Peace Lilies are one of the most popular houseplants, they can grow in a wide variety of indoor environments and they also thrive under low light conditions, which makes them perfect plants for beginners. Even though Peace Lilies are relatively easy to care for, they can still develop a couple of issues, most notably drooping or wilting. Drooping Peace Lilies are not necessarily sick, usually, it is a reaction to the conditions in the soil or humidity.
The most common reason why Peace Lilies tend to droop is due to insufficient water. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you are not watering your plant frequently enough, damaged roots, low, humidity, and high temperatures can also hinder the ability of the Peace Lilies to absorb water thus resulting in drooping and wilting. On the other hand, overwatering Peace Lilies can also lead to wilting and event to root rot eventually.
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The good news is that if your Peace Lilies are drooping or wilting, you can still save them, and for the most part the plant will bounce back in a matter of days. The bad news is that there are a lot of reasons why Peace Lilies tend to droop, and if you don’t actually know what is causing it then you might do more harm than good while addressing the issue. Some drooping or wilting is normal for all plants, so if your Peace Lilies seem to be drooping and then bounce back in a couple of hours without you doing anything then don’t worry about it.
If your Peace Lilies have started to droop all of a sudden, and you see them wilt away from one day to another then it is clear that there is something going on. If your Peace Lilies have brown leaf tips then check out my recent article Peace Lily Brown Leaf Tips ( Top 8 Causes ).
Peace Lily Drooping
When a peace lily starts drooping, it is often a sign of stress or improper care. The most common cause of drooping leaves in peace lilies is underwatering. Peace lilies prefer consistently moist soil, so allowing the soil to dry out too much between waterings can cause the leaves to wilt and droop. Another possible cause is overexposure to direct sunlight or extreme temperatures, as peace lilies thrive best in bright, indirect light and temperatures between 65-85°F (18-29°C). Inadequate humidity levels can also lead to drooping leaves. To revive a drooping peace lily, water it thoroughly and place it in a location with appropriate lighting conditions. Ensure the plant is not exposed to drafts or excessive heat or cold.
Insufficient Water
The most common reason why Peace Lilies are drooping or wilting is due to insufficient water. Either you forgot to water your Peace Lilies or the ambient temperature got hotter which evaporated most of the water before the plant could absorb it. To find out if your Peace Lilies are wilting due to insufficient water, simply stick your finger in the potting mix, if the top inch of the soil is dry then the plant needs more water.
The simple fix for this issue is to water your Peace Lilies with more water or more frequently. In most cases, you will see the plant bounce back in a matter of hours, and just keep in mind that your Peace Lilies need a little bit more water. If you want to know why your Peace Lilies are not flowering then check out my recent article Peace Lily Not Flowering ( Top 11 Reasons ).
Overwatering
Peace Lilies tend to be one of the most overwatered houseplants, and oftentimes this will lead to drooping and in the worst-case scenario even to root rot. To find out if your Peace Lilies are drooping due to overwatering, simply take note when you have watered the plant, if the drooping gets worse after watering then there is a high chance that too much water is causing the wilting.
The easy fix for this is to simply water less often, and if the plant bounces back in a couple of days then just water the plant when the top inch of the soil is dry. On the other hand, overwatering Peace Lilies can cause a lot of problems, and a lot of them will make the plant droop or wilt.
Root Rot
Overwatered Peace Lilies are prone to developing root rot sooner or later, once the roots start rotting the plant will start drooping. The good news is that as long as you cut off the rotten roots the plant should recover and grow healthy roots. The bad news is that once the Peace Lilies start drooping most people will overwater them and this will lead to a fast decline of the plant.
To find out if your Peace Lilies have root rot, pull the plant out of the pot and look at the bottom, if the roots are brown, black, and mushy then they are suffering from root rot. Remove all the rotten roots and either repot the plant or place it in a vase until it grows new roots. If you want more information about root rot then check out my recent article Peace Lily Root Rot ( Causes & Treatment ).
Direct Sunlight
Peace Lilies do not grow well in direct sunlight, they tend to prefer the shade, which is why they grow so well indoors. Once the plant gets too much direct sunlight it will start drooping. Oftentimes the tips of the leaves will turn brown before the plant actually starts to wilt. Given enough time under direct sunlight, the plant can simply droop away and never recover. The simple fix is to place your Peace Lilies in an area where it doesn’t get direct sunlight and it should bounce back in a matter of days.
