Learn the easy Tricks to Trigger Blooming in Peace Lilies, keep them healthy, and enjoy beautiful flowers all year with simple care tips.
Many plant lovers wonder how to get a peace lily to bloom. This popular houseplant only grows outdoors in warm zones (USDA 10–11), but it does very well indoors, even in low light, which makes it a favorite for homes and offices. The shiny green leaves are pretty, but most people grow it for the lovely white flowers. The white spathe curls around the spadix, making the plant appear even more beautiful. After the flowers fade, many ask if it will bloom again. Here you can learn the simple Tricks to Trigger Blooming in Peace Lilies.
Peace Lily Flowering Stages
In commercial greenhouses, peace lilies are grown under controlled conditions so they are already blooming when sold. This plant, part of the Arum family, doesn’t make a true flower but a special leaf called a spathe that looks like one. The spathe lasts a long time, but eventually it fades, turning green and then brown. Like other plants, the peace lily goes through a cycle—first it forms buds, then blooms, makes seeds, and finally the flower dies back.
When Does a Peace Lily Bloom?
Peace lilies sold in stores are often forced to bloom. Growers use a plant hormone called gibberellic acid, or GA, to trigger flowering. GA is a natural substance made from a fungus that grows on rice plants. After the peace lily is sprayed with GA, it usually produces flowers in about 70 days. Most plants bloom in mid-spring, around April, and the flowers can last for more than a month.
How Often Does a Peace Lily Bloom?
Peace lilies usually bloom when the growing season starts and sometimes may flower again in early fall. To get them to bloom twice a year, they need very specific conditions, similar to their natural home in the tropical forests of Colombia and Venezuela. The plant needs just the right light, temperature, and humidity to produce even one flower.
Why Is My Peace Lily Not Flowering?
It’s very common for peace lilies not to bloom, and many people search online for answers. After the spathe fades and is trimmed off, the plant is often just kept for its green leaves and may never flower again. Indoor conditions are usually not ideal for reblooming, but with the right changes or by growing it in a controlled space, you can encourage it to produce flowers again.
Seasonal Timing Issues
Many plants respond to changes in light (photoperiodism) this way. Special light-sensing cells, called photoreceptors, trigger changes in plant hormones. Auxins are hormones that help plants grow and signal them when to bloom. Peace lilies are “short-day” plants, which means they start forming buds in the cooler season and fully flower as the days get longer.
Insufficient Light
Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) naturally grow under trees, getting only filtered sunlight. They do well in low light, but if the light is too weak, they won’t bloom. Usually, they can grow in light as low as 20 candles, but to encourage flowering, they need more light. The plant forms buds in response to the short days and long nights of fall and winter. Most varieties, however, don’t make buds during the long days and short nights of spring and summer.
Young Plants
A peace lily needs to be a few years old before it can flower. Research shows that younger plants usually make more flowers, but very old plants may stop blooming. Under perfect conditions, a young peace lily will typically produce its first flower in about 15 months.
Tricks to Trigger Blooming in Peace Lilies
1. Correct Temperature
Peace lilies that experience cooler temperatures around 54°F (12°C) for a few weeks will bloom sooner than those kept warmer. The best average temperature for the plant all year is 72°F (22°C).
2. High Humidity
They also like high humidity. In homes with central heating, the air is often too dry. You can mist the leaves every day or put the pot on a tray filled with water and pebbles to keep it moist.
The water will evaporate and raise the humidity around the plant.
3. Don’t Overfeed
Peace lilies don’t need a lot of fertilizer, but using a balanced fertilizer every 6 to 8 weeks during the growing season can help them bloom.
4. Right Location
This flowering plant responds not just to light, but also to temperature and humidity. To help your plant bloom, place it in a spot with a little more light.
5. Deadheading
Removing old flowers helps the peace lily bloom again. Keep it away from drafts and let it stay a bit root-bound in its pot. With some care and a little luck, it may bloom once more.
