6 Common Peace Lily Problems and How to Fix Them

Ralph Astley is a retired gardener from Philadelphia who specializes in outdoor plants and trees. With years of hands-on experience, Ralph not only cares for a diverse range of outdoor flora but also shares his extensive knowledge through well-written articles and social media posts. A trusted authority in arboriculture, he's committed to helping the community grow healthier, more robust gardens.
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Here are some Common Peace Lily Problems that will help you rectify them on time to keep this beautiful houseplant healthy and thriving!

Check out the list of some of the most Common Peace Lily Problems and how you can address them to keep your plant happy!

Have a look at the best types of Peace Lily here


Common Peace Lily Problems

1. Brown Leaves

Common Peace Lily Problems
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If the lush green leaves of your peace lily are turning brown, then it can be an indication of one of the following things:

  • The plant is getting more than the required direct sunlight.
  • The absence of sufficient humidity.
  • Underwatering can also make the edges of the foliage brown and brittle.
  • Over-fertilization is one more cause that turns foliage brown.

How to Fix

  • In its native habitat, peace lily grows under dappled light in a humid environment. Mimic these conditions by placing the plant where it receives medium to bright indirect light.
  • Group it with other plants to raise the humidity or use a humidifier or a humidity tray.
  • Water the plant when the topsoil feels dry to touch. Never allow the soil to become completely dry.
  • You can restore over-fertilized peace lily by washing the soil with clean water–use a balanced fertilizer during spring and summer once in 6 to 8 weeks.

2. Yellow Leaves

  • One main cause behind pale, yellow leaves is overwatering.
  • Changes in location or temperature also stress the plant and turn the foliage yellow.
  • Peace lily dislikes cold drafts and temperatures below 40 F (4 C), and this can also make the foliage yellow or pale.

Wondering if your plants are underwatered? Check this out!

How to Fix

  • Overwatering and waterlogged soil can cause root rot. If you notice wilting yellow leaves that are overly soft–stop watering and allow the topsoil to dry.
  • Peace lily thrives well in temperatures of 65-80 F (18-27 C). So, do not keep it in a location that is too hot or cold.
  • Keep your peace lily plants away from non-insulated windows or doors in winter months to save them from cold drafts. Avoid placing the plant in front of heaters or air conditioners.

3. Drooping

Common Peace Lily Problems 2

  • Underwatering and overwatering are two common causes that result in droopy peace lily.
  • In the absence of sufficient water, this plant wilts fast but recovers as well. Frequent underwatering also cause brown leaf edges and tips.
  • Overwatering can also be fatal for your peace lily. This tropical plant prefers slightly moist soil. But constantly soggy soil and poor drainage lead to drooping peace lily and root rot.

How to Fix

  • Water the plant when topsoil feels dry to touch.
  • Grow peace lily in a pot with sufficient drainage holes — it will resolve excess water issues caused by drainage problems.
  • For an overwatered peace lily, scoop it out of the pot, trim the damaged roots, and then re-pot it using a fresh potting mix that is not moist.

Do peace lilies like to be root-bound? Find out here


4. Brown Tips

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  • If you notice brown leaf tips, even after timely watering, then the reason behind it is too much chlorine or fluoride in the water.
  • Hard water can be the reason as well. The reason behind it is excess mineral buildup.
  • One more factor that affects peace lily leaves is overfertilization. Too much fertilizer application can lead to brown tips.

How to Fix

  • To fix the brown tips problem, which is caused due to chlorine, allow the water to sit overnight. It will remove chlorine, but fluoride cannot be eliminated. You can also water peace lily with distilled water, well, or rainwater.
  • Use soft water; RO water is fine too. Alternatively, you can boil the water and once it cools down, water your peace lily with it.
  • Fertilize carefully, in a weak dose. If you notice overfertilization symptoms, flush the soil. Pour 4 times more water than the volume of the pot. For example, a 1-gallon pot would need 4 gallons of water.
  • Periodic flushing of soil will also help prevent problems related to hard water deposits.

Here’s why your houseplants are getting brown tips and how to correct it


5. Pest Problems

Common Peace Lily Problems 3
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  • Generally, Peace lily does not get affected by the attack of pests but stressed or weak ones are susceptible to aphids, spider mites, or mealybugs.

How to Fix

  • Safeguard your peace lily plants from the nasty pests by wiping the leaves from time to time without missing the undersides.
  • The pests can be taken care of using neem oil or insecticidal soap solution.
  • You can also handpick them manually or strike them with powerful water jets.

Have a look at some awesome natural pesticides here


6. Not Flowering

  • Peace lily hardly grows bracts in low-light conditions, though it can survive in low light.
  • Sometimes, under fertilization also results in the absence of flowers. Though this problem arises when the plant is not fertilized or repotted for many years.

How to Fix

  • To encourage blooming, place the plant in bright indirect sunlight.
  • Apply half or one-quarter strength of balanced liquid fertilizer every 3-5 weeks in the growing season.

Some Points to Consider

  1. If you are growing peace lily in a pot much bigger in size than required, the soil will take a long time to dry out. It will result in waterlogging and cause root rot due to overwatering.
  2. In an overly large pot, the plant will also focus its energy on underground growth than top growth, which means fewer flowers.
  3. Always go for a pot that’s one size bigger than the root ball because peace lilies like to be slightly root-bound.
  4. To avoid overwatering,  use pots with sufficient drainage holes.

Check out these tips to encourage your peace lily to produce flowers

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