Peace lilies have undeniably stunning foliage, however the blossom-like spathes are what make them stand out. There are such a lot of houseplants on the market which have attention-grabbing leaves, however there are treasured few that blossom.
So it’s completely comprehensible that you simply wish to ensure that your alluring houseplant flowers.
There are various causes a peace lily will fail to bloom, which may make it a problem to repair.
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On this information, we’ll clarify what the causes are and the way to determine which one is impacting your Spathiphyllum.
That approach, you may resolve the state of affairs, slightly than make it worse with the incorrect remedy.
Right here’s what we’ll cowl:
Widespread Causes Why Peace Lilies Fail to Bloom
Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum spp.) aren’t really lilies, regardless that their flowers considerably resemble them. It’s simply a kind of enjoyable naming quirks within the botanical world.
They’re really extra carefully associated to monsteras, philodendrons, and pothos. They develop in tropical areas of the world within the understory of rainforests.
Talking of the “flowers,” these huge white blossoms are literally modified leaves referred to as spathes. The little spiky factor that stands out within the center is named a spadix, and it holds the small, insignificant blossoms.
The modified flower acts as a flag, waving to pollinators to entice them to return and go to.
Once you go to select up your peace lily on the retailer, it’s usually blooming, and also you would possibly assume that it’s going to simply preserve doing so.
Nevertheless, industrial growers usually use a pure hormone referred to as gibberellic acid to drive the crops to bloom, slightly than them doing so naturally.
For those who want a refresher on the way to develop and take care of peace lilies, try our information.
There are 5 foremost the reason why your houseplant might not bloom so let’s dig in and convey these blooms again!
1. Age of the Plant
All life ages, and because it ages, it stops having the ability to reproduce. That’s true of people and it’s true of crops as nicely.
The flower in your peace lily is its try at reproducing. Whereas a peace lily will proceed to ship out new roots and leaves, ultimately the plant will attain the top of its lifespan.
Peace lilies can stay for years, however in case you’ve had yours for almost a decade, it’s totally doable that your plant is simply too outdated to ship up flowers.
On the opposite finish of the spectrum, younger crops are additionally unable to breed. In case your plant is younger and fewer than two to a few years outdated, it’s in all probability simply too younger to flower. It must be about two years outdated to flower reliably.
In case your plant was flowering whenever you bought it, regardless of being small and younger, it was probably given gibberellic acid to drive it to blossom.
You could be pretty sure this was the case if the plant is small and was blooming whenever you purchased it, continued to bloom for a month or two, after which hasn’t bloomed once more.
It’s secure to imagine that any plant in a six-inch pot or smaller is simply too younger. You’ll simply want to present it just a few years to mature. Till then, get pleasure from that beautiful foliage.
2. Lack of Vitamins
Whereas Spathiphyllum aren’t heavy feeders, like all crops, they want enough vitamins. For those who haven’t fed or repotted your peace lily in a number of years, it’s totally doable {that a} lack of meals is inflicting the dearth of blossoms.
Within the spring and summer time, feed with a balanced houseplant fertilizer each three weeks.
AgroThrive Normal Objective Fertilizer
One thing like AgroThrive Normal Objective Fertilizer, which you’ll decide up at Arbico Organics in 32 ounce or gallon containers is excellent. Observe the producer’s instructions for both foliar or soil software.
For those who use a slow-release fertilizer, solely apply it as soon as within the early spring and as soon as once more within the early summer time.
For those who haven’t repotted your plant in a number of years, it is perhaps time for a soil refresh.
You don’t essentially have to improve to a bigger container, however it’s best to take away the plant, brush away as a lot of the soil as you may, and repot it in contemporary soil.
3. Low Gentle
A peace lily that isn’t receiving the sunshine that it wants received’t flower. That is the most typical reason behind a scarcity of blossoms in a mature plant and in addition one of many best to repair.
The most important problem is figuring out if that is really the trigger. In case your plant is the appropriate age, and also you’re offering the correct amount of water and meals, you may assume {that a} lack of sunshine is the issue.
