Peace lilies are a popular choice for house plants due to their beautiful appearance and generally low-maintenance lifestyle. However, if your peace lily isn’t flowering with its beautiful white spathes, you’ll want to check its conditions and make adjustments.
Peace lilies typically only bloom in spring and autumn (for around a month each), so if it’s not the right time of year, nothing you can do will make it bloom. If it is the right time of year, make sure your peace lily is being watered regularly (drying out between waterings) and gets enough light.
In the rest of this article, we’ll take a closer look at the ideal setting for your peace lily. We’ll see when peace lilies naturally bloom as well as some tricks to help your peace lilies live a healthy life full of beautiful flowers.
How To Get Peace Lilies To Bloom
If you’re interested in getting your peace lilies to bloom, it’s important to understand their natural habitat and the conditions you need to recreate where they feel most comfortable. Understanding their tropical rainforest origins can help you with the way you water your peace lily and expose them to light.
Ideal Lighting
In the tropical rainforests of their origin countries, peace lilies are exposed to plenty of shaded sunlight. This condition means they’re not taking in harsh, direct sunlight, which might be too strong for them. However, if they don’t receive enough sunlight, they’ll have trouble blooming. It’s important to find the right light balance for your peace lily to thrive.
In your home, using a north or east-facing window should be a great fit for your peace lily. For best results, make sure your peace lily isn’t sitting too close to the glass. While it might be tempting to fill your windowsill with plants, being too close to the window can make it too hot for your peace lily and cause it to burn.
If you notice your peace lily getting burned, try moving it even further away from the window. Burns might appear like dry, brittle, dark green, or brown spots on your leaves. If this is the case for your plant, it’ll be happier if you can move it a few more feet away from the window.
The amount of light your peace lily will need will also depend on its variety. If your plant’s leaves are consistently dark green, they can do very well in lower-light situations. However, if you have a variegated variety with different shades of green in its leaves, it’ll need more sunlight to be happy and healthy.
The leaves of the plant will be their delightful shade (or shades) of green all year round, but the right lighting conditions are required to help the plant bloom. Remember that bright, indirect sunlight is key to giving your peace lily the ideal condition to bloom.
Ideal Temperature
Luckily, your peace lily will likely enjoy the same temperatures you prefer in your home. Peace lilies do well living in an environment with a temperature around 65 to 80°F (18.33 to 26.67°C).
These plants struggle when exposed to cool drafts. If you have any air vents that would bring drafts of cold air into a room, make sure to place your peace lilies out of their reach. The same goes for doors and windows that are constantly opened and closed and could bring in frosty drafts to your peace lily’s room.
For more information on peace lilies and their ideal blooming conditions, you can check out this informational video on YouTube:
Ideal Water Intake
Because it’s a plant that comes from the rainforest, it’s a common misconception that peace lilies need constant watering. The truth is that they prefer their soil to dry out in between receiving more moisture.
Make sure your peace lily is potted in a way where excess water is free to drain out. Make sure to empty out the saucer below that catches excess water. Peace lilies can struggle when they’re left with wet feet. Make sure to give them every opportunity to drain completely and dry their feet out before giving them more water.
Additionally, your peace lily will give you signs that it’s thirsty. You’ll notice its green leaves beginning to droop. When that happens, it’s time to give your plant a drink of water. You’ll notice the leave perk up again afterward.
Peace lilies can also be very sensitive to chemicals in the water. If you’re still struggling to get your peace lily to bloom after following the above recommendations, consider the water you’re using on your lily. If the tap water in your area is harsh or contains a lot of chemicals, consider filtering the water before using it on the plant.
Additionally, allow the water for your peace lily to come to room temperature before using it. You can fill up your watering can and leave it out overnight to give it a chance to adjust to the environment’s natural temperature.
Ideal Feeding Routine
Similar to how your peace lily is sensitive to any chemicals in the water, it’ll also be very sensitive to any chemically-enhanced fertilizer. Try to pick out something gentle and organic to feed your lily. You’ll want to dilute it down, even more than the suggested amount on the package. You can start by feeding your lily monthly and taking note of how it responds to the food.
When Do Peace Lilies Bloom?
Peace lilies naturally bloom during spring. During this season, you can expect to see your peace lily flowering with its signature white spathes. Once one or two of these “flowers” show up, you can enjoy the plant’s beautiful appearance for a month or more before they fade away.
Final Thoughts
Peace lilies are gentle and beautiful plants that make a great choice for many homes. With plenty of bright, indirect sunlight and time to dry out between watering, your peace lily will have the best possible environment to bloom and give you the chance to enjoy its beautiful white spathes.