing Guide

So, there you have it—everything you’ll need to know to have gorgeous, flowering and air-purifying peace lilies in your home. Be sure to regularly check your soil moisture and make sure your peace lily gets sufficient sunlight during the wintertime.