Peace lilies are exceptionally beautiful flowers. Well, when the leaves are white. If you’re reading this article because your peace lily leaves have turned brown, we feel your pain.
You thought you were taking care of your plant, but it seems not to be the case. But is this really your thought? What could you have done to stop the leaves turning brown on your peace lily?
Don’t worry – this article will answer why peace lily flowers turn brown, and what you can do to prevent it in the future. Let’s dive into the details…
Why is My Peace Lily Flower Turning Brown?
Peace lily flowers turn brown because they are stressed, not cared for properly, or just experience discoloration with age. We will now jump into each of these reasons, so you can discover why your specific flower is turning brown.
Care
It goes without saying, but you need to care for your peace lily plant. It isn’t a beginner’s plant that you can take your mind off, like the monstera plant. Here is how to keep your peace lily healthy:
- Temperature – Peace lilies enjoy warm temperatures. I recommend trying for a room temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit minimum. That’s the ideal temperature, but what is the absolute lowest temperature that peace lilies can survive in? Personally, I wouldn’t keep a peace lily in temperatures under than 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Indirect light – As a tropical plant, the peace lily thrives in dappled light. This means that you should place this plant in indirect light. You can leave the plant near to the window, but make sure that the sun is beaming down on the leaves for long periods.
- Humidity – Keep your room humid to allow your peace lily to thrive. You can use a humidifier to raise the humidity levels in your house.
- Filtered water – Did you know that the chemicals found in tap water can cause peace lily leaf browning? As such, I recommend using filtered water when watering your peace lily. You may also want to water frequently, but a little bit of water at a time. Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged.
- Fertilize – It’s good to fertilize your peace lily, but don’t do it too much. Fertilizer will help with the blooming process. I recommend using fertilizer once between 4-6 weeks.
Stress
Houseplants can’t thrive when they are stressed. Unfortunately, peace lilies are vulnerable to the same stresses as other houseplants. They need a consistent routine of care that doesn’t change every few days.
It’s important to follow a strict watering schedule, use high-quality soil, ensure the plant isn’t nutrient deficient, and don’t repot your plant regularly. If not, the flowers may start to wilt before they turn brown.
A typical sign of stress is leaves that are the same color as the spadix. The most common reason why this is happening is due to giving your peace lily too much water.
Age
Just like us humans, plants are affected by time. You could do everything right when taking care of your peace lily, but there is no escaping from the plant’s lifecycle.
Peace lilies are green when you first buy them from the store. After a small amount of time, the flower will open to display a mesmerizing white flower. It’s at this point that the spadix will turn green once again.
The spadix does this due to pollination. There is the potential for the spadix to turn white again, but it commonly starts to go brown. A brown spadix is a clear sign that it is dying.
How Long Do Peace Lily Flowers Last?
Peace lily flowers typically last 10 days on average. The spadix survives for around a month before it dies, although it can be prolonged. Just because your flower looks dead, doesn’t mean your plant isn’t alive. In fact, the peace lily plant can survive for many years.
You should remove the spadix once it has died. Don’t do it by hand though. I recommend using some pruning shears for an easy removal. It’s a simple case of slicing the stems at the base of your plant.
How to Prolong the Life of Peace Lilies
The whole point in caring for a peace ily is to… enjoy looking at your peace lily flower. You can’t do this if your plant has flowers for a week or so. Now, the spadix can grow more than once, but this is easier said than done.
There isn’t too much you can do to help, but it is possible. You need to make sure you have the perfect care routine for your flower, which will result in a healthier spadix. We still have to mention that we are only prolonging the inevitable by doing this, as spadix doesn’t live forever.
Does Gibberellic Acid Allow for Faster Peace Lily Blooms?
Did you know that plant stores apply gibberellic acid to their houseplants? This is a hormone that triggers houseplants to grow and thrive at a faster rate than usual. Applying gibberellic acid allows the peace lilies to be in their best shape for the customers who walk into the store.
Verdict
I hope this article has helped you with your brown peace lily flower. There are main three main reasons for this, which are: age, lack of care, and stress.
At the end of the day, there isn’t much you can do to prolong the life of your peace lily flower. You just need to make sure you are applying the basic care tips for peace lily plants.
If you notice the leaves on peace lily flowers turning brown, then feel free to remove them by cutting them off. Please do drop me a message if you have your own personal experience with brown peace lilies.
