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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
Houseplants
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

Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener
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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. 

Types

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.

Gardening Products

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

Houseplant Guides
About The Author
Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com, the website companion of The Old Farmer's Almanac. She covers gardening, plants, pest control, soil composition, seasonal and moon c...
Read More from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Amanuel</span> Tue, 11/11/2014 - 13:48
There will be 2 years in December that I received my peace lily. It has only bloomed 1 time and the tips of the leaves are turning brown. It is located in the corner of my living room. What should I do about the brown tips and why is it not blooming?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 11/12/2014 - 11:53

The Peace Lily is native to a tropical environment so it's leaves may turn brown when it is in a setting without enough humidity (such as an air-conditioned or heated office). It is OK to trim the brown tips off, it won't hurt your Peace Lily.  Keep the soil moist and give it a daily misting to get its leaves wet. This may also help your lily to bloom. Also make sure that the lily gets enough light.

 <span>Christy12</span> Thu, 10/30/2014 - 22:19
I have a peace lily that was left in the direct sun for several hours and a lot (but not all) of the leaves got scorched. Should I cut all of those leaves back at the base of the stem or leave the plant as is? Will cutting the bad leaves off help to stimulate new leaf growth faster? This lily is from my grandmothers funeral and I really want to save it and get it back to looking good. It was so pretty!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 10/31/2014 - 12:20

Hi, Christy: Just cut off what is brown and leave as much green as possible for photosynthesis. This will also help your lily focus its energy on growth. Try a bathroom setting with indirect light for a while if you can; that's often good for perking up the Peace.

 <span>Christy12</span> Sat, 11/01/2014 - 08:42
Thank you! I will try that. Should I fertilize it with anything or just keep watering as needed?
<span>Karleene Morrow</span> Sat, 10/18/2014 - 15:38
I read in one of your responses that the pollen from Peace Lillys can be toxic to cats licking it off their fur - and of concern to me, that it can cause allergies in humans. I have COPD and breathing problems and while I want to include some plants in my home to improve air quality I'm wondering if the Peace Lily is the right plant or not?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 10/20/2014 - 12:25

Hi Karleen, The peace lily is toxic only if large quantities of the leaves are eaten. You may enjoy this Almanac post on houseplants that improve air quality in the house: http://www.almanac.com/blog/gardening-blog/clean-house-tropical-plants

 <span>Jean Caras</span> Wed, 10/15/2014 - 08:58
I HAVE 2 PEACE LILLYS ITS 9 MONTHS,,I HAVE HAD MUSCUS AND DRAINAGE THE 9 MONTHS ,,COULD I HAVE ALLERGIES TO THIS PLANT ??PLEASE HELP ME DECIDE ON KEEPING THEM ;;;;;;
<span>Janet Freeze</span> Mon, 10/13/2014 - 11:55
I have had my peace lily for five years when I brought it in the house this season it start drooping need help
<span>Adriel</span> Sun, 09/06/2015 - 14:11
If it starts to droop that means you have to water it more. And if it droops more, don't give up!