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How to Care for Peace Lilies

close up of a peace lily flower with greenery and foliage
Photo Credit
Georgina198/Getty Images
Botanical Name
Spathiphyllum spp.
Plant Type
Houseplant
Sun Exposure
Part Sun
Shade
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Varies
Flower Color
Green
White
Hardiness Zone
10
11

Growing Peace Lily Plants: Watering, Light, Repotting, and Pests

Catherine Boeckmann
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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.

Peace lily in a white pot
Photo by izzzy71/Getty Images
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Planting

How to Plant, Repot, and Divide Peace Lilies

  • Plant or replant your lilies in a container twice as large as the root ball with well-draining, all-purpose potting soil. The soil should be able to hold moisture and dry out slowly over time. Peace lilies don’t like to dry out entirely, but they also won’t do well if kept in soil that’s constantly wet, as this fosters root rot fungus.
  • Repotting the plant every few years in the spring is suitable for the peace lily, as it will appreciate the refreshed soil.
  • Eventually, the peace lily may grow too large for its pot, at which point it can be divided. Remove the plant from its pot and split it into smaller plants, being sure to leave several leaves per clump. Peace lilies grow from rhizomes, so they can tolerate a bit of tough treatment during dividing.

Can Peace Lilies be Grown in Water?

Yes, peace lilies can grow in water alone; they are often sold in vases without any soil. Ideally, the base of the plant should be suspended above the water line, either by a specially made vase insert or a layer of small river stones. This allows the roots to grow down into the water but keeps the base of the plant and its leaves from being constantly wet, which can cause rot. 

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’ll 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’s 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’t have enough water or humidity.
    • Tip: One nice thing about peace lilies is that they will tell you when they’re thirsty: the plant’s leaves start to droop. When the plant starts to look less “perky” than usual, test the soil with your finger. If it feels dry, it’s time to water again. They can be a bit dramatic; don’t 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°F and 75°F degrees (18 to 23°C) during the day and about 10°F 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.

Peace Lily plant and flower

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 “low light” doesn’t 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. 
Varieties

Specialty varieties of peace lilies are not very easy to come by in most garden centers, though they have been growing in popularity. You may have more success ordering them from an online source. 

  • Spathiphyllum wallisii is a smaller peace lily, reaching only 12 inches tall.
  • ‘Petite’ is smaller still, at approximately 8–10 inches.
  • ‘Sensation’ is the largest variety available, capable of growing up to 4–6 feet in height and width.
  • ‘Domino’, is a medium-size variety with attractively variegated leaves.
  • ‘Mojo Lime’, which has lime-green foliage, is another medium-size peace lily.
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Pests/Diseases

  • Brown leaf tips are commonly caused by excessive direct sunlight, over-fertilization, lack of water, and/or low humidity. Keeping the plant on a tray of moistened gravel or misting the leaves can help to increase humidity.
  • Yellow leaves may be caused by overwatering, underwatering, or old age (of the leaf). If the oldest leaves are yellowing and the plant hasn’t been repotted in a while, it may just need more space to stretch its roots.
  • Scale and mealybugs will happily take up residence on the plant, if given the opportunity. A thorough wipe-down of leaves with a dish soap and water solution or insecticidal soap can be effective at stopping them, though repeated applications may be necessary. Learn more about how to get rid of scale and mealybugs.
  • Droopy or wilting leaves are often the result of too much water. Often, once per week is enough. When you water the plant, wait until the moisture comes out of the drainage holes, but never leave water sitting in the saucer or water the saucer, hoping the moisture moves up the plant. If the water drains too quickly through to the saucer, then your soil is too sandy; your soil needs to be well-draining and porous, containing peat moss, fine bark, or perlite.

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’s common name, it is not related to true lilies at all.
  • The plant’s attractive blooms are also the source of its Latin name, Spathiphyllum, meaning “spathe-leaf.” 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.
Peace Lily flower
A peace lily’s flower consists of a spathe (white sheath) and a spadix (green or off-white spike of flowers). 
Photo by W. Carter/Wikimedia
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About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
 

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Comments

It’s hard to say what to do (or not do) without knowing what the plants are, but it’s probably safe to assume that they are bundled together to make a beautiful presentation. If you know what they plants are (perhaps the florist or whoever made the basket could tell you), you could search this Web site to learn about each one’s particular needs, in terms of light, moisture, etc. Sooner or later, one or another plant fades or reaches or even as the summer winds down (and sunlight diminishes, you will probably need or want to separate them. You may then be surprised: the plants might be in separate containers within the basket, beneath a “blanket” of decorative mulch or other such cover. Transplanting to larger containers may be required. It depends on the plant/s.

Ann West (not verified)

7 years 10 months ago

Is it unusual to see brown sticks grow within the leaves of my Peace Lily. They grow encased in the leaf stem. Thank you

Stephanie (not verified)

7 years 10 months ago

I have a peace lily that the roots were riped off. Ever since the plant stays wilted. I have tried Miracle Grow and Epsom salt but with no luck. It has been almost a year now. I have it in the same place with my others, which are thriving. Any suggestions?

You may need to replant. Are there still pieces of roots? If so, it’s worth saving. If not, you’re not going to have much luck. The roots are the stomach and nothing survives without a stomach! Carefully take the plant out of its container and rinse the soil from the roots and dry the roots out on a paper towel. Then place in a pot with new well-draining soil. We suggest either commercial potting soil with a lot of perlite added for drainage or you can add orchid bark mix to the soil which will allow more air circulation around the roots. The pot must have drainage holes so the water can escape. Never let the roots sit in a tray of water or you’ll get root rot.

Linda Morris (not verified)

7 years 10 months ago

I have a plant here in North Georgia that I have had for many years. It needs dividing again, but it has just begun to bloom. Will it hurt to go ahead and divide now, or should I wait for the blooms to die back at the end of summer?

Hi Linda,

All of the plant’s energy is going into blooming right now, so the best option would be to leave it alone until the blooms die back. 

jimmy simmons (not verified)

7 years 11 months ago

The peace lily where I work is getting really big the stems are long but the leafs are at the top like they should be but it looks bare toward the pot it's in, can it be cut back and if so will it have new leaves grow back??

Bluebug (not verified)

7 years 10 months ago

Nope you can't cut the leaves back like that to get a smaller plant.

You just happen to have grown yourself a large specimen and should be proud of your green fingers.

Moelissa (not verified)

7 years 11 months ago

I have a spathiphyllu floor plant I don't no what I'm doing wrong I'm Putin miracle grow two week n water once a week I have it on table n front window and it' my mom plant need to keep alive
I can send pics

You are probably over feeding it.

I have one plant which I have now divided into 8 plants after 8 years. I don't feed the plants every year I just add a bit of fresh compost to the top of each pot.