How to Care for Peace Lilies

Choose a spot for your peace lily. Peace lilies thrive in conditions similar to tropical rainforests—warm, humid, and shaded. In most temperate regions, they cannot survive outdoors year-round. However, when grown indoors in a warm and humid environment, they flourish. Place your peace lily near a window (but not directly under it) in a warm room to allow it to enjoy indirect sunlight. North or south-facing windows are ideal as they avoid direct sunlight throughout the day. Avoid exposing the plant to cold drafts or excessive sun, as this can cause the leaves to wilt and turn brown.

• Depending on your climate, you can keep your peace lily outdoors for a few months during warm, humid weather in a patio or similar space. If you live in a tropical region, you can leave the plant outdoors year-round.

Proper Watering Techniques. Providing the right amount of water is crucial for the health of your peace lily. Water the plant only when the soil in the pot has dried out, ensuring it is moist but not waterlogged. Insufficient watering can cause the plant to wilt and die. In fact, if you forget to water, you might notice the plant drooping significantly. However, overwatering can lead to root rot, which can be fatal. Aim to water once a week when the soil is dry. Some even suggest letting the plant slightly wilt before each watering.

Weekly Mist Spraying on Leaves. Peace lilies thrive in tropical environments with high humidity. In addition to watering, regularly mist the leaves to mimic the moist air of a rainforest. Increase misting during the summer, the plant's growing season—the more water you provide, the more vibrant the flowers will be.

• This plant is sensitive to chlorine, so use dechlorinated water. You can dechlorinate tap water by letting it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Prune Wilted Leaves from the Plant. Compared to other plants, peace lilies don't require frequent pruning. However, if any branches or leaves turn brown or wilt, trim them to prevent the plant from wasting nutrients on these parts. Use sharp scissors to cut away any weak or dead sections. Make clean cuts as close to the soil as possible, avoiding healthy parts.

• Brown or wilted leaves might simply result from forgetting to water, but they could also indicate a more serious issue. If you frequently need to prune despite proper care, look for signs of deeper problems (see 'Treating Peace Lily Diseases' below) and address potential root diseases.

Be Cautious When Fertilizing. Beyond water and indirect sunlight, peace lilies require minimal maintenance. Fertilizers and supplements aren't necessary for a thriving plant. However, if you choose to fertilize (e.g., to encourage larger growth or more spectacular blooms), be careful not to overdo it, as peace lilies are sensitive. Use a standard 20-20-20 houseplant fertilizer at half or a quarter the recommended strength, applied monthly during spring and summer when the plant is most active.

• Green flowers indicate over-fertilization. If this occurs, stop fertilizing and reduce the dosage by half the following season.

Recognize signs that your plant needs repotting. Like most potted plants, given the right conditions, peace lilies can grow so large that their current pot becomes too cramped. If your peace lily has outgrown its pot, you might notice it requires more frequent watering and/or its leaves turn yellow without explanation. You may also see roots tightly woven on the soil surface. Generally, peace lilies need repotting every 1-2 years, so if it’s been that long and you observe these symptoms, your plant is likely signaling it’s time for a new pot.

Transfer your peace lily to the new pot. Prepare the new pot with enough soil to hold the plant comfortably. It’s best to add soil around the plant rather than beneath or above it. Gently firm the soil to keep the plant stable without compacting it too much. Lift or dig out the peace lily and place it in the new pot. Use soil from the old pot to fill around the plant in the new container. Familiar soil can ease the transition. Water the plant and add more soil as the water settles it. When done, the soil level should be 1.5 to 2.5 cm below the rim of the pot.

• If removing the plant from the old pot is difficult, water it thoroughly and let it soak for about an hour.

Prepare a stake to support the plant. After repotting, the roots may not yet anchor firmly in the new soil, making it hard for the plant to stand upright. If balancing the plant is challenging, use a sturdy wooden stake to keep the stem straight. Insert the stake into the soil (careful not to damage the roots) and use wire to tie the stem to the stake. Remove the stake once the plant has rooted and can stand on its own.

To create two separate plants, propagate the crown from the original plant. If you want to grow a completely new plant, separate one of the offshoots and plant it in a new pot instead of repotting the entire plant. The crown consists of clusters of two or more distinct leaves that branch off from the main plant.

• To detach the offshoot from the parent plant, first remove the entire plant from its pot. Carefully work from the top of the offshoot down to the root system, gently separating the offshoot’s roots from the parent plant. This process takes time, and you may accidentally break some roots. While this is normal, try to minimize root damage. Once separated, plant the offshoot in a small pot (no larger than 15 cm in diameter) as you would with a regular peace lily.

Identify signs of overwatering or underwatering. One of the most common issues when caring for peace lilies is improper watering. Both underwatering and overwatering can cause a range of nonspecific symptoms that sometimes mimic other diseases. However, incorrect watering is one of the easiest problems to fix. Try the following remedies before resorting to more drastic measures.

• Underwatering is relatively easy to spot: dry soil accompanied by wilting, yellowing leaves, and drooping stems are clear indicators. Fix this by watering and misting more frequently—at least once a week. Note that a plant that’s too large for its pot may struggle to absorb water during normal watering.
• Overwatering symptoms can be subtler, often appearing as brown leaf tips. Be aware that overwatering can lead to root rot, a much more serious condition.

Repot a plant suffering from root rot. Root rot is a severe disease affecting the underground root system and can easily kill the plant. It typically occurs due to overwatering or poor drainage. When roots are submerged in stagnant water for too long, they struggle to access the air needed to function properly, leading to literal decay. Certain microorganisms, like water molds, contribute to the spread of root rot. These mold spores can infect other plants if moisture levels are high. While root rot is often fatal, you can attempt to save the plant by quickly removing it from the pot, cutting away dead, slimy, or rotting roots, and replanting it in fresh, well-draining soil.

• Although root rot occurs underground, above-ground symptoms like wilting and yellowing may appear. If your peace lily continues to wilt despite adequate light and water, root rot is likely the culprit.
• Alternatively, you can propagate an unaffected offshoot into a new pot. While the parent plant may die, the new plant will carry the same genetic traits.

Use insecticidal soap to combat pests like aphids or spider mites. Peace lilies can occasionally fall victim to aphids, spider mites, or other pests. If you notice leaves wilting or dying, especially alongside visible bugs, sticky residue, or white webbing, your plant may be infested. Rinse the pests off with a strong stream of water, and to prevent their return, use a plant-safe pesticide or a homemade soap solution:

• Mix 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons (16 g) of cayenne pepper, and 1 tablespoon of natural fat-based soap (not dish soap) into 1 liter of warm water. Spray the solution over the entire plant. However, test it on a small section first and wait a day to ensure it doesn’t harm the plant.

Clean or remove plants affected by fungal infections. Fungal infections can manifest in various forms, ranging from harmless to potentially fatal for the plant. If you notice a faint white or gray layer growing on the soil surface, don’t worry too much—this type of fungus is harmless to the plant (though it may irritate people, especially those with allergies). To eliminate it, try sprinkling cinnamon (a natural antifungal) over the affected area. However, if black or dark patches appear on the stems or leaves without explanation (e.g., frost damage), your peace lily may have a severe fungal infection.

• Disposing of the entire plant is often the best option in such cases, as fungal spores can persist in the soil and surrounding area for a long time, potentially infecting other plants. If you still want to save the plant, carefully remove all infected parts and dispose of them safely (e.g., in a trash bin). Then, water the plant with compost tea, a natural antifungal, to try and eliminate any remaining spores in the soil.