Last Updated on October 31, 2021 by Phil
Peace lilies are lovely white flowers with dark green leaves. But, what makes them stand out and popular as houseplants are their shape and form.
Add to that the fact that they’re easy to care for, and you’ve got something every homeowner and grower appreciates.
If you want to learn more about peace lilies we’ve got everything you need to know about them here.
About Peace Lilies
Peace lilies are flowering houseplants that are very popular in homes because of their beauty. This is thanks to its stunning white-colored blooms that appear during the summer and last for several months.
Interestingly, peace lilies are not lilies at all. Instead, they’re members of the Araceae family. Thus, making them relatives of the anthurium and philodendron. Both of which are popular houseplants as well.
Being native to the rainforests of Central and South America, they’re tropical in nature, making them well-suited for the temperature in most homes.
Like many other plants, you’ll find many varieties available. Smaller ones grow to about 16 inches tall. This is why you’ll often see them sitting on tables and countertops.
Taller varieties will reach as high as 4 feet indoors, which means they’re better suited on the floor. But, if you’re lucky enough to live where the sun is out every day of the year, you can likewise grow them outdoors, in which case, they can get up to 6 feet tall
Last but not least, you’ll also want to know that these flowering plants also clean the air of toxic chemicals including carbon monoxide ad formaldehyde. This makes them excellent for areas in your room where you spend a lot of time in, including your bedroom and living room.
Peace Lily Plant Care
Peace Lily Light Requirements
In their natural habitat, peace lilies receive a lot of shade. Therefore, they aren’t used to being exposed to direct sunlight.
Instead, they prefer bright, filtered light.
As such, it’s a good idea to keep them away from the intense afternoon sun. A good way to achieve this is to place your peace lilies near an east-facing window. This way, they get a lot of bright light but from the gentler morning sun.
If you place them in the south or west-facing windows, make sure to give them some protection. You can use a sheer curtain or keep them a few feet away from the window so the sun’s rays don’t directly hit them.
One thing worth noting is that how much sunlight your peace lily can tolerate will depend on its variety. Some can take more direct sun while others prefer shade. But, in general, bright, indirect light works well.
If you happen to see its leaves curling or becoming pale in color, it’s time to move them to a more shaded area. If left this way, you may end seeing your peace lily experience scorched leaves.
Related Posts
- Salvia Leucantha (Mexican Bush Sage) Planting, Growing & Care Guide
- White Peony Plant Care
- Lantana Montevidensis (Purple Trailing Lantana) Plant Care Guide
- Chrysanthemum Plant Care
- Sunflower Plant Care – How to Grow Helianthus Annuus
- Poinsettia Plant Care
Peace Lily Temperature & Humidity
Peace lilies thrive in zones 11 and 12. As tropical plants, they’re used to the warm and humid environments of the rainforests of Central and South American they’re native to.
Thus, it’s a good idea to keep them where the temperature stays between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it starts dropping under 55 degrees, they’ll start struggling. And, the moment it reaches 40 degrees they’ll start getting damaged.
It’s likewise a good idea to keep them away from places that experience drafts like windows and air conditions.
As such, you’ll only see them outdoors all-year-round in areas with these conditions like Hawaii and Florida.
If you live in a colder area of the country, you can grow them indoors. You can likewise bring them out when the weather gets warm. But, make sure to take them back inside once things start to get cold later in the year.
Peace Lily Watering
In addition to keeping the area around them humid via misting or placing them on top of a water tray, it’s also a good idea not to let their soil dry out.
That’s because peace lilies are a bit fussy about moisture. They cannot withstand long periods of dryness. But, don’t appreciate soggy or overwatering either.
What they do like is moist soil.
It’s also worth noting that they’re sensitive to chemicals present in tap water. In fact, fluoride can turn their leaf tips brown. So, using distilled, filtered or even rainwater are better options.
Finally, they also prefer room temperature water.
Soil
Peace lilies can be grown in soil or water. So, you get to choose where you want to put them.
- If you decide to go with soil, choose a potting mix that’s well-draining. They likewise enjoy soil that’s loose and rich in organic matter.
- If you want to keep them in water, you can put them in a vase filled with the liquid. The key here is to only allow the roots to be submerged in water. But, keep the base of the plant above it.
Fertilizing
Peace lilies don’t need to be fed a lot. But, giving them a monthly dose of a balanced houseplant fertilizer diluted to half-strength during their growing season (spring and summer) helps them achieve optimum growth.
Once winter comes along, you can scale back of feeding.
Peace Lily Pruning
With peace lilies, pruning is optional. But, there are two instances where you’ll want to cut it back. These are:
- Once the flower is spent or dying. Each of the plant’s stems produces one flower. Once, that bloom runs its course, it becomes spent and slowly dies. This makes it unappealing to look at. As such, it’s time to remove it to give room for new growth. When this happens, cut off the stalk near the base. This allows new stalks to grow.
- Drooping leaves and those turning yellow. At some point, your plant’s leaves may turn yellow because they’re not getting enough water or receiving too much light. Sometimes, it’s just old age. In any case, trim off the leaves near the base.
Doing this helps keep your peace lilies looking good and staying healthy.
As always, make sure to sterilize your scissors or shears before making any cut to avoid contamination.
Peace Lily Propagation
Peace lilies are often propagated via division. This allows you to keep the plant going for many years. It also lets you increase the number of them you have if you want to.
Dividing is likewise a good idea because it keeps the plant from getting overwhelmingly large. By removing the clumps and planting them separately, you’re limiting the size of the parent plant.
To divide your peace lily:
- Remove it from its pot. You want to do this gently by setting the pot to its side and carefully coaxing the rootball out of the container.
- Take a good look at the rootball to see where you want to separate it. the areas were the leaves are connected to the roots are your prime candidates.
- How many plants you want to divide it to depend on you. You can split it into two or more if you wish.
- For small rootballs, you can separate the roots using your hands. For larger ones, you’ll need a serrated knife to slice them off.
- Finally, put each new plant into a pot with soil. Then, water it and place it somewhere it gets bright light.
Peace Lily Repotting
Once your peace lily outgrows its container, it’s time to repot. Repotting also provides a good opportunity to refresh the soil it’s in, which the plant appreciates.
The best time to do so is during the spring.
And, you can likewise use this as a chance to divide the plant as well. This is the case for larger plants.
You can remove the plant from its container and separate them into clumps. Then, planting each one separately.
Toxicity
Peace lilies are members of the Araceae family. So, they contain calcium oxalate crystals. For this reason, it’s good to keep young kids and pets away from the plant.
This reduces their risk of ingesting any part of it. While it’s not deadly, consumption can cause gastrointestinal irritation and other unpleasant effects because the chemicals interfere with your blood calcium.
