Peace lily
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Middling It gives warning, with time to act.
Also called Spathe Flower and white sails.
Peace lily is toxic
- Toxic to cats. Toxic principle: Insoluble calcium oxalates. Clinical signs: Oral irritation, pain and swelling of mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting (not horses), difficulty swallowing. ASPCA
- Toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: Insoluble calcium oxalates. Clinical signs: Oral irritation, pain and swelling of mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting (not horses), difficulty swallowing. ASPCA
- Toxic to people. Harmful when eaten; irritates skin and eyes. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
Sources file this plant under other names: Spathiphyllum (ASPCA), Spathiphyllum cv. Clevelandi (Clemson Extension). Citations below point at the name its source uses.
- Light
- Medium light 100–150 fcClemson Extension, filed as Spathiphyllum cv. Clevelandi · read 11 September 2026Partial shadeRHS · read 11 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drainedRHS · read 11 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 11 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °CRHS · read 11 September 2026- Soil
- Chalk, Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 11 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- ToxicASPCA, filed as Spathiphyllum · read 11 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- ToxicASPCA, filed as Spathiphyllum · read 11 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Harmful when eaten; irritates skin and eyes. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 11 September 2026
How it usually goes wrong
- Brown tips on the newest leaves first
Leaves on the side of the peace lily nearest a heater or vent brown at the edges while those on the far side stay clean.
Penn State Extension cites ASHRAE's recommended indoor range of 30% to 60% relative humidity; a heated room in winter drops below it. Air that dry pulls water from the leaf faster than the roots replace it, and the margins are furthest from the supply.
Telling it apart: Where the plant stands. Browning concentrated on the side facing a heater points at the air.
Penn State ExtensionPeace lily brown leaf tips and edges: causes- Long bare stretches of stem between leaves
Nothing browns and nothing drops; the peace lily simply makes less, and what it makes is stretched and thin.
Its source places it in medium light. In less light than that the plant cannot fund full-sized leaves, so it makes smaller ones and spends the difference on stem.
Telling it apart: Turn the pot and wait a fortnight. New growth that swings back toward the window is answering a light question.
Clemson ExtensionPeace lily leggy, leaning growth: causes- Soft yellow leaves low on the plant, soil still wet
On a peace lily the yellowing climbs from below. Affected leaves feel limp rather than papery, and water sits in the saucer long after it drains through.
Its source calls for soil that is moist but well-drained. Past that, water in the pot displaces the air the roots need, and damaged roots then fail to supply the leaves above them.
Telling it apart: Whether the compost has dried at all since the last watering. A pot that has not dried in a fortnight is answering the question on its own.
RHSPeace lily leaves turning yellow: causes
Not sure which it is? Ask the diagnosis questions for Peace lily.
Routine care
- Watering
- Keep the soil moist without letting it get soggy, and let it dry between waterings. Peace lilies respond well to bottom watering.NC State Extension, filed as Spathiphyllum · read 13 September 2026While growing, water and mist generously and keep humidity high.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- Feed at a quarter of the label strength, and flush the soil between feeds. Too much fertilizer and a build-up of salts can burn roots and leaf tips.NC State Extension, filed as Spathiphyllum · read 13 September 2026Feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Repotting
- When needed, repot in February or March.NC State Extension, filed as Spathiphyllum · read 13 September 2026Move to a larger pot once roots have outgrown the container.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- By division.NC State Extension, filed as Spathiphyllum · read 13 September 2026Divide in winter or straight after flowering.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Usually free of pests and diseases.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Spathiphyllum wallisii, commonly known as peace lily, white sails, or spathe flower, is a very popular indoor house plant of the family Araceae. The genus name means "spathe-leaf", and the specific epithet is named after Gustav Wallis, the German plant collector. It was first described in 1877.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- Colombia to VenezuelaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Mexico, Tropical America, Malesia, and Western PacificNC State Extension, filed as Spathiphyllum · read 13 September 2026Colombia C AmericaRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- perennialWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Herbaceous Perennial; habit erect, mounding, roundedNC State Extension, filed as Spathiphyllum · read 13 September 2026Clump forming (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 12–72 in; width 12–60 inNC State Extension, filed as Spathiphyllum · read 13 September 2026Height 0.1-0.5 metres; spread 0.1-0.5 metres after 5–10 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers cream/tan, green, whiteNC State Extension, filed as Spathiphyllum · read 13 September 2026Flowers white in spring and summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
The leaves are poisonous when eaten in large amounts.NC State Extension, filed as Spathiphyllum · read 13 September 2026
Common problems with Peace lily
More of the Araceae family
Arrowhead plantEdges of the leaf blades brown while the middle stays sound
Calla lilyEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
Dumb caneLeaf tips go crisp and brown
Elephant earCrisp margins that appear in winter
Flamingo flowerBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Heartleaf philodendronA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Plants with similar care
Sources
- ASPCA · read 11 September 2026
- Clemson Extension · read 11 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 11 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.