Caring for peace plant
How to Grow and Care for Peace Lily Plants
Tips for Flowering, Watering, Sunlight, & More
By
Jon VanZile
Jon VanZile
Jon VanZile is a Master Gardener who wrote content for The Spruce for over a decade. He is the author of "Houseplants for a Healthy Home," and his writing has also appeared in the Chicago Tribune, and Better Homes & Gardens, among others. Jon began collecting plants over 10 years ago and he maintains a growing collection of rare and tropical plants.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 08/24/22
Reviewed by
Debra LaGattuta
Reviewed by Debra LaGattuta
Debra LaGattuta is a gardening expert with three decades of experience in perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. She is a Master Gardener and lead gardener in a Plant-A-Row, which is a program that offers thousands of pounds of organically-grown vegetables to local food banks. Debra is a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
The Spruce / Cara Cormack
In This Article
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Care
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Types
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Propagating
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Growing in Pots
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Common Pests
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Bloom
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Common Issues
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FAQ
The peace lily is a flowering tropical plant from the Spathiphyllum genus. Outside of its hardiness zones, many people grow the peace lily indoors. There are many types of peace lily within the genus. But in general, peace lilies have large, glossy, oval leaves. They typically bloom in the spring, though that can vary when growing them as houseplants. A healthy peace lily might bloom twice a year, resulting in several months of flowers.
When grown in the garden in the tropical and subtropical climates where they are hardy, peace lilies are normally planted in the spring while it is still cool.
When you care for a peace lily indoors, they can be purchased and brought into the home at any time of year, though you will want to protect them from cold temperatures as you transport them. They are moderate growers and will reach maturity in around three years. Note that peace lilies are toxic to pets and people, so be mindful about where you place a peace lily in your house.
Fun Fact
Like many plants, peace lilies carry symbolism. The peace lily's meaning is associated with sympathy, healing, hope, purity, and—naturally—peace. The plant is commonly given as a gift to those who have lost a loved one.
| Common Name | Peace lily, spath lily |
| Botanical Name | Spathiphyllum spp. |
| Family | Araceae |
| Plant Type | Perennial |
| Mature Size | 1–4 ft. tall, 1–4 ft. wide (indoors), up to 6 feet tall (outdoors) |
| Sun Exposure | Partial |
| Soil Type | Moist but well-drained |
| Soil pH | Acidic |
| Bloom Time | Spring |
| Flower Color | White, yellow |
| Hardiness Zones | 11–12 (USDA) |
| Native Area | Central America, Asia |
| Toxicity | Toxic to pets, toxic to people |
Watch Now: How to Grow and Care for Peace Lilies
Peace Lily Care
Peace lilies are generally grown as potted houseplants in the United States, as most areas are not conducive to growing the plant outdoors. If you have potted peace lilies, you can move them outside during the summer months. But once temperatures dip, it's a good idea to bring them back inside.
Caring for a peace lily indoors is relatively easy.
Provide your plant with moderately moist soil and filtered sunlight, along with consistently temperate conditions.
Light
Peace lilies need sun, though not direct sunlight. They are shade-loving plants in their native habitats. But peace lilies indoors need a bit more filtered light. (Some varieties can withstand more light than others.) An east-facing window is a prime spot to place a peace lily in your house.
Soil
Peace lilies like a rich, loose potting mix that contains plenty of organic matter. These plants are native to tropical canopy conditions where the soil is packed with deteriorating plant material, so you'll find the best success with soil that mimics this composition. Additionally, the plant is also very sensitive to too-damp soil conditions, so be sure to choose a well-draining mixture.
Water
Peace lilies prefer being under-watered rather than overwatered.
How often you should water a peace lily depends on container size and how fast the soil drains, but, in general, water when the top inch of soil has dried out. In winter, reduce watering but never allow the soil to dry out completely. If your water at home is highly chlorinated, it's a good idea to use filtered water. Alternatively, you can allow tap water to sit for several days until the chlorine evaporates.
Temperature and Humidity
These plants prefer moist warmth. Avoid cold drafts and temperatures that fall below 55 degrees Fahrenheit; the plant will die when exposed to prolonged cold temperatures. The ideal temperature range for your peace lily is 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Spritz the leaves every week with softened or distilled water throughout the summer growing season to raise humidity.
Fertilizer
Peace lilies appreciate frequent feedings, which result in the strongest plant and seasonal blooming. Feed your plant weekly in the summer or use slow-release pellets at the beginning of the season.
You do not need to fertilize the plant during the winter.
