With its broad dark green foliage, peace lily brings aesthetic appeal to your space. Known for its pale white flowers, this tropical houseplant can be seen in most new gardener’s home.
Before growing any houseplant, you must initially know its growing conditions and water requirement. Else, you may end-up with wilting or drooping leaves.
It’s fascinating to hear that growing peace lily indoors take no extra work, but in reality most gardeners see their peace lily leaves turning yellow or brown.
Yellowing or wilting of leaves is a sign from your succulent that it’s in danger.
You might be restless to know, why are my peace lily leaves turning yellow, when I followed every single instruction shared by gardening experts.
Often yellowing of leaves is related to watering. But, apart from this, sunlight, soil, pot size and too much fertilizers or minerals causes discoloration of foliage.
Below mentioned are various causes, go through it and try to revive your peace lily.
12 Reasons: Why Peace Lily Leaves Turning Yellow?
Spathiphyllum or commonly known as peace lily plant loves to grow in low light. It does well in room temperature ranging between 65°-85° F.
Due to its attractive foliage and spathe flowers, you may find different cultivars. Most common peace lily that can be seen indoors will grow up to 3-4 feet. There are other peace lily cultivars that can go up to 6 feet.
Though this houseplant can thrive and survive in shady regions, there are few things that you must consider while growing peace lily plant indoors.
Below mentioned are causes/reasons for peace lily turning yellow and also mentioned tips to revive.
Also Read: Why Is My String of Pearls Plant Dying?
#1 Natural Aging of Leaves – Its Common and No Need to Worry
It’s natural that below or old leaves turn yellow and new leaves come-up with dark green foliage.
How to Revive: Only thing you can do about this issue is to trim them. So, your houseplant looks attractive again.
Use clean and sharp cutting tools to prune these yellow leaves. Old rusted tools can trigger diseases.
#2 Overwatering – Common Cause of Yellow Leaves
Your peace lily plant doesn’t thrive while standing in water.
Between watering the soil or growing medium in the container must be dry. You can check it with your finger through drainage hole.
How to Revive:
Watering once or twice in a week will be enough to have dark green foliage. However, depending on the climate you can regulate watering your plant.
Also, make sure the excess water follows through the drainage hole easily. Blocked or no drainage hole in the container will make your plant to stand in water for longer time resulting in yellowing of leaves.
Also Read: How Often Should I Water My Prayer Plant?
#3 Underwatering
Check for dry soil between watering, but this doesn’t mean to allow the soil bone dry. This will result in wilting of leaves.
However, they will revive once you water them.
But, frequent wilting of leaves can turn peace lily leaves yellow.
Even if you’re not watering, closely watch your houseplant to check any signs of wilting or drooping.
This may seem hectic for few weeks, but once you understand your plant growing conditions, then they don’t demand much care.
Note: In summer, it’s recommended to water the plant once in a week and spritz liquid on leaves to keep the foliage hydrated.
Important: How Often to Water Peace Lily Plant?
Yes, it’s important to know the frequency to hydrate your plant.
Watering once in a week will keep your peace lily plant hydrated. However, if they need water, the plant tells by drooping its leaves. Mark the watering frequency according to the climate conditions. This will help you to regulate watering.
In winter, you can reduce watering to once in 2 weeks, because in colder climates most plants don’t grow much.
Note: Growing medium plays vital role while watering. As mentioned above, well drained soil mix is recommended for perfect watering along with drainage hole.
#4 Minerals Buildup in Growing Medium
If you’re using tap water to hydrate your houseplant and you see yellowing of leaves. Then probably, mineral build in the growing medium can be culprit.
Excess chlorine in water can lead to yellowing of peace lily leaves.
Lack of drainage hole can also result in buildup of minerals in the soil.
How to Revive:
Either use distilled water or allow sitting the tap water overnight in a bowl so that chlorine gas will be escaped from it.
Apart from this, you can also use dechlorinator in water. Gardening experts tells its completely safe to use these tablets to neutralize tap water.
Also Read: How Often to Water Jade Plant?
#5 High Concentration of Chemicals in Water
Apart from chlorine, other chemical or minerals in water can damage your houseplant.
Though peace lilies aren’t delicate, building of these chemicals in growing medium leads to discoloration of foliage.
As mentioned above, use bottle or distilled water. Else, you can purify the water before pouring it in the container.
#6 Direct Sunlight Exposure for Long Hours
This houseplant thrives in bright indirect sunlight.
Placing them in direct sunlight all the day will lead to sunburn and yellowing of leaves.
Few hours of bright sunlight is enough for peace lily to stay green and healthy. Else, you can use shaded cloth to protect your plants from harmful sun rays.
How to Revive:
Place the plant container near window where the peace lily leaves gets early bright sunlight and can enjoy the shade for rest of the day.
Low Light is also an issue.
After all, plants need sunlight for photosynthesis. However, in case of houseplants you must make sure they don’t burn in strong sunlight.
