Peace Lilly Care - Ask Extension
I have a peace Lilly from my mothers funeral. It’s in its original container from the florist. I’ve been watering weekly but leaves are turning ...
Knowledgebase
Peace Lilly Care #908402
Asked July 03, 2025, 6:31 PM EDT
I have a peace Lilly from my mothers funeral. It’s in its original container from the florist. I’ve been watering weekly but leaves are turning brown. I don’t know how to care for plants. I need help. I don’t want it to die.
Prince George's County Maryland
Expert Response
Gradual and occasional older leaf dieback is normal for indoor plants, and while we can't see enough detail clearly in the photos, the yellowing leaves do appear to be older and not abundant enough to be concerning. Spent white flowers will also turn greenish again and yellow/brown as they die off. Any yellow/browned leaf can be trimmed off near the base of the leaf stalk.
Peace lily prefers to be more evenly moist than most other houseplants, though they don't need/want to stay soggy. Feel the soil about an inch deep into the container when you want to see if it needs water; only water once it becomes somewhat dry to the touch at that depth. If the plant sits on a saucer (or inside an undrained pot) to collect water that drains out of the pot's bottom holes, then empty that promptly after it collects the excess water so the pool of water doesn't soak back into the peace lily's pot, which might stress roots by keeping the lower soil layer wet. Fortunately, peace lilies are more tolerant of wet conditions than getting too dry.
If possible, keep the plant away from a draft of drier air, such as near an air vent while air-conditioning (or in winter, heat) is running. Indoor plants generally appreciate moderate to high humidity. One option may be to put the plant outside for the summer, if you have a shady location (no direct sun, other than some dappled light at most), to bask in the high humidity and good airflow. It would then need to come back inside around mid-October or so, depending on when overnight temperatures get cool (about 55 or so as the low).
Clemson University has a web page about growing tips for peace lily (see the link) that might be helpful. If you are able, you may want to move the plant closer to the window, so it gets good light (indirect bright light is ideal). The further from a window indoor plants get, the dimmer the light (by a significant amount, even though to our eyes, it doesn't look like a big difference). Plants next to a window (off to the side instead of in front of the glass) tend to get fairly low light, so over time, might struggle to thrive.
Miri
Peace lily prefers to be more evenly moist than most other houseplants, though they don't need/want to stay soggy. Feel the soil about an inch deep into the container when you want to see if it needs water; only water once it becomes somewhat dry to the touch at that depth. If the plant sits on a saucer (or inside an undrained pot) to collect water that drains out of the pot's bottom holes, then empty that promptly after it collects the excess water so the pool of water doesn't soak back into the peace lily's pot, which might stress roots by keeping the lower soil layer wet. Fortunately, peace lilies are more tolerant of wet conditions than getting too dry.
If possible, keep the plant away from a draft of drier air, such as near an air vent while air-conditioning (or in winter, heat) is running. Indoor plants generally appreciate moderate to high humidity. One option may be to put the plant outside for the summer, if you have a shady location (no direct sun, other than some dappled light at most), to bask in the high humidity and good airflow. It would then need to come back inside around mid-October or so, depending on when overnight temperatures get cool (about 55 or so as the low).
Clemson University has a web page about growing tips for peace lily (see the link) that might be helpful. If you are able, you may want to move the plant closer to the window, so it gets good light (indirect bright light is ideal). The further from a window indoor plants get, the dimmer the light (by a significant amount, even though to our eyes, it doesn't look like a big difference). Plants next to a window (off to the side instead of in front of the glass) tend to get fairly low light, so over time, might struggle to thrive.
Miri
