A drooping peace lily is often telling you it needs water.
Peace lilies are easy to grow, so a wilted one is no reason to panic.
Light, brown tips, flowers and pot size matter too, and each has a plain answer.
Light and temperature
Peace lilies tolerate low light but grow best in bright indirect light, away from direct sun.
NC State Extension says they prefer partial to deep shade.
Warm days of 68 to 85 °F suit them, with nights about 10 °F cooler. Avoid temperatures below 60 °F, and keep the plant away from vents that blow hot, cold or drafty air on it.
Water it at the droop, but not only then
Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and let it dry out slightly between waterings.
Peace lilies are often good indicators of when they need water. They wilt down.
The wilt comes after the soil has dried out excessively, and that same drying turns leaves and edges yellow.
Waiting for the droop every time means letting the soil get that dry every time. On the wet side, root and stem diseases are the most common problem, usually tied to overwatering.
Three habits keep the water side simple:
- Use room temperature water.
- Never leave the pot standing in a saucer of excess water. This leads to root rot.
- Try watering from below. It works very well for peace lilies.
The peace lily is also one of the houseplants that suit a stress-relief routine.
Reading the other signs
Three causes of brown leaf tips are excessive direct sunlight, underwatering and low humidity. Overfertilizing and fluoride in the water add two more.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Wilting, with yellow leaves and edges | Soil dried out excessively | Water; keep the soil moist but not soggy |
| Brown tips, sunny spot | Excessive direct sun | Move it out of direct sun |
| Brown tips, municipal tap water | Fluoride in the water | Use rainwater or non-municipal water |
| Brown tips, heavy feeding | Over-fertilizing, salt build-up | Feed at quarter strength; flush the soil between applications |
| Scorched leaves | Heat from direct sun | Move it out of direct sun |
| Flowers turning green | Age, not a fault | Nothing |
Brown tips have several possible causes, so match the cause to your situation before changing anything.
For feeding, use a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer such as 20-20-20 every six to eight weeks in spring and summer, at one-quarter of the recommended strength.
Getting it to flower
The peace lily is one of the few foliage plants that will flower in low light. A lack of flowers usually means one of two things.
- The plant is less than a year old.
- It is growing in insufficient light.
A white flower fading to green is a normal sign of age. The blooms change to pale green after 10 days, then stay lovely for at least another month.
Repotting without overdoing it
Peace lilies like to be slightly pot-bound. It is time to repot when roots grow through the drainage holes or circle on top of the soil.
Go up only one to two inches in pot size. A pot that is too large may keep the mix too wet, which leads to root rot.
Repotting can happen any time of year, though the plant recovers quicker in the growing season. Repot, when necessary, in February or March.
Loosen the roots gently before the plant goes into its new pot, so they can grow out through the mix.
Pets, and one common question
The ASPCA lists the peace lily as toxic to dogs and cats. The signs include oral irritation, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing.
People also ask whether houseplants purify the air in a home, which is a separate question from keeping one healthy.