How to Grow a Peace Lily So It Thrives for Years to Come

These tropical houseplants will add color and serenity to your living room.

Closeup of a peace lily flower with its white spathes and green leaves — Credit:
Victor Ilin / Getty Images

Caring for a peace lily helps it stay lush and healthy, bringing calming, tropical greenery into your home all year.
Keep peace lilies in bright, indirect light, and water them when the top 1 to 2 inches of the soil dries out.
Support long-term growth by repotting every few years, pruning yellow leaves and spent flowers, and dividing plants to propagate new ones.

Peace lilies are among the most recognizable and low-maintenance houseplants. Naturally, beginner gardeners gravitate toward them, so they're "a great segway into building confidence as plant parents,” says Krystal Duran, creator of Plants With Krystal.

Beyond being symbols of tranquility and sympathy, peace lilies also bring lush, jungle-like greenery indoors. And while they're relatively easy to care for, they still require some basic maintenance to thrive.

Care Instructions

Despite their forgiving reputation, these tropical plants have specific needs. Following them will help your peace lily thrive long-term.

Water

Peace lilies can be rather dramatic, and are known for drooping when they’re thirsty. “Don’t use this as your only sign to water,” Duran says. Water the peace lily when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil feels dry, and always use a pot with drainage holes. Since peace lilies are tropical plants, avoid placing them in cold rooms or near drafty windows.

Light

Peace lilies prefer a warm, stable environment and bright, indirect light. While these thinner-leaved plants can tolerate lower light for short periods, brighter conditions encourage blooming, fullness, and overall health, Duran says.

Soil

Use a well-draining indoor potting mix that retains some moisture. Duran suggests adding perlite, orchid bark, or coco chips, and advises avoiding dense, compacted soil that stays soggy.

Fertilizer

To support steady growth, feed peace lilies with a high-nitrogen fertilizer. “Incorporate a high nitrogen fertilizer (NPK ratio 3-1-2) and follow the mixing directions all year round,” Duran says. Actively growing plants should still be fertilized during fall and winter.

Location

Peace lilies have calcium oxalate crystals in their leaves, stems, and flowers, which can irritate animals if ingested. So if you have curious pets, keep this plant out of reach.

Repotting

Peace lilies generally require repotting once every one to two years. Consider repotting if roots are emerging from drainage holes, if the soil dries out more quickly than before, or if the plant has become top-heavy.

Choose a container that’s 1 to 2 inches larger than the root ball. Gently remove the plant from its pot, shake off any loose soil that falls off naturally, and place the entire root ball into its new container. Add fresh soil, keeping the crown at the same height as before, and water thoroughly after repotting.

Pruning

Regular pruning helps peace lilies stay healthy and attractive. “Reasons include yellowing or damaged leaves, growth that's become overcrowded, and spent flowers,” Duran says.

Use clean, sharp scissors or pruners, and cut the stems at the base of the plant. When the flowers fade, remove the entire stalk. This redirects energy toward healthy foliage and future blooms.

Propagating

Unlike many houseplants, peace lilies cannot be propagated from leaf or stem cuttings. Instead, they’re propagated by dividing the plant. To do this, remove the plant from its pot and carefully loosen the root ball, looking for natural clusters or bunches.

“You’ll find a bump at the base with multiple leaves and roots attached,” Duran says. These sections can be gently pulled apart by hand or separated with a clean knife.

Pot each division in fresh soil, water thoroughly until the water drains from the bottom, and place the new plants in a bright spot near a window.

Common Problems

Even low-maintenance plants can run into trouble. Peace lilies commonly experience brown leaf tips, yellowing leaves, and wilting.

Brown leaf tips are one of the most common issues peace lily owners encounter, Duran says. This is often caused by dry indoor air, over-fertilizing, or the use of tap water, which may contain salts and minerals that build up in the soil. To address the problem, she suggests switching to distilled, rain, or reverse-osmosis water, reducing how often you fertilize, and trimming the browned tips.

Yellowing leaves can have several causes, including insufficient light, overwatering, underwatering, or natural aging. It’s completely normal for peace lilies to shed older leaves to make room for new growth. Duran recommends pruning back yellow or dying foliage, ensuring that the pot has a drainage hole to prevent root rot, and watering consistently to avoid stress.

Wilting that doesn’t quickly rebound after watering is usually a sign of improper moisture management. Peace lilies may wilt if they’re allowed to dry out too often, but persistent wilting can also indicate root rot, Duran says. If underwatering is the issue, don’t let the top two inches of soil dry out completely. If root rot is suspected, inspect the roots, trim away any damaged sections, and repot the plant into a fresh, well-draining mix.