Types of Peace Lilies
Peace lilies have been heavily hybridized and therefore come in dozens of popular varietals. They range in size from miniature to massive and from deep green with snow-white flowers to golden-leaved beauties. Some of the popular types of peace lily include:
- Spathiphyllum ’Power Petite’: A small varietal that grows to only about 15 inches
- S. ‘Mauna Loa Supreme': A very common variety that grows to be between 3 to 4 feet tall, with leaves that are up to 9 inches wide
- S. ‘Sensation’: The largest peace lily varietal, which reaches up to 6 feet in height with broad, 20-inch long leaves
- S. 'Mojo': A striking, large varietal with vibrant green leaves
- S. 'Golden Delicious': A varietal that features new growth with stunning golden-green color
- S.
'Starlight': A varietal with narrow leaves that have wavy margins. It's also known for having multiple blooms, with as many as 20 flowers on a single plant
Propagating Peace Lily
The peace lily is generally propagated by dividing clumps during repotting activities, which can be done during any season. Inspect the plant for small offshoot crowns located adjacent to the main parent plant; this is a sign the plant is ready to divide. Here's how:
- Remove the entire plant from its container, and then tug apart or cut away the adjacent crowns. You can also simply cut away a section of the main root ball. Any piece that has two or more leaves and attached roots will likely grow successfully.
- Fill a 6-inch pot with fresh potting mix that is moist but not soggy.
- Immediately plant the clumps in the container, and water thoroughly.
- Keep the plant somewhere warm and well-lit. The roots should reestablish themselves in less than a month.
Potting and Repotting Peace Lily
Peace lilies are happiest when they're somewhat root-bound. However, when the plant has clearly exceeded the capacity of the pot, it can be potted up to a larger container in the early spring. If you notice roots popping up out of the soil and down from the drainage holes, it's time to repot. It's ideal to pot the plant in a terracotta or clay vessel that can wick away excess moisture. Always use a high-quality potting mix, and a pot with good drainage.
Common Pests
These plants are free of most diseases and pests that can plague houseplants. But they can be susceptible to scale and mealybugs. Spot treatment with horticultural oil is a good strategy for these pests.
How to Get Peace Lily to Bloom
Peace lilies are notoriously difficult when it comes to blooming. Sometimes even the happiest, healthiest plants don't bloom outside of their natural rainforest environment. If you're hoping to have your indoor peace lily bloom, your best bet is to provide it with very consistent ideal conditions, especially when it comes to humidity, diffused light, and consistent fertilizer.
The peace lily flower stages are budding, blooming, going to seed, and wilting. The buds are fairly small and unfurl like leaves. It can take some time for them to come in bloom, so be patient. You can snip off depreciated blooms, as they will just sap energy from the plant.
Common Problems With Peace Lily
Under the right growing conditions, peace lilies typically thrive without issues. But some problems can arise if the environment isn't quite right.
Curling Leaves
Curled, pale leaves generally indicate that the plant is receiving too much light overall. And scorched leaves indicate too much direct sun. In either case, the plant should be moved to a shadier location.
Browning Tips
You might notice browning on your peace lily's leaf tips. This can be due to too much or too little water, as well as poor soil drainage. It also can arise due to insufficient humidity. Plus, the buildup of salts in the soil might be a culprit.
Ensure that your plant is properly watered and that the soil is draining. If that doesn't seem to be the issue, try flushing the soil by watering until you see water coming from the drainage holes to remove the salts.
Article Sources
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Peace lily. ASPCA.
Spathiphyllum. NC State Extension.
Peace Lily Care 101: This Plant is So Low Maintenance
Photo: istockphoto.com
Perhaps due to “rest in peace” connotations, the peace lily has become popular as a gift to the bereaved. Although not really a lily and actually named for the fact that its white spathes resemble flying flags of truce, the plant still serves well as a living remembrance of the departed.
The peace lily also makes a good choice for friends whose environments don’t have enough sunlight for other types of flowering plants.
Since most people are likely to buy or receive one at some point in their lives, it is fortunate that peace lily care is as unfussily simple as the plant itself.
Peace Lily Care at a GlanceRelated: It’s Not Me, It’s You: The 10 Toughest Houseplants to Keep Alive
Common name: Peace lily
Scientific name: Spathiphyllum spp.
Soil: Standard potting soil
Light: Bright indirect or morning sun
Water: Enough to keep soil lightly moist
Food: Flowering houseplant food
Temperature and humidity: Standard household
Propagation: By division
Safety: Toxic if consumed by pets or people
Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum spp.), all of which grow from rhizomes, can shoot up to 6 feet high when growing outdoors in USDA Zones 11 and 12—and in the central American and southeast Asian areas where they are native.
