How to care for peace lily

• Written by Holly Hughes on January 20, 2022

The rich beauty of a peace lily cannot be underestimated. Dark leaves illuminated by brilliant white blooms, this tropical plant is one of the best and most common houseplants due to its glorious personality and how easy it is to care for.

However, while it has relatively low care requirements, this exotic shrub does have specific demands in order to grow and, without these, peace lilies can prove difficult to care for.

That’s why we’ve put together this easy care guide for peace lilies that will tell you everything you need to know to take care of a peace lily. From fertilizer to water requirements, we’ve got you covered with these five top tips to give your tropical delight the tender loving care it deserves.

What does a healthy peace lily look like?

Originating in the humid warmth of the tropical rainforests of Colombia and Venezuela, peace lilies are evergreen plants that thrive in the kind of tropical conditions traditionally found on the forest floor. That is to say, the cosy care of dappled sunlight and consistent moisture.

You can tell a healthy peace lily that is well-cared for by its flowers and leaf color. With the right care, this plant will have luscious, dark green leaves and white to off-white flowers that can bloom throughout the year with the right conditions. 

A sick peace lily will have yellowed or brown-tipped leaves, droop dramatically and have cracked, split leaves.

Now you know how to tell if your peace lily is healthy or needs some tender loving care, let’s look at some peace lily care tips to ensure this South American beauty can thrive in your home.

What are peace lily fertilizer requirements?

No plant can thrive if its foundations are wrong. If you want to grow peace lily successfully, take care and choose the right fertilizer and soil that will care and nurture this tropical – and sometimes demanding – plant.

Peace lilies are not particularly greedy or big feeders so to care properly for them you only need to fertilize them occasionally. Choosing a balanced fertilizer that you apply several times a year should be adequate to care for them.

In terms of soil, avoid sandy soil and instead choose a rich and loose potting soil with some Support Pellets to fertilize your peace lily.

Where should I put my peace lily?

With your soil care sorted, the next issue is where to place your peace lily for optimum care. Many people ask, does a peace lily need sunlight?

The answer is both yes and no. Returning to that Colombian rainforest, peace lilies typically grow in the care of shaded canopies on a forest floor and therefore require less light than other plants.

Darker corners are well-suited as caring spaces for this shrub once you ensure your peace lily still gets several hours of indirect and bright sunlight every day.

This is integral to Japanese peace lily care. The more light (once it’s not direct sunlight) your plant is exposed to, the more it will produce the beautiful white leaves that have made peace lilies so iconic. East-facing windows are often best to straddle this combination of shaded and bright light.

Finally, be sure to keep this tropical plant in warm temperatures (upwards of 70°F or 21°Celsius is best) and away from cold, drafty windows for the best plant care.

How often should you water your peace lily?

According toGardening Know How, one of the most common mistakes in the care of peace lilies is overwatering.

When it comes to water care instructions for a peace lily, the most important thing to remember is that this tropical plant prefers to be underwatered and can be drought tolerant. Therefore, for the best peace lily care, don’t stick to a scheduled water routine and wait for your plant to tell you when it’s thirsty before watering. 

The leaves will droop when ready to be watered and in need of care or, if you don’t want to wait for such drastic signs, simply check the soil moisture. If the soil is dry, you know the plant is thirsty. If it’s moist, hold off.

Finally, this delicate plant is sensitive to many of the chemicals present in tap water and can develop brown tips on their leaves because of this. If possible, take care to use room-temperature, filtered water to keep your peace lily lush and green.

Can a peace lily live in water?

Despite its aversion to overwatering, peace lilies can grow in water! Take care to keep the plant’s base above the water line using a layer of stones or even a tailored insert. This will ensure the base can remain dry and rot-free while the roots can grow into the water, leaving you with a healthy – and eye-catching – plant.

How important is humidity in tropical plant care?

When caring for a peace lily indoors, remember that you are trying to replicate the conditions of a rainforest for optimum care. Therefore, humidity is key to this plant’s care and survival.

To replicate the high humidity levels this plant enjoys, you can mist its leaves twice a week or placing a tray filled with pebbles and water (the water should not submerge the pebbles) underneath your plant will help recreate the same moist environment of this plant’s native rainforest.

How big do peace lilies grow?

The outdoor varieties of this tropical plant can grow to up to six feet in height. However, household peace lilies receiving good care typically reach as far as 16 inches tall.

When is it best to transplant peace lilies?

To help your indoor plant reach its full size and potential, you can repot and transplant it with care annually. Springtime is typically a good time to transplant as it will benefit from new and refreshed soil.

First of all, check to see if your plant is in need of transplanting. This will be evident if it has outgrown its container - telltale signs of which include deformed and overcrowded leaf growth, and constituent drooping soon after being watered.

To transplant, move the plant to a bigger pot that is at least two inches bigger than its current home. Cut through the middle of the rootball to divide the plant, taking care to keep several leaves to each piece. Then replant each new transplant in its roomier container.

And voilà! Just like that you have gone from having one sad peace lily to a thriving family of well-cared for and fast-growing plants! 

With immense air-purifying properties, not to mention their almost spiritual beauty, peace lilies are the perfect plant to cleanse and energize your home or office. Find your perfect tropical companion to care for at the best plant provider, Plants.com. Happy growing!