Peace lilies are one of the most popular houseplants due to how easy they are to care for, but one major mistake people make is not positioning them in the best spot in the home.
Now that September has arrived many peace lilies will be starting to flower, but if the plant is not blooming it is likely because it is not facing the right window to get enough sunlight.
Anna, a houseplant expert and founder of Love That Leaf has shared that peace lilies need a very specific amount of light to bloom and stay healthy.
She said: “Peace Lilies are more low-light tolerant than most BUT that can come at the expense of flowers.
“The first thing to try when your peace lily won’t flower is to shift it to a new position with brighter, but still indirect light.”
It may seem simple to place a peace lily on any windowsill but this can harm the plant as the light from the harsh afternoon sun can burn their foliage and cause the plant stress.
Anna said: “Their thinner leaves tend to scorch easily in direct sunlight. At my place, the perfect lighting is what I’d call medium to bright indirect light.”
Instead, the optimal location for a peace lily is near a north or east-facing window in your home as these windows get soft and less intense sunlight in the morning but are shaded during the rest of the day.
If you can only place peace lilies in a west or south-facing window then place it a few feet away where the light will be diffused and less intense.
Peace lilies will be encouraged to bloom if they receive gentle sunlight as it will mimic their natural environment, as these plants typically grow under dense trees in rainforests where they receive consistent low light.
It can also be beneficial to move a peace lily to the kitchen or bathroom as the weather gets colder as these are places in the home with high humidity and are warmer.
Anna said: “Peace lilies really do tolerate a wide range of conditions, including handling cooler temperatures better than a lot of our favourite tropical indoor plants, but once it gets below 18 degrees on the regular, that can prevent flowering.
“Aim for mid to high 20s during the day (75 to 85 °F) to help trigger flowering and keep your Peace Lily blooming.”
Peace lilies are highly sensitive to cold and can quickly become stunted or damaged if they are in a room with fluctuating temperatures.
Both kitchens and bathrooms tend to be humid due to the steam from cooking or showering, so if a peace lily continues not to flower it may thrive in one of these rooms.
Peace lilies should begin to quickly produce bigger and more vibrant flowers once they have been moved, but if they continue not to bloom then consider checking their watering schedule or making sure they are being fertilised correctly.