However, they probably won’t surpass 3 feet indoors as they green up a room with their glossy, gracefully arching leaves.
The plants’ spoon-like white flowers actually are leaf bracts or spathes backing the tiny real blooms that spiral around the yellow or white spadices. The white bracts turn green after 10 days or so but can remain on the plant for weeks. Although peace lilies flower most heavily in spring and summer, they may continue to do so intermittently all year long.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Types of Peace Lilies- Spathiphyllum ‘Domino’ grows to 2 feet and has white-spattered foliage.
- Spathiphyllum ‘Sensation’ can reach a height of 6 feet and has ribbed leaves.
- Spathiphyllum ‘Wallisii’ tops out at only about 15 to 20 inches.
A standard potting mix with a mildly acidic pH works well for peace lily, which should be repotted each spring to freshen its soil.
However, never repot the plant into a container that is more than one third larger than its root ball, since this plant likes to be snugly encased. Make sure that the pot has a drainage hole or holes to prevent water buildup.
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If you must use a container without holes, place a layer of gravel in its bottom to catch and hold any extra water—perhaps accompanied by a sprinkling of horticultural charcoal. Then keep a close eye on the pot to make sure that its soil doesn’t become soggy or smelly due to stagnant water.
The Right LightRelated: 11 Things You Didn’t Know That Houseplants Love
Because it is native to the jungle understory, the peace lily plant prefers bright indirect light or only morning sun, which tends to be gentler than afternoon rays. Although the plant will grow under even dimmer conditions, it probably won’t flower as well there.
However, if the leaves on your plant turn pale, curl downward, or develop brown scorch marks, it likely is receiving too much light, so shift the plant’s location to a shadier spot.
If a peace lily never flowers, that might be a sign that it isn’t getting enough light and should be moved to a brighter location where it can spathe out.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Watering Peace LiliesKeep the soil lightly moist at all times, but never allow it to become soggy. The plant will tell you that it is dry by wilting in dramatic fashion, but since that wilting also can cause peace lily yellow leaves, avoid allowing dryness to reach that extreme. On the other hand, the plant is prone to root rot if overwatered. Keep its soil damp rather than wet.
Because peace lily can be sensitive to chemicals, allow its water to sit in an open container for a while before you apply it. That will give it a chance to warm to room temperature and for chlorine to evaporate from tap water.
Fertilizing Peace LiliesDue to that sensitivity to chemicals, it’s also a good idea to fertilize your plant only lightly once a month during the growing season, using either an organic houseplant fertilizer or only one fourth of the amount listed on the label for a chemical plant food.
Excess feeding reportedly can cause leaf-tip burn on this plant.
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For the best results, choose a phosphorus-rich fertilizer intended for flowering plants. Stop applying it when the plant ceases growth during winter. When watering your plant, always water heavily enough that you wash out excess fertilizer salts, but be sure to empty the extra water from the plant saucer afterward.
Setting the Temperature and HumidityThe peace lily prefers normal household temperatures between 68 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Although it will tolerate somewhat low humidity, this jungle plant should perk up considerably if you mist it occasionally and place it atop a humidity tray (available on Amazon).
Those with hard water might want to mist with purchased spring water to avoid hard-water spots on the plants’ foliage. Positioning a peace lily inside a cluster of other plants also should help to raise the humidity around it, as will placing it in a bathroom or near a kitchen sink where the frequent running of water raises humidity levels.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Propagating Peace LiliesIf you love your peace lily plant to pieces and want to share it, the best way to do so is by dividing it into sections. This separation generally works best in spring, when plants are eager to grow.
Simply remove the plant from its container, rinse the soil from its rhizomes, and pull or cut those rhizomes apart, making sure that each section contains sufficient foliage for a new plant. Give each clump its own pot filled with fresh potting soil, planting the rhizomes as deeply as they grew in the previous container, and your single plant now can make a gift or grace another spot in your home.
Safety ConsiderationsPeace lily contains calcium oxalate crystals, which can cause swelling and pain in the mouth and throat, as well as difficulty in swallowing, when any part of the plant is eaten either by people or animals. Therefore, if you want to keep its associations peaceful, you’ll keep it away from young children and pets.
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The plant’s sap also might irritate your skin, so it’s a good idea to wear plastic gloves as protection when pruning or dividing the peace lily plant and to wash all tools well afterward. That sap can drip from the plant on occasion, which usually indicates an infestation—probably scale insects.
