Peace lily care guide

The peace lily is the plant that tells you when it is thirsty. The whole plant flops over when the soil dries out, then stands back up within hours of a drink. It handles lower light than most flowering houseplants.

It is not a true lily. That matters if you have cats. See pet safety below.

Light

Peace lilies grow in medium light, such as a spot a few feet from an east or north window. They bloom in less light than most flowering houseplants. In a dark corner, though, they stop blooming.

For more flowers, give it bright, indirect light. Direct sun bleaches and scorches the leaves.

Water

Water when the top 2 to 3 cm (1 in) of soil is dry. Water until it drains, then empty the saucer.

Many people wait for the first sign of droop, then water. That works, but letting it collapse over and over browns the leaf tips and shortens its life.

Soggy soil rots the roots. A plant that droops with wet soil needs less water, not more. Read how to tell if a houseplant is overwatered or underwatered.

Soil and potting

Use a rich houseplant mix that holds some water but drains well. Add a handful of perlite to heavy mixes.

Repot every year or two in spring, when roots fill the pot and it needs water every few days. Go up one pot size. See how to repot a houseplant step by step.

Humidity and temperature

Average room air is fine. Dry winter air adds to brown tips, so keep it away from heat vents.

Keep it between 18 and 27°C (65 and 80°F). Cold drafts below 10°C (50°F) blacken the leaves.

Feeding

Feed every 6 to 8 weeks in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength. Too much fertilizer burns leaf tips and can turn new flowers green.

Pruning

Cut faded flowers off at the base of their stem. Cut yellow or brown leaves off at the soil line. Trim brown tips with clean scissors, following the leaf shape.

Getting it to bloom

The white “flower” is a spathe, a leaf-like hood around a spike of tiny real flowers. Most peace lilies bloom in spring and early summer, and some bloom again in fall.

No flowers most often comes down to light. Move it closer to a bright window, out of direct sun. Young plants and plants just divided may need a year before they bloom.

Flowers that turn green are getting old. That is normal. Cut them off.

Propagation

Peace lilies grow in clumps. When you repot, ease the plant out and pull or cut the clump into sections. Give each section a few leaves and a good set of roots. Pot each one up and keep it out of direct sun for a week or two.

Problems

What you see	Most likely cause
Whole plant droops, dry soil	Thirsty. Water it.
Plant droops, wet soil	Root rot from too much water
Brown leaf tips	Salts or fluoride in tap water, dry air, or too much fertilizer
Yellow lower leaves	Old leaves dying off, or too much water
No flowers	Not enough light, or a young plant
Pale, scorched patches	Direct sun
Black leaves	Cold draft

Try rainwater or filtered water if brown tips keep coming back. Read why are my houseplant leaf tips turning brown.

Pests

Mealybugs, spider mites, and scale show up now and then. Wipe dust off the big leaves with a damp cloth every few weeks, and check underneath while you do. Fungus gnats mean the soil stays wet too long. Read how to get rid of fungus gnats in houseplants.

Pet safety

Peace lilies are toxic to cats and dogs. They contain calcium oxalate crystals. Chewing causes mouth pain, drooling, pawing at the mouth, and sometimes vomiting.

The name scares a lot of cat owners. True lilies, such as Easter lilies, tiger lilies, and daylilies, can cause kidney failure in cats. The peace lily is a different plant family and does not cause kidney failure. It still hurts, so keep it out of reach. Call your vet if a pet chews it.

Varieties

• ‘Domino’ has leaves streaked with white.
• ‘Sensation’ is a giant, with leaves up to 50 cm (20 in) long.
• ‘Mauna Loa’ is a large, older type with big flowers.
• Small types stay under 30 cm (1 ft) and fit on a desk.

In my house

My peace lilies droop when they are thirsty. I try not to let that happen often, but it does happen.

They bloom for me without fail. In fact, they bloom with less fuss than a lot of other houseplants, even in less light.