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Peace lilies are commonly named ‘White Sails’ after their resemblance to the white flags flown as a sign of peace. There are one species within the Spathiphyllum genus of the Araceae family.
Despite what the name suggests, peace lilies are not actually lilies but rather a perennial.
Meaning they live for over two years and have the potential to bloom more than once in their lifetime. This makes them a perfect and beautiful addition to the home.
These lovely little plants add a splash of colour and elegance to any room. It offers their air purifying abilities and asking for very little care in return.
Why are my Peace Lily Flowers Turning Brown?
Since Peace Lilies are known for brilliant white flowers, it can certainly be disappointing to notice them turning brown far too quickly.
There could be several reasons for your peace lily flowers turning brown, the first of which is that it is the natural cycle of the plant and it completely normal.
The other reasons your peace lily turns brown is due to stress and inadequate care for example overwatering and incorrect lighting.
Like us, plants like a stable comfortable environment and the peace lily, although robust, is no different.
Discoloured flowers and leaves are a good indication that something is wrong with your peace lily and that it is unhappy.
Inadequate Living Conditions
The number one cause of stress is inadequate living conditions – think too little light or the wrong amount of watering.
Try moving the plant into another part of the room, in dappled sunlight and away from drafts.
Ensure the soil is not too wet or that your plant is wilting from dehydration.
If you have done the basics and your lily is still looking a little bit ill, try changing the nutrient content in the soil.
But be warned, unnecessary repotting or over-generous additions of fertiliser can do more harm than good.
Of course, if you’re doing everything right and you still have browning flowers then it could just be old age.
Peace lily flowers have a lifespan that can last between a week and a month. The average life of those beautiful white blooms lasting just 10 days.
The discolouration of the flower may begin by reverting back to a shade of green. This is then followed by a brown discoloration of peace lily flowers before turning black.
The length of flowering can be prolonged by taking good care of your plant. Also deadheading your peace lily will also encourage more flowers to grow in future.
To properly deadhead your peace lily, use pruning shears to cut the flower stalk as close to the plant as possible. Provide as much room as possible for another flower stalk to grow in its place.
It is perfectly natural for your old flowers, along with old leaves, to turn brown and die.
However, if your peace lily flowers are turning brown well before their time, this could be a cry for help from your little plant.
Sadly, there is no quick fix for browning flowers. The best way to fix the unsightly blooms is to cut them off.
Deadheading all the way down to the plant is the best way to clear some room in the hope that your little lily will try again.
With any luck, and the right care, your lily could be sprouting beautiful flowers within a month.
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Other Health Issues – What’s Going Wrong?
There are some other common health issues for Peace lilies that are easily solved.
Not Flowering
Peace lilies will not flower if they are not in the optimum conditions. If your Peace Lily is not flowering, it’s probably not getting enough sunlight.
Lack of sufficient light is the main cause of reduced flowering in Peace Lilies. Simply moving your beloved plant into dappled light will fix this problem and your Lily will be flowering in no time!
Yellow/Brown leaves
Leaves can turn brown with age. It is perfectly normal for larger older leaves to change colour and begin to die, just like what is seen in older flowers.
If younger leaves are changing colour, then it could be a sign of overwatering. Peace Lilies benefit more from irregular watering than watering to a schedule.
You should only water you Peace Lily when the surface soil feels dry to the touch. Dying leaves can be pruned down to the centre of the plant.
Leaf Edges Turning Brown
If your poor peace lily is turning a little brown around the edges, it may be a little sunburnt! Peace lilies suffer in direct sunlight and require a humid environment.
If you notice the edges of leaves browning, remove the lily from direct light. Either spray with a fine mist or place the pot in a trough of wet gravel to increase the humidity around your plant.
Pests and Dust Control
To keep your peace lily healthy and happy, it is recommended that you should regularly wipe down the leaves with a damp cloth to remove dust and pests such as mites or fungi.
The added benefit of keeping your plant clean is that removal of dust should help you feel better too.
Fungal spores may also grow on wet soil, to prevent this allow the soil to dry out and do not regularly flood the pot.
If fungus on the surface of your peace lily’s soil is a recurring issue, consider giving your peace lily fresh soil when you next repot it or spray with a recommended fungicide or pesticide.
General Care
Peace Lilies are relatively easy plants to look after which is why they make perfect gifts or plants for the office.
They require very little hands on care and only intermittent watering. A comfortable spot is all that’s needed to keep them happy.
Peace lilies are naturally found on the forest floor and so replicating this environment will provide the best chance of a happy peace lily.
Keeping your peace lily in a spot with dappled sunlight, limited air circulation and a cosy constant temperature of roughly 21 degrees will give it the best opportunity to be healthy and flower.
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Repotting
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) recommends annually repotting your peace lily in spring if the roots have filled out the pot.
Repotting more than once a year is not recommended and could stress out your plant, damaging its flower production and health.
Replacing soil with well-draining compost will also help to maintain a well watered happy peace lily, free of pests and disease.