Potential Pests and DiseasesKnowing how to care for peace lily plants can keep the plant healthy and help it ward off problems. But some pests still can pester the peace plant, including the abovementioned scale insects, which resemble, well, scales. Then there are aphids that resemble green lice, mealybugs that look like bits of cotton, thrips that resemble bits of thread, and spider mites, which resemble bitsy spiders.
You can wash these pests right out of your plant by applying an insecticidal soap solution, mixed according to package directions, and repeating the application about once every 5 days until all the insects are gone.
If your tap water is hard, purchase distilled water to mix with the soap instead, since hard water reduces its effectiveness.
Related: The 12 Hottest Houseplants for Your Home Office, According to the Masses
Photo: istockphoto.com
FAQs About Peace Lily CareDo you need some quick advice on how to care for a peace lily when your less-than-peaceful life doesn’t allow you much time? Find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the plant below.
Q. How much direct sunlight do peace lilies need?None. Peace lilies prefer bright indirect light. They usually will tolerate morning sun, but not the harsher afternoon sort.
Q. Where should I place my peace lilies in my house?Position your peace lilies where they receive bright indirect light or only morning sun.
Q. Do peace lilies like to be misted?Yes; peace lily plants enjoy being sprayed with a fine mist of water from time to time.
Avoid using hard water for misting, since it can leave spots on the dark green foliage.
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World Lily Care | Gardening
The peace lily is one of the most popular indoor plants. It adapts to places with little light, even better than others (for example, begonia). In addition, they have a really very decorative flower. A flower that you can contemplate in your home pond if you want it to be an aquatic plant. But what exactly attracts more and more people to it? No doubt your concern. She is very grateful to her and for the fact that, as you can see for yourself, if you decide to buy it, you will notice it after a short time.
In this article we will tell you about all the characteristics and care that peace lily needs.
Index
- 1 Características principales
- 2 Care for the World
- 2.1 UBICIACI
- 2.
2 Irration - 2.3 Fertilizer
- 2.4 Transplant
- 3 Frequently asked questions about peaceful lilies
Caraterísticas paragraphs
Image - Flickr / Dinesh Valke
The peace lily belongs to the class Liliopsida, order Alismatales and therefore to the family Araceae. It should be noted that there are different types of peace lilies, although they all have very similar characteristics and support almost the same requirements and care. The main traits that vary between cultivars are the color of the flowers and the appearance of the leaves. About 36 species of peace lily are known.
This plant is ideal for growing indoors. . This is because it is a plant that hardly needs sunlight to grow. It has green leaves and can grow up to a meter in height. The leaves are lanceolate, inclined outward from the center. The flowers are white. They are born and grow from stems.
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The advantage of this plant is that if it is taken care of for a long time it can live a long time.
It requires quite careful care, so it becomes a problem for all those who are fond of gardening. One indicator that a plant is being poorly cared for, mostly due to mismanagement of watering, is that it is turning brown or tinged on its leaves.
Naturally, we can find peace lilies in Europe and on some Pacific islands in the wild near streams and rivers, in places where there is enough shade and high humidity. When we find this plant in the wild, we see that its root is usually very short.
Know how to take care of the peace lily should completely avoid the brown color of its leaves . It is necessary to supply both water and fertilizer to provide it with nutrients in good condition.
Peace lily care
This is a plant native to the tropical regions of the Americas and the Caribbean. Therefore, this is not a plant that tolerates frost or cold wind currents well. In this sense, we will look for a place where the plant is protected from any adverse environmental conditions.
In order to keep your peace lily in perfect condition, it needs the following care:
Ubicación
Being a plant very sensitive to cold, should be placed indoors at least in winter . As we said, it adapts well to life in dimly lit rooms, but it will also do well in those that are brightly lit. Of course, it must be protected from drafts, both cold and warm, and from direct light, as they can damage its leaves.
It only needs to be in the sun for a certain amount of time and in winter to be able to photosynthesise well and grow in good conditions. The rest of the time you need to be in the shade or partial shade and protect yourself from cold air currents.
irrigation
Peace lilies need to be watered from time to time. It is advisable to water a maximum of twice a week. . If we want him to be in the pond, he will be at the highest point. It is desirable that the soil remains moist most of the time.
This is an indicator we can use to know when we need to water again.
If the summer temperatures are high enough and the environment in our area is very dry, we can spray the leaves with a little water to keep the humidity high. One of the main factors to consider when watering a peace lily is soil drainage. Whether we place the plant in a pot or in garden soil, it must have good drainage. In this way, we will avoid that irrigation or rain water accumulates in the ground and enters the pond with plants. These puddles can lead to root death.
