Spathiphyllum – or, as it is commonly called, the peace lily – is a beautiful houseplant with dark, glossy leaves. It forms a lush plant in any corner, even in dimly lit places.
Some think the flowers are the waxy white parts of the plant, but they are actually modified leaves called spathes that protect the true flower, the spadix.
Peace lilies are part of a group called lilies, like day lilies or water lilies, which aren’t really true lilies. Those of the true Liliaceae family are called lilies and they have different flowers.
The peace lily has flowers similar to those of the arum family (aroids). Therefore, the flowers resemble other members of the arum family, such as anthuriums.
The contrasting pure white blooms are what make the peace lily so special, so it’s hard not to want as many of them as possible.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to ensure your peace lily is in constant bloom year after year.
First, let’s look at the stages of a peace lily.
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Peace Lily Flower Stages
If you have a peace lily with lush green leaves but no flowers, take a closer look at it. Here is my peace lily right now.
No flowers right?
Not exactly.
If you look very closely, you can see the beginnings of a new peace lily flower. Here is an overview.
The “flowers” of the peace lily emerge on a stem much like the leaves. They start out small with the bract tightly wrapped around the spadix, hidden among the rest of the peace lily leaves.
Eventually, the floral spike will do a growth spurt and rise above the canopy, the spathe slowly opening into the familiar shape we all know and exposing the inner spathe.
Your peace lily flower can last up to a month, then turn yellow or green before finally turning brown or black. Kill your peace lily at any time to preserve the beauty of your plant.
What you need for your peace lily to bloom
The best growing medium
Peace lilies, like other houseplants, need well-drained, light, airy soil to thrive. Although they prefer moist soil, it should never remain soggy to prevent root rot.
Most houseplant soils are suitable for your peace lily, but you can also make your own by combining two parts potting soil, one part perlite, and one part coco. For peace lilies in sunnier locations, add one part compost or water-holding crystals to the mix.
When assessing the soil, also take a look at the pot. Peace lilies like to be lightly compressed in their containers, but if you see roots coming out of the drainage holes, it’s best to transplant them.
Rooted plants find it difficult to absorb moisture and nutrients, leading to stress and stunted growth. This lowers your chances of flowering and can cause a host of other health issues.
Peace lilies are best transplanted in the spring once or twice a year, depending on the size of the plant.
Here is my guide on when and how to transplant your peace lily.
Heat
In its natural habitat, the peace lily grows under trees in the dense forests of tropical America. This warm climate is ideal for plants to thrive.
The conditions in your home must mimic this tropical climate to encourage flowering. The temperature should stay between at least 65 and 85°F; the warmer the better for flowering. High humidity also mimics the tropical conditions these plants love.
They don’t handle drafts well, so keep them away from cold air or air conditioners.
light
In their natural habitat, peace lilies receive dappled light, shaded by forest trees. Mimicking these conditions indoors will help your peace lily thrive.
Keep them out of direct sunlight in a bright to moderately bright place. If the light is too low and your lily isn’t blooming, move it to a brighter area. On the other hand, too bright light can also trigger photosynthesis in the spathes and turn them green instead of white.
A good balance is necessary to get the right lighting. Experimentation is necessary to find the best place in the house for the plant.
Water
Peace lilies love humidity. They should be watered two to three times a week, preferably with distilled water, as they can be sensitive to certain chemicals and compounds found in tap water. If distilled water is excessive, even filtered water will do.
These plants tell you when they need water with their droopy leaves. Some people use it as an indicator of when to water. But that could be one of the main reasons your peace lily isn’t blooming.
If the leaves are falling off or turning yellow or brown at the tips, the plant may have needed water a few days earlier. These signs are the result of stress and a stressed plant is unlikely to produce many flowers.
Peace lily leaves turning yellow are one of the most common peace lily problems. There are many reasons why peace lily leaves turn yellow and we have discussed seven possible reasons in our article here.
Don’t let the soil dry out between waterings, but don’t overwater them either.
If you see blackened stems, it could be a sign that they are getting too much water. This may be due to watering too early, poor drainage or leaving the pot in tubs full of water.
Maturity
Young peace lilies do not flower until they are at least a year old. To speed up the process, commercial growers feed young plants plant hormones so they flower early.
If so, you can bring your beautiful flowering plant home and care for it properly, but you will find that it stops blooming. The flowers last for a month or more, but after that you can compete for more.
Give your peace lily a little more time to mature and it should start producing flowers again. In the meantime, you can enjoy its beautiful glossy dark green foliage.
flowering season
Just like age, you have no control over flowering time and this is a common reason peace lilies don’t bloom.
Peace lilies bloom naturally in spring and early summer. Its flowers can last more than a month, in the coldest seasons. In some cases, they may bloom again in the fall.
If you don’t see flowers appear during the colder winter months, it’s just part of the plant’s natural life cycle. You will probably see them again in the spring.
Feed
Nutrients are essential elements for plant health, especially if you want to stimulate flowering in your plants. Recently purchased peace lilies do not need to be fed, but if they have been in the same pot for a while and all available nutrients have been used up, the only way to cheer them up is to feed them. fertilize or transplant them.
Use a balanced fertilizer for indoor plants and feed them at least once every two months. If you see more green flowers appearing, reduce feeding to every three months or halve the strength of plant fertilizer.
This may not help with the current season, but you should see improvement in the next bloom season.
Low blooms are also a sign that there may be a nutrient deficiency. If the flowers are not well formed, switch to a high phosphorus fertilizer. This nutrient promotes flowering and fruiting of plants and should also encourage flowering in your peace lily.
Without stress
Wilted or yellowed leaves are signs that a peace lily is stressed and will do anything to conserve its energy; flowering is not one of them.
These plants are easy to care for and can be handled with some carelessness, but if you want them to perform at their best, follow the rules above for the best chance of healthy plants. and flowering regularly.
Interview
There are a few additional things to ensure this plant is at the peak of its health.
Dust the leaves regularly with a damp cloth. This will improve photosynthesis and gas exchange.
Stressed plants often attract pests and diseases. In the case of peace lilies, mealybugs and scale insects are something to watch out for.
Delete them if they appear as soon as you see them. For minor infestations, clean the leaves with soapy water or insecticidal soap and repeat several times to completely stop the pests.
Even with the best care and attention, there is no guarantee that a peace lily will bloom again outside of natural forest conditions. But following these steps will greatly increase your chances.
And when they stop blooming, you can still enjoy their glossy leaves and easy-care nature all year round.
Why not increase your supply of peace lily houseplants by learning how to propagate them? Here is our tutorial on how to do it.