Low light results in less flowering. But, the leaves stay fresh and green.
If your space doesn’t have perfect space for this plant, then go for fluorescent lights. Peace lily plant does well under these lights.
#7 Too Much Fertilization
Balanced amount of NPK fertilizers helps the plant to grow healthy leaves and blossoms.
Fertilizing frequently or excessively will turn peace lily leaves to yellow in color.
Likewise, low levels of fertilizers or nutrients can ruin the green color of the foliage.
How to Revive:
Once in two months, use chemical free moderate fertilizers on your peace lily plant.
Also Read: Why My ZZ Plant Leaves Turning Yellow?
#8 Temperature Variations or Cold Burst of Wind
Peace lily can survive in 65-85 F temperature, but extreme temperatures outside can damage the plant leaves.
Cold winds or drafts result in yellowing of peace lily leaves.
How to Revive:
In summer, keep this houseplant indoors and avoid direct exposure to sunlight. As mentioned above few hours of bright light will be enough for peace lily to stay healthy.
In winter, it’s recommended that you keep this tropical plant away from windows to save from cold winds. Using fluorescent lights can save the peace lily leaves from turning yellow.
#9 Growing Medium – They Prefer Well Drained Soil
Opt for best soil for peace lily that can drain excess water from the container and at the same time keep the plant well hydrated.
Mixture of sand, garden soil, peat moss and vermicompost will be excellent for your houseplant.
This mixture can hold the moisture and at the same time efficiently drain excess water, which will avoid common peace lily growing problems.
Wrong growing medium can destroy your plant, rot roots and leads to yellowing of leaves.
#10 Pests & Diseases
Healthy peace lily plants don’t attract pests like other ornamental plants. Usually, they can handle the pests. But when the plant is drooping, aphids, mealybugs and spider mites can attack the plant.
These pests can further lead to discoloration or yellowing of green foliage.
How to Revive:
Washing the foliage with water or pesticide soap spray will help to remove the pests.
If you take care of your plant regularly, you don’t have to worry about pests.
Diseases:
Peace lily plants can be attacked by two fungi, namely Cylindrocladium spathyphylli and Phytophthora parasitica. These two fungal infections rot the peace lily plant from root and you can do nothing to save the plant.
Once you notice this fungal infection, throw your plant to avoid further spread of these fungi.
How to Revive:
Only way to save your plant from this fungi attack is to take good care of the plant, because there is no treatment for this fungal infection.
Also Read: How to Grow Wheatgrass at Home without Soil?
#11 Repotting
When you transplant your houseplant, it will be a shock to the plant system. So, yellow leaves appear, but don’t worry. Give some time for your plant to re-establish itself.
Best time to repot your peace lily plant is in spring. When the plant is in growing season, it will be easy for it to outgrow the change.
Tip: Unlike other plants, peace lily plant can tolerate root bound. So, don’t rush immediately to repot the plant.
Handle the plant with care while transplanting.
If you see yellow leaves after transplanting, prune them and continue watering effectively.
#12 Nutrients Deficiency
Your plant needs balanced amount of nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and magnesium.
Low levels of magnesium in the soil results in yellowing of leaves. Sprinkle Epsom salt on them to see positive results.
Likewise lack of nitrogen and iron result in discoloration of foliage.
Fertilize the plant once in every 2 months with organic fertilizers. (Excess fertilizers can damage the plant)
Else, you can also repot the peace lily plant in early spring. While repoting, use high quality potting mixm include neem cake, vermicompost, garden soil, peat moss and sand.
Can Yellow Leaves of Peace Lily Turn Green Again?
No.
Only thing you can do is to prune yellow leaves and continue to take care of the plant.
If you notice edges of the peace lily flower turning yellow or brown, then make sure to follow below mentioned plant care tips.
Peace Lily Plant Care Tips
You don’t have to worry about pests, diseases or wilting of leaves, if you take care of this houseplant efficiently.
- Growing medium is essential for a healthy plant. As mentioned above, the soil you use to grow peace lily must be well drained and must include nutrients.
- Water effectively. Over or underwatering both damage the plant.
- Peace lily plant thrives well in bright sunlight and likes to be in shade. So, avoid direct sunlight exposure to whole day.
- Drainage hole is very important for container growing plants. This houseplant doesn’t love to be in standing water. Excess water can result in root rotting and eventually ruin the aesthetic appeal of the plant.
- Don’t over use fertilizers. Limited natural fertilizers are enough for healthy foliage.
- Save your plant from cold drafts and extreme temperatures.
- Pruning helps the plants to grow. So, trim yellow leaves that come with aging.
If you see one of the peace lily plant leaves is turning yellow, then isolate the plant to other place so that other plants don’t get affected.
Khaja Moinuddin, a computer science graduate, finds joy in gardening and homesteading. Join him on this blog as he shares his experiences in homesteading, gardening, and composting