A little peace lily indoor care goes a long way towards creating great results inside offices, malls and homes, for good reason. They are easy to grow, produce showy, spoon-shaped flowers, and can handle low light and average humidity.
Given their easy to care for and forgiving nature, peace lilies represent a great plant those new to indoor plant care.
So when I’m asked by beginners “are peace lilies indoor plants?”, my response is most definitely a big “Yes”.
Small varieties of the peace lily grow to only 16in/ 40cm tall, with the largest ones often reaching 6ft / 1.8m in height and width.
Apart from displaying attractive, glossy green leaves, peace lilies usually provide a flush of white flowers, especially in early summer. A plant may also continue to bloom occasionally throughout the year, with flowers lasting about a month.
If a peace lily has been purchased from a florist or as a gift from someone’s home, the plant may take some time to settle into its new surroundings. The plant’s bloom cycle may be interrupted, but once it feels at home, it should recommence blooming the following summer.
If the leaves and stems of a peace lily begin to droop, it’s usually trying to tell you that it’s not getting enough water. Once it receives proper hydration, it’ll perk back up to its showy best. (Don’t let this happen too often though).
Peace lilies can last for many years, especially if divided every 5 years or so.
Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention a little-known benefit of peace lilies that involves their ability to purify the air.
NASA studies identified the peace lily as a plant that could purify the air by removing toxic gases such as formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide. This is something the peace lily has in common with other indoor plants such as Aloe Vera, Mother In Law Tongue, English Ivy, Spider Plants and Flaming Katy.
Peace Lily Indoor Care Guide
I recommend the following tips to care for your peace lily indoor plant.
Light
A peace lily, like Mother In Law Tongue, can grow in low light such as that from a northern window, but they are happier in moderate to bright light. Keep them away from direct sunlight.
Temperature
This plant is best suited to average room temperatures (60F – 80F / 16 – 27C) year-round.
Water & Humidity
Maintain a consistent watering schedule throughout the year and avoid over watering by allowing the top inch (2.5cm) of soil to dry before recommencing.
Use water at room temperature with filtered water if your mains water is highly chlorinated. Average room humidity is perfectly fine for this plant.
Soil
Any good all- purpose potting mix.
Fertilizing a Peace Lily
From spring through fall, feed monthly with a balanced plant food diluted to half the normal strength. In winter, feed every 6 weeks.
Repotting a Peace Lily
Repotting annually in spring to refresh soil, represents an important element of peace lily indoor care. Peace lilies like to be slightly root bound, so don’t repot in a much larger container.
Propagating a Peace Lily
Propagate older peace lily plants by dividing them in spring. Remove any leaves that didn’t survive the dividing process in the following weeks.
Which Peace Lily to Select
You can choose from literally dozens of different varieties, varying in size, leaf color and flowering habits.
The size of peace lily you choose will obviously be determined by the space you have available.
The really big peace lilies you see in shopping malls, hotel foyers and airport lounges are usually “Sensation”, which grow to 6ft/ 1.8m tall.
The most common variety sold in 10in / 25cm pots is “Supreme” and in between you have “ Lynise” which has textured leaves and often grows to 36in / 90cm tall.
Other Peace Lily Indoor Care Tips
If you have one of the larger leaf varieties, dust the leaves occasionally with a damp cloth to help maintain their glossy appearance.
Trouble Shooting – Peace Lily Indoor Care
PROBLEM: The whole plant is drooping.
CAUSE: Your plant needs water.
SOLUTION: To rejuvenate the plant, soak it in a bucket of water for about 30 minutes or so and it should revive.
PROBLEM: Brown leaf tips.
CAUSE: Over fertilization, lack of humidity or hard water.
SOLUTION: Use diluted fertilizer as directed above. Increase humidity surrounding the plant using a pebble tray or humidifier and try using filtered, distilled or rain water.
PROBLEM: Brown patches on leaves.
CAUSE: Too much direct sunlight.
SOLUTION: Move the peace lily to a shadier place that gets filtered light, or near an east window. In winter, peace lilies will tolerate low light levels.
PROBLEM: Plant doesn’t bloom.
CAUSE: This plant usually blooms in cycles, with flowers produced mostly in spring and summer. Low light levels suppress blooming. Plants that are more than 5 years old may not bloom unless they are rejuvenated by dividing them.
SOLUTION: In spring, move the plant to a slightly brighter location and feed and water it regularly. Divide old overgrown plants.
PROBLEM: Leaves are turning yellow (especially on younger plant).
CAUSE: Stress from lack of nutrients and / or water.
SOLUTION: Use a dilute fertilizer that contains magnesium and iron as the peace lily is particularly sensitive to deficiencies of these nutrients. Maintain a consistent watering regime.
I hope these tips help with your peace lily indoor care.
If you love lilies, then check out this beauty
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