Another aspect that we need to be careful about over watering has to do with pests and diseases. If the leaves of this plant are starting to wilt, it's because we've overdone the watering. Such excessive watering can put the plant in danger due to the appearance of diseases and pests.
fertilizer
Compost is very important for all plants. In the case of our main character, Fertilize with liquid fertilizer every 20 days throughout the growing season.
i.e. from spring to autumn.
Transplanting
In the spring we will start replanting it, if we see that the roots are growing through the drainage holes. . Place in a pot about 2-3cm wider using a general purpose plant substrate mixed with 20% perlite.
Peace Lily Frequently Asked Questions
Some people wonder if peace lilies are poisonous. It should be noted that this plant is not toxic, as is the case with traditional lilies. . Therefore, you do not need to worry about storing the plant out of the reach of children and pets. Just be careful as they contain microscopic calcium oxalate crystals which, when ingested, cause excessive salivation in the mouth and some discomfort in the throat.
Another common question from users who sow peace lily is long or short flowers. Typically, this plant develops its flowers in the spring and lasts for several weeks if well cared for. Since the plant is evergreen, it does not always bloom at the right time.
Therefore, do not worry if it does not bloom at the appointed time.
I hope you can learn more about the peace lily with this information.
Volgograd agronomist told how to care for lemons and tangerines in pots
Long before the New Year holidays, they appear on the shelves of large chain stores - bright citrus fruits in the form of indoor plants. As a rule, chains offer to buy lemons or tangerines. How to take care of such an unusual gift, if you decide to give it to yourself or to please your loved ones, Volgograd agronomist Svetlana Rum told.
The expert notes that December, winter, is usually the most difficult time for all types of citrus fruits that appear in apartments. Plants should be steadfastly protected from dry and hot air - in the first place. In care, the plant is considered quite difficult.
It doesn’t matter if you have a lemon, tangerine or any other citrus, the tree will require a lot of light, moist air and a temperature of +18 to +20 degrees.
It would seem that the window sill can become an ideal place, but leaving the plant here is highly discouraged, the agronomist warns.
- Citrus should not be placed on the windowsill, where we seem to have a lot of light, but at the same time there is very dry, hot air. The leaves will begin to fly around instantly, - explains the specialist.
Citrus will have to look for a place in the apartment as far as possible from the heating systems. Moreover, there may not be bright lighting, sufficient, diffused light is allowed. So it will be possible to maintain the temperature up to +20 degrees and do not forget about the humidity of 60-70% - no less.
Only in such conditions will the citrus tree feel good. Ahead is a period of adaptation.
- If the plant was bought in a large mall, the temperature in such pavilions is maintained not very high, but very humid. It will be necessary to periodically spray the plant or buy an air humidifier, not forgetting that this plant is from the tropics, so that a humid climate reigns around it, the expert emphasizes.
Also, the first thing to do immediately after the purchase is to spray the plant at home with a stimulant - "Epin" or "Zircon", which will help relieve stress. Check for insects. Remember: chemical treatment is also stressful.
- They brought it, and make it as good as possible for the plant, - the agronomist explains.
Svetlana Rum shares one more piece of advice - citrus fruits in an apartment must be regularly fertilized and fed. After purchase - it is advisable to fertilize after two weeks.
- They are sold in all stores, flower centers, it is not a problem to purchase them. Fertilizer is necessary for citrus to bloom. At least once every two weeks, the plant needs to be “fed”, in small doses, according to the instructions. Flowering, fruit-bearing plants, they use more fertilizer. It is necessary to make it a rule to feed the plant at least once every 10 days. If you do not feed, the plant will lack nutrition, flowers and fruits will fall off, citrus will not look luxurious, says the agronomist.
It will take two weeks to adapt the tree at home, during which time the pet may lose leaves. But transshipment or transplantation immediately after purchase can also become additional stress. As soon as the plant adapts, that is when it can be transshipped.
- Citruses are best transplanted in the spring. Having transplanted now, you can play a cruel joke with the plant. Citrus fruits do not need extra land. If the earth ball is not occupied by the root system, then this earth around the roots turns sour. The plant dies even faster than if it is not transplanted. Therefore, it is better to leave the citrus in the form in which it is, and if you don’t really like the pot, put the tree in a beautiful flowerpot. Leave the plant until you notice that it is actively growing, the expert warns.
- Citrus fruits have one feature: if they feel comfortable, they bloom almost all the time. Flowering comes in "waves", as well as fruiting.
