Peace Lily Care Guide: How to Grow Peace Lily
Spathiphyllum, popularly known as a peace lily. Peace lilies are one of the most common and popular house plants, especially among the new houseplant owners and that is just because they are really easy to care for, they are a fairly low maintenance plant and they don’t need all that much extra attention. So they work really well as like a good beginner house plant for all. In this article, I am going to share with you complete peace lily care guide.
What is a Peace Lily / A little about Peace Lily
Peace lilies are known for their really dark green shiny oval-shaped leaves and their beautiful white flowers and even though they are not actually lilies. They’re called peace lilies because their white spathes kind of rise up out of the plant acting as a white flag or a sign of peace and that’s how they got their name.
One of the best things about peace lilies is that they are actually one of NASA’s top 10 clean air plants which means they filter toxins out of the air making the air in your house more breathable and better for you.
This plant flowers annually and the flowers actually last for a long time. Sometimes we see that the flowers are actually becoming green. Especially during the winter months of the year.
This is because the plant is actually pumping some chlorophyll to the floral parts. As sunlight is not so available in the winter months, the plant will need more leaf surface to absorb the sunlight. So what does it do? It actually pumps chlorophyll to the flower so the flower can act as another leaf and absorb lots of sunlight.
Peace Lily Quick Care & Info
Origin | Tropical regions of the Americas and southeastern Asia |
Botanical Name | Spathiphyllum wallisii |
Nickname | peace lily, white sails, or spathe flower |
Height | 4 feet or more |
Air Purifying | Yes |
Light | Moderate to bright indirect light |
Water | Water when top 2-3 inches of soil becomes dry |
Temperature | Average to warm probably about 65-85°F |
Humidity | Average to high |
Soil | All-purpose houseplant potting mix |
Toxicity | Toxic to humans and pets if ingested |
Where to grow | Bright indoors, shaded outdoors |
Maintenace Level | Low maintenance |
Peace Lily Care: Peace lily loves bright indirect light and likes to be on the warmer side but not in the direct sunlight. Keep her in a room that has a temperature between 16 to 30 degrees celsius and they loves humidity as they are tropical plants. Water your peace lily when the topsoil of you pot becomes dry.
Peace Lily Light Requirements
When we talk about light peach lilies are very adaptable. She can be happy in a bright room but she will also thrive in lower light conditions. In my experience, they’re very happy in lower light conditions. One very important thing to remember about light is that you don’t want to put your plant in direct sunlight. This will burn the leaves.
This also applies in a room with a south facing window or a south west facing window, so try not to put her very close to your window because this may also be really damaging to the leaves of the plant.
Now, another observation that I have for you is that I feel that the peace lily will flower more easily when it gets relatively a little bit more sunlight. For example, you can put this plant in your bedroom which has a southwest facing window. You can place this plant about two meters away from the window and it will flower. So I think a little bit more light makes it easier for her to flower. But always avoid direct sunlight because she will not be happy there.
Peace Lily Watering
In terms of water, this plant likes moderate watering. You can water them weekly during the growing season. But always check the soil before watering. In order to check if your plant needs water, you check with your finger. You can put your finger inside the soil until the second knuckle, and once you feel that the soil is dry,then you can water. So remember to always let the soil dry in between waterings.
They don’t like sitting in pools of water and overwatering can be one of the leading causes of peace lily’s death. It’s better not to overwater and instead of sticking to like a strict schedule, it’s better to test to see if it needs the water because it’s gonna vary depending on like time of year and how warm it is and stuff like that.
When I water I always let the water drain down through the drainage holes. This helps me keep the soil moist but not super wet. And another thing to keep in mind with this plant is that they’re very sensitive to very heavy water. So if you feel that the tap water in your region has lots of chemicals or minerals, maybe I would recommend using either distilled water, rain water or filter water. That way your plant will not be so shocked with the chemicals in the water.
Peace Lily Temperature Requirements
In terms of temperature, this plant comes from Colombia and Venezuela, which are very tropical areas in the world. So they can tolerate quite a wide variety of temperatures but likes to be on the warmer side of the spectrum. So I would recommend that you keep her in a room that is between 16 to 30 degrees celsius.
They really do not like warm and cold drafts. So don’t sit them too close to a cold window or an air conditioning or heating vent. They don’t like that and they don’t really tolerate temperatures below like 10 degrees celsius or 50 degrees fahrenheit. They can’t handle that and they might die so be careful, don’t let them get too cold.
