The Peace Lily: A Flowering Indoor Plant That's East to Care For

Some people are born with green thumbs; they possess the inherent ability to coax sickly plants and dead sticks into blooming. Others will look at a plant and cause it to wither, no matter how diligently they follow care instructions…

Wherever you are on this scale, the peace lily is a gorgeous (and easy to care for!) plant to add to your collection. As one of the prettiest and most popular houseplants, peace lilies are also sturdy and some of the easiest to look after. If you’ve recently introduced a peace lily into your home, or plan to in the future, read on to learn all about the peace lily — top of the list of indoor plants that are easy to care for.

How to Grow a Peace Lily

Although peace lilies are known for their hardy nature, they still need the right conditions in order to thrive.
Start by using the following guidelines and then experiment with plant placement, watering schedule, temperature, and fertiliser until your peace lily is thriving.

Light

Peace lilies require medium to low light. Brighter areas tend to produce peace lilies with their iconic white blooms, while darker areas cause peace lilies to bloom less and only produce their signature dark leaves.

Peace lilies are tolerant of low light environments because in the wild they grow in partial shade conditions. Find a bright spot in your home with no direct sunlight.

It’s important to know how much sunlight your plant needs. Exposing a low-light plant to direct sunlight can burn the plant and result in sun scorch or sun-scald. Plant sunburn looks like large white areas on the leaves as well as crispy browning.
If your plant has already been damaged by the sun, cut off the affected areas to give it the best chance of recovering.

Watering

A peace lily with yellow leaves is not a happy plant…
One of the easiest mistakes to make as a new plant owner is overwatering your plants. Peace lilies are far more tolerant of under-watering than overwatering, so it’s important to only water them when they actually need it.
Once a week, check the soil’s moisture content by inserting your finger into the top inch or two of soil. If the soil is still damp, your peace lily doesn’t need more water yet. Some plant owners go as far as only watering their peace lilies once they’ve started drooping! This doesn’t damage the plant at all since it is extremely drought tolerant.
You’ll know you’re under-watering your peace lily if it has droopy leaves and the soil is pulling away from the sides of the planter.
You’ll know you’re overwatering your peace lily if the leaves are yellowing or have limp, soft brown tips, the stem is mushy and soft, and the roots are soggy and rotten.

Drainage

The other side of watering your plant correctly is ensuring there’s a place for excess water to go. Adequate drainage is important because it helps the plant to dry out in between watering and prevent root rot.
Choose a planter with several drainage holes and place this in a saucer to collect the water that drains out.

Humidity

Peace lilies originated from tropical environments, so they thrive on high humidity. They are wonderful bathroom plants because they enjoy the steam from hot showers.
It’s worth investing in a humidifier for other rooms in your home. If you aren’t able to purchase one right away, you can use these hacks to up the humidity for your peace lily:

Boil water on the stove
Place containers filled with water on elevated surfaces
Slightly lower your thermostat temperature
Fill a tray with stones/pebbles and half fill the container with water
Mist their leaves with water in a spray bottle
Air dry your clothes inside

If you’re serious about looking after your peace lilies, consider purchasing a humidity gauge. They are brilliant tools designed to help you track the humidity levels in your home to make sure your plants get the moisture content they need.
Too little humidity can cause browning and curling of your peace lily’s leaves, as well as dried-out soil.

Fertilising

All plants have particular nutrient requirements in order to thrive. Similar to most plants, peace lilies are low maintenance indoor plants and do not require frequent fertilizing.
Use a pH-balanced fertilizer once or twice a year to give your plant a boost. Peace lilies can be sensitive to harsh chemicals, so stick to gentle, organic fertilizers.

Temperature

Peace lilies aren’t fond of cold drafts or drastic changes in temperature.
Try to place them away from exterior doors and large windows which can bring in a lot of cold air from outside your home. Also, avoid placing them directly under your AC unit.

Repotting and Dividing

It’s time to transplant your peace lily when the plant’s roots are peeking out of the drainage holes, you’re finding you need to water the plant more frequently, or you’ve noticed deformed leaf growth.

Move the plant into a container at least 2 inches (5cm) larger than its current home.

You can also divide your plant by cutting the rootball in half with a sharp knife. Place both halves in separate containers the same size as the original planter.

Cleaning

Sometimes your plants need a bit of spring cleaning too! Your peace lily’s big, broad leaves are prime collectors of dust that inhibits photosynthesis.
About once or twice a year, take a damp cloth and gently wipe the surface of the leaves to remove dirt buildup. You can also place your plant in a basin or a bath to give it a shower!

How to Get Your Peace Lily to Bloom

Flowering indoor plants turn simple foliage into something eye-catching and stunning!
Technically, the peace lily’s eye-catching white bloom is a modified leaf, a bract, that grows over the actual flower. If you want your peace lily to produce white blooms, make sure you’re giving your plant exactly what it needs!
Peace lilies usually produce flowers in spring, but some will sprout second blooms in fall if they’re happy enough. When the flower begins wilting, cut off the stem at its base to make space for the next batch of blooms.

Bring a Peace Lily Into Your Home

Now that you know everything there is to know about caring for a peace lily, why not get your hands on one of your own?
Stately, simple, and serene, a peace lily is the perfect plant for every home.