To make sure, use a lightweight meter. I’m a giant advocate of maintaining a soil moisture meter that may additionally learn mild and pH in your gardening package. They come in useful extra usually than you would possibly anticipate.
Sonkir Moisture, pH, and Gentle Meter
I discover that one with a flat face like Sonkir’s Soil Plant Moisture Meter, which is accessible at Amazon, is good. For those who’d prefer to be taught extra about these useful instruments and that are greatest suited to your wants, try our information.
Stick your moisture meter within the soil and provides it a minute to learn the sunshine. You wish to purpose for at the least 300 foot candles for a majority of the day, however ideally nearer to 700.
It’s tempting to only assume you can inform how a lot mild is reaching a plant simply by trying on the room, however the human eye is extremely adaptable. After a short while, your eyes regulate to the sunshine stage, that’s why you may learn a ebook in a dimly lit room in addition to you may in a vivid room.
Whereas that’s nice for our capability to see in a variety of sunshine, it makes it troublesome for us to precisely decide the sunshine stage in a room. That’s why a device that reads the sunshine for you is so useful.
For those who decide that lack of sunshine is prone to be the issue, transfer the plant someplace that it’s going to obtain extra mild. Bear in mind, direct daylight isn’t good, however vivid, filtered, or oblique mild is superb.
These crops develop on forest flooring. Image the sunshine that hits your face as you stroll in a tall forest – that’s what you’re aiming for. Attempt to give them this stage of sunshine for at the least six hours a day.
In case your plant has been rising in a really dimly-lit location, it’s best to make this transition steadily over per week or so.
A fast observe: don’t assume that simply since you haven’t moved your plant just lately meaning the sunshine hasn’t modified. A tree outdoors may need grown taller through the years, or a vine might have grown up your window, blocking a few of the mild with out you even realizing it.
I’ve even run into issues once I forgot to wash my window screens one 12 months and it modified the extent of sunshine getting into my house.
Bear in mind, your eyes are extraordinarily adaptable and also you won’t have observed a gradual change in mild.
For those who want a alternative plant for the outdated location that grows nicely in low mild, we’ve got a information for that.
4. Temperature
In case your peace lily is often uncovered to temperatures beneath about 65°F, it probably received’t flower. In truth, except the temperatures are nearer to 85°F in the course of the day, the probabilities of blossoms forming is additional decreased.
In case you have your plant in a spot that could be a bit chilly – say, subsequent to a window or an air con vent – transfer it to a extra appropriate location.
It’s best to keep away from maintaining your plant the place air – both sizzling or chilly – will blow straight on it, and place it someplace will probably be toasty a majority of the time. Both a rest room or upper-floor room that faces west is often one of many hotter locations in a house.
Keep away from spots close to doorways or single-paned home windows in the course of the winter.
5. Time of 12 months
One of many issues individuals love about peace lilies is that they’ll bloom any time of 12 months. However they’re technically seasonal bloomers, so whilst you would possibly see blossoms year-round, you shouldn’t anticipate them.
Their pure flowering season is between February and September. In case your plant isn’t blossoming between October and January, you might simply want to attend till spring arrives.
Return to a State of Tranquility
Whereas the above listing consists of the most typical causes of a scarcity of flowers, understand that any stress on the plant may end up in a failure to bloom.
In case your plant seems to be unwell, whether or not it’s wilting or the foliage has turned brown or yellow, you’ll want to determine the trigger earlier than you may anticipate these lily-like spathes to return.
Watch the temperature, mild, and meals, and try to be rewarded with a pleasant show. As soon as these flowers return, come again and tell us within the feedback part under what it took to sort things.
Can’t get sufficient Spathiphyllum goodness? We completely perceive! You is perhaps fascinated by a few of our different peace lily articles together with:
© Ask the Consultants, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for extra particulars. Initially revealed January fifth, 2022. Final up to date February seventh, 2025. Product pictures through Arbico Organics and Primens. Uncredited pictures: Shutterstock.