Peace Lily Humidity Requirements
Peace lilies are from the tropics so they really like humidity. So you can keep her in a room with many other tropical plants. Tropical plants actually help each other with humidity levels. But if you feel that the air in your home is really dry, you can also put her on top of a humidity tray or close to a humidifier.
Best Soil for Peace Lily
Average houseplant soil is probably the best soil to use for a peace lily. Because it’s not too dense and holds some water but it’s also not too dry. An all-purpose houseplant potting mix should be perfect for this plant. My recipe for a potting mix for this plant includes two parts of perlite for drainage, two parts of worm castings for nutrition, and seven parts of coconut coir for moisture retainment. And she seems to be thriving there
The one thing is you do want to make sure it’s well draining and that it’s in a pot with drainage holes in the bottom because like i said it really doesn’t like wet roots.
Fertilizer for Peace Lily
Peace lilies don’t actually need all that much fertilizer. Any good quality houseplant fertilizer is fine. You can fertilize them in the spring and summer. They don’t need a lot of it to grow. They’re fairly fast growers on their own. Use organic fertilizer and check the instructions in the package, so you don’t overfeed your plants.
Repotting Peace Lily
For peace lily, they don’t need repotting all that often, They do like to be a little bit root-bound. You can repot once the roots start to stick out the bottom of the pot and when you do you want to make sure you’re only going one pot size up. You don’t want to jump too big. So use an extra two centimetres or an inch bigger and also repotting is the ideal time to propagate which you can do by division.
Peace Lily Propagation
So how to propagate peace lily? Propagating our peace lily is super easy. I recommend using the division method. So the division method means that we’re gonna divide our peace lily plant from the top of the leaf all the way to the roots. So we will have a whole new plant instantly.
Peace Lily Pruning
So how to prune a peace lily? Peace lily flowers and once a stalk has made one flower, it can’t make any more. When the flower fades, the stalk will eventually brown and then die. Peace lily pruning should be done at the base of your plant. Try to cut the stalk off as close to the bottom as you can. This will make room for new stalks to emerge.
Peace Lily Toxicity
Are peace lilies toxic to cats and dogs? Probably one of the only downsides to the peace lily is that it is toxic. It’s not as toxic as a classic lily plant but it is still toxic to pets and children. It can give you mouth irritation and even more bad gastrointestinal stuff. So don’t eat your plants, don’t let your pets eat your plants, don’t let your kids eat your plants and it will all be okay.
Peace Lily Common Problems
Peace lily brown leaves and drying of the edges: This may be caused by two factors: the first one is lots of direct sunlight. So remember, your peace lily will thrive and be very happy in lower light conditions.So really avoid direct sunlight or putting her very close to a window. Because this will burn the leaves. The second factor for this may be that your plant is lacking humidity. So if you feel that the air in your house is really dry for her, try to put her on top of a humidity tray or close to a humidifier.
Peace lily leaves turning yellow: This usually means that you are overwatering your plant. So remember, make sure that you let the soil dry in between waterings and I strongly recommend using the bottom watering method. This method will help you get the water into the roots from below and once you’re done you will be able to drain down the water through the drainage holes. This will help you keep the soil moist but not wet.
Peace lily flower turning green: If your peace lily flower is turning green then you have one of two issues: nutrient deficiency or excessive light and/or temperature. Peace lilies prefer medium to bright light conditions and thrive in areas where they receive filtered light. When peace lilies placed in direct sunlight and get too much light, the blooms turn green.
Peace lily leaves turning black: The first, there could be water issue, too much or too little. With water the leaves turn brown first then turn black. Exposure to extreme cold will turn your peace lily leaves black. Exposure to extreme heat or direct sunlight usually causes a yellow/brownish discoloration before it becomes black.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often to water peace lily?
Peace lily likes moderate watering. They don’t like sitting in pools of water. So always check the soil before watering. You can use your fingers to check if the soil is dry or not. Your plant will droop a bit when she is thirsty. You can water your peace lily about once a week and spritz leaves with water throughout the summer. This will help keep your peace lily hydrated. Don’t overwater your plants.
Are peace lilies toxic to cats and dogs?
Unfortunately. Peace lilies are toxic to cats and dogs. So keep them away from your pets.
Where should I place a peace lily in my house?
Your Peace Lily will be happy when you place them bedside your table, office desks, shaded balconies or in bathrooms. Keep your peace lily about 5 ft – 10 ft away from a sunny window.
Here are all about peace lily care guide. If I miss something about peace lily care also if you have any questions, feel free to ask.