Propagating
Peace Lilies can easily be propagated by dividing up a bigger plant into two or more smaller ones.
Propagation in Peace Lilies works because the plants are made up of bunches of foliage growing directly out of the ground, rather than a single stalk.
To divide a Peace Lily, you first need to tip the current pot on its side and grip the plant firmly, then gently rock the plant out of the pot. Be careful not to pull on your plant or you will risk damaging it.
Once your Peace Lily is free from its planter, note where the stalks are connected to the roots.
You will need to split the plant in a way that will ensure both new plants will have a good amount of connected root system.
If you can see a way to split your plant into more than two, then you can easily do so.
After identifying where you would like to separate the plants, hold the plant on each side. Then gently pull the plants apart until completely separated.
If you are struggling to pull them apart and the roots are tangled together, you can take a knife or scissors and cut the root ball down the middle.
The plants should recover just fine, just remember that both plants need a healthy collection of roots to continue to grow and flourish.
Now that you have divided up your Peace Lily, plant it up into separate pots with fresh well-draining compost.
Once nearing the top of the pot, compress the soil slightly with your hands to stabilize your plant in the soil and prevent moving after watering.
If you are enjoying this article, check out our article on 7 great benefits of having a peace lily in your home
Varieties of Peace Lily
There are so many Peace Lily varieties to choose from that you will be spoilt for choice. Each variety has its own personality and advantages to suit your house plant needs.
Desktop Varieties
These dwarf varieties tend to be on the smaller side and are perfect for adding a little bit of greenery to the office, whilst purifying the air:
- Measuring in at only 15 inches both Power Petite and Wallisii are just too cute. These varieties are ideal to grow in small pots. Power Petite has the classic dark glossy leaves of a Peace Lily. Whereas Wallisii has an interesting rippled look to the leaves.
- Little Angel is also a compact Peace Lily, that produces flowers more readily than some other varieties. An easy Peace Lily to care for and enjoy.
- Spathiphyllum Patricia is a lovely variety with a true Peace Lily colouring.
- White Stripe is a personal favourite. An adorably compact variety that has a cute racing stripe down its leaves. This variety provides the green and white colour palette even during those flowerless winter months.
Medium Sized Varieties
Peace Lilies in this category are less of a tabletop accessory and more of a feature of the room.
- The Clevelandii variety can grow up to 3 feet in height and more impressively 3 feet wide. It has very long leaves that can reach up to 18 inches in length, not recommended for homes on the smaller side.
- Jetty is another good sized variety that boasts lush green leaves and unusually long-lasting flowers.
Larger Varieties
Turn your office into a jungle with these larger than life Peace Lilies.
- Sensation (Spathiphyllum ‘Sensation’) is one of the largest Peace Lilies available commercially. It has a massive canopy and reaches a giant 6 feet tall providing a tropical feel to any room. The ribbed leaves of the Sensation variety can reach up to 20 inches long. This variety has a mini alternative called ‘Sensation Mini’, a lookalike without the impressive stature.
- Mauna Loa is smaller than the Sensation Variety, yet still reaches over 3 feet in width and height with glossy leaves and pure white flowers. Similarly to Sensation, a smaller copycat variety is available.
Other Interesting Varieties
There are two varieties that have distinct properties that set them apart from the other varieties:
- Flower Power is known to be prolific in producing flowers. This variety produces an abundance of flowers when cared for correctly and it is a beautiful Peace Lily.
- Domino is the only variety of Peace Lily that presents a pattern on its leaves. With beautiful white streaks set against the shiny dark green on the leaves, Domino is a popular choice of houseplant.
Final Thoughts – Peace Lily Flowers Turning Brown
If you’re a beginner plant parent or just someone who wants a lovely houseplant without the fuss, Peace Lilies are the way to go.
Peace Lilies are robust little house plants that can easily bounce back if you follow the easy care guidelines and really make a lovely addition to the home.
They are easy to take care of and diagnosing health problems in your Peace Lily is straightforward.
Quick care swaps will have your beautiful Peace Lily blooming happily again in no time.
Something as simple as moving it from one spot to another can make a world of difference for your little plant.
Browning flowers and other health issues in your plant will usually stem from stress.
Remember to cut back dying brown flowers or leaves as thoroughly deadheading your Peace Lily will encourage more beautiful flowers to grow back in their place.
Peace Lilies also make wonderful low maintenance gifts.
So if you find yourself being an amazing plant parent that nurtures strong healthy plants, you could consider dividing up your Peace Lily and repotting the smaller plants to give away as adorable joy bringing gifts.
Though please remember that Peace Lilies are poisonous, just like actual Lilies. So make sure you keep out of reach of nibbling little family members and friends.
But most importantly, enjoy your Peace Lily as the beautiful piece of nature that shares your home with you!
Before you go, here are some more related articles I encourage you to read below to help solve more of your gardening issues:
How Do You Revive A Dying Calla Lily
