I’ve had this peace lily (Spathiphyllum) for a 2-3 years. After the original flowers were over I have never seen the ‘right flowers’ in the same pot… This time I can see just one tiny flower on the bottom but it may be dying soon (that happened before)
How can I see those beautiful flowers again?
What I have done:
– place it at the light place (avoiding direct sunlight)
– water when the surface of the soil got dry
– changed the pot once (last summer) and add a little more soil
Thank-you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners with your question about your Peace Lily. This group of plant varieties, belonging to the genus Spathiphyllum, and not actually true lilies at all, originate in tropical regions, mainly in Central and South America. They belong to the Araceae family which also includes other popular houseplants such as Elephant ears and Anthuriums. Peace lilies make lovely indoor plants and are usually sold with several beautiful immaculate, white “flowers”, actually white spathes, each surrounding a knobby spadix. These “blooms” are usually forced (especially on small, young plants) by applying the hormone, gibberellic acid. This results in prolific blooming for purposes of sale, but it is not a procedure that can be replicated at home. BUT, this does not mean you should give up on your Peace lily. You may not get the prolific nursery blooming, but you should be able to get your plant to bloom “normally” by providing a suitable environment and allowing for some time for the plant to mature. In fact, it looks like your plant is already trying to bloom with those curled up “proto-” spathes and spadices visible in your photo.
Good general information on Peace Lily plants and their cultivation can be found in this entry on the “Home and Garden Information Center” site of the Clemson College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences. Another article, on more of a general interest site, Gardeners’ Path, suggests that the main reasons Peace lilies do not flower are:
- age (they do not typically bloom until they are 2 or 3 years old),
- inadequate light (although the plants will tolerate low light levels, they need bright indirect light to flower well),
- temperature (as tropical plants, they need a warm environment),
- watering (moist, well-draining soils are preferred; filtered water without harsh chemicals) and
- fertilizer (neither too much, nor too little – always diluted).
Another online resource, Love that leaf, listed very similar suggestions. Since your plant appears to be trying to put out flowers and is a few years old already, you may be able to succeed with an increase in light so that the flower stalks can extend more fully.
Good luck working with your Peace lily!