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One of the best things about the peace lily is that it blooms twice a year if you offer it the right conditions! That equates to months of staring at its beautiful flowers, which light up any space.
Their white flowers stand out from their green leaves, creating a contrast that works for almost any setting.
So, watching the white flowers turn green and disappear into the foliage can raise concerns regarding the plant’s health.
Is it normal for peace lily flowers to turn green? If not, what can cause this change in hue, and how can you prevent it?
It’s natural for a peace lily species at some point have green leaves in their life time which you can expect in its developmental stage and at the end of blooming.
Other reasons why your peace lily flowers are turning green are due to poor lighting, over feeding, transplant shock and aging.
I break down further why peace lily flowers are turning green – including why some of these changes are perfectly normal.
But to help you preserve that white foam hue in flowers, I also add what you could be doing that’s harming the plant’s aesthetic. Some causes include overfeeding the plant or shading it too much. Let’s get into it in detail:
Are There Peace Lily Species with Green Flowers?
To understand why peace lily flowers turn green, we must get into what the flower comprises. What do I mean by this? There are two essential parts to the peace lily flower.
The first is the spathe which is a leaf-like structure attached to the stem – And the second is the spadix inside the spathe. The spadix contains flowers.
As the peace lily flower grows, it goes through numerous changes. At first, it remains hidden in the spadix, enclosed by the spathe.
Then it emerges and starts unfolding. And at this point, the spathe appears green. The more the flower develops, the more its color changes such that it eventually takes on a foamy white hue.
The flower remains white until the blooming ends. At this juncture, the flower transforms not a modified leaf and takes on a green hue.
It then starts helping the peace lily make food to support the plant growth. Eventually, this modified leaf ages, turning yellow, then brown, before falling off the plant.
So, yes, all lily species have green flowers at some point. And you can expect your flower to be green in its developmental stage and again when blooming comes to an end.
However, these changes are gradual. If you notice that the onset of the green hue is sudden, something is likely wrong with the plant.
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Why Are My Peace Lily Flowers Turning Green? (+ Solutions)
Green flowers are the norm in peace lilies during the developmental and aging stages.
However, if the flowers tend to remain green or don’t turn white, that shows that your plant is not getting what it needs. Let’s cover all possible causes of flower color changes:
Poor Lighting
Peace lilies do well in shaded conditions as these are like what they get in their natural habitat. However, there’s a limit on how much shading they can withstand.
When you place the plant in too much shade, you rob it of light, and the plant cannot make enough food to sustain its growth.
So, what does it do to make up for this loss? It transforms its spathes into modified leaves to help it make even more food. And as a result, it stops spending energy on blooming, resulting in green flowers. So, you will notice that the flowers:
- Emerge green from the start and remain that way until they die, or
- Emerge white but soon turn green and remain so until they die.
How to Deal with Poor Lighting
If you’ve noticed that your plant’s blooms are turning green or emerging green from the start, lighting could be the issue.
What you need to do is to move the plant to a spot that receives more light. Ideally, this should be medium indirect light or bright indirect light. I recommend placing the plant near (not against) an east or west-facing window.
Do not leave the plant exposed to direct sunlight, as this will damage its leaves. Then it will transform its spathes into modified leaves to make up for this loss in leaves. It’s all about balance.
For more on how to fix your light conditions for your peace lily, check out our article on peace lily light requirements.
Overfeeding
Could you be going overboard with feeding your peace lily? If the answer is yes, that can explain why the plant’s flowers are turning green.
Macronutrients like nitrogen boost chlorophyll production. And some of this ends up in the spathes, hence the color change. So, while you might think that the green hue owes to a lack of nutrients, it could be quite the contrary.
Dealing with Overfeeding
Overfeeding is not only to blame for green flowers. It can also cause other problems, including root damage and leggy growth.
It’s advisable to feed the plant moderately and only during the growing season. If you use a houseplant fertilizer, the peace lily can do well even with two feeds a year.
If you must add more feed, cap it at three times a year and space out the feeding.
Suppose you have overfed your plant. You can deal with this by:
- Repotting the peace lily,
- Flushing the potting mix with water to get rid of the mineral build-up, or
- Cutting back on the feeding.
The best approach depends on the extent of the damage to the plant roots.
If you still need more information, check out our article on peace lily fertilizer guide.
Transplant Shock
You can always expect plants to react to new environments. Some droop, others yellow, and some, like the peace lily, turn green.
So, what causes this? Mostly, it owes to the change in lighting and temperature. In nurseries, gardeners focus on giving peace lilies the best care possible.
And when you get your plant, its blooms will be all foamy white and inviting. But do you have the same conditions in your home? – It’s unlikely. This change affects the plant, triggering the color change.
Can You Solve This?
The best way to handle transplant stress is to provide the plant with what it needs. Ensure you give it adequate lighting, moderate watering, optimal feeding, and give it time to acclimate.
Even if this year’s blooms all turn green, you can expect better results the next season. Sometimes, all a plant needs is patience on your part.
Aging
I mentioned that as the peace lily flower grows old, its spathe takes on a green hue, allowing it to make food for the plant.
Why does this happen? Well, the point of the flower is to attract pollinators to pave the way for reproduction.
And once that takes place, the plant no longer needs flowers. Instead, it requires more food production and thus transforms its existing aging blooms into leaves.
Can You Do Anything About It?
Of course, we would prefer to have white flowers on peace lilies rather than green modified leaves. But you cannot stop aging.
Instead, all you can do is buy peace lilies with new blooms and avoid those whose blooms have already shown discoloration.
However, if you already own the plant and the aging process has started, embrace it. Give the plant what it needs and wait for the next blooms.
If you’re enjoying this article, check out our article on should you give your peace lilies coffee grounds.
Can Your Peace Lily Turn Back to Their Original Color After Turning Green?
Here is the thing. Once a peace lily flower turns green, there’s no going back. It will remain green after that, and no remedy can change this.
Thus, if a flower has turned green due to poor lighting, all you can do is move the plant so that future blooms do not suffer the same fate.
I should also add that there’s nothing you can do to stop the peace lily flower from turning green. It’s part of the process as aging flowers turn into modified leaves. However, you can delay the process by:
- Watering the plant frequently when its top inch of soil becomes dry. Be careful with the watering because too much can cause root damage, which would lead to leaf yellowing. That would be akin to jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
- Ensuring the plant remains within the 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit temperature range. As this is a tropical plant, cold temperatures will not help it thrive.
With these measures in place, you can have white blooms for about one to two months.
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Should You Cut Off the Green Peace Lily Flowers?
The green flowers act as modified leaves that make food for the rest of the plant. But if you would rather not have them on the plant, you can cut them off. Pruning comes with several advantages:
- It encourages more blooming in the growing season. Thus, if the first blooms were unsatisfactory, you can prune the green flowers, paving the way for better flowers.
- It allows the plant to spend its energy on its leaves. And that results in healthy and bushy foliage.
- It protects the plant from pest invasions. The green flowers are older and more vulnerable to infestations. By removing them, you eliminate a weak point.
Moreover, it improves the appearance of the plant. To prune the green flowers, get a sharp disinfected tool and cut the flower off at the base of the stalk.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know what makes a peace lily flower turn green, you will know how to handle the next blooms. Happy Gardening!
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 Care for A Peace Lily in The Winter