High Temperatures
Peace Lilies just like most plants sweat if the temperatures get too high. The higher the temperatures are the more water will the plant lose, and this leads to drooping. If you notice that your Peace Lilies are drooping in the middle of the day, then bounce back in the evening without you giving them any more water then they are drooping due to the high temperatures. To fix this issue simply place the Peace Lilies in a cooler room, or in the corner of the room and the plant will stop drooping.
Pests
The most common pests for Peace Lilies are Mealybugs, and in severe cases, they can cause the plant to droop. Mealybugs simply suck out the nutrients from the plant, this means that there are fewer nutrients that the plant can deliver to its leaves, which will result in wilting. The more severe the Mealybug infestation is the more severe the drooping of the plant will be and given enough time these pests can suck the plant dry.
The good news is that it is relatively easy to get rid of Mealybugs, spray them off with water, or use a pesticide specially designed for them. The bad news is that if your Peace Lilies have Mealybusgs, odds are that your other houseplants also have them.
Bad Potting Mix
Peace Lilies tend to love a well-draining soil, and even if you planted them in a well draining potting mix 3 years ago, odds are that the potting mix is simply too old. Potting mixes can clump up over time, this will make the potting mix drain either extremely poorly or extremely fast. To know if this is the main issue for your Peace Lilies simply look at how the water drains away after you have watered the plant.
If the water goes right through the potting mix then some parts of the potting mix are clumped up and dried out, thus making the water simply go through the soil. On the other hand, if the water drains really slowly then odds are that the potting mix is waterlogged. The easy fix for this problem is to simply repot the Peace Lilies once every 2-3 years, with a new potting mix and you will see that the plant will stop wilting.
Fertiliser
For the most part, Peace Lilies will grow fine without any fertilizers although a little bit of fertilizing doesn’t hurt the plant. On the other hand, too much fertilizer could harm the plant and will oftentimes lead to drooping. Too much fertilizer in the soil can actually damage the roots of the Peace Lilies, once these are damaged the plant will have a really difficult time absorbing water and nutrients.
The less water the plant can absorb the higher the chances are that the entire plant will start drooping. If you have noticed that your Peace Lilies have started to droop a couple of days after you have fertilized them, then the odds are that it is caused by the fertilizer. In this case, you should remove the fertilizer if you can, or report the plant into a fresh potting mix and the plant will bounce back a matter of days.
Transplant Shock
All plants are affected by transplant shock, especially if they are done at the wrong time like when the Peace Lilies are in full bloom. If you have just transplanted your Peace Lilies then it is normal to have them droop for a couple of days, but if the drooping persists for a longer time then there is something else wrong with the plant. In this case, you don’t really have to do anything when it comes to transplant shock, simply you have to wait it out.
Low Humidity
The humidity levels for Peace Lilies are extremely important, for the most part, they do grow best in high humidity environments. In low humidity the Peace Lilies tend to get stressed out, the added stress in combination with low humidity can cause drooping or wilting. If you have placed your lilies next to a fireplace, or a heater then the plant is extremely likely that it is suffering due to low humidity and this is what causes it to droop.
Root Bound Peace Lilies Will Droop
The roots of the Peace Lilies are constantly growing, and once the roots have reached the bottom of the pot they will start going in circles. Root bound Peace Lilies will have a harder time absorbing enough water, and once the temperatures get even slightly higher the plant will eventually start to droop. To check if your Peace Lilies are root bound simply pull out the plant from the pot, if on the bottom you see its roots going in circles then the plant is root bound.
Ideally, you should repot the Peace Lilies in a larger pot where the roots can stretch out, on the other hand, if you want a quick solution you can always just cut off the excess roots that are going in circles, this will buy you some time and the plant will stop drooping in a couple of days.
Due To Damage
Damaged Peace Lilies tend to droop relatively fast, the damage could occur to the leaves, the stem, or even to the roots of the plant. Something as common as your cat knocking off the potted Peace Lilies can do some serious damage to the stem of the plant. In this case, the plant will focus most of its energy on healing itself, and oftentimes the leaves will start drooping. Slight drooping if the plant is damaged is fairly common and not an issue of concern.
However, if the drooping gets so severe that all the leaves have not only wilted but also started to change color then you have to pull out the plant from the pot and assess the damage. Usually, Peace Lilies that have a couple of functioning leaves and an intact stem will survive, even if their roots are damaged.
Key Takeaways
- Peace lilies droop because they have been overwatered or underwatered, they suffer from root rot, get too much full sun, the temperatures are too high, too much fertilizer, transplant shock and they might also be root bound.
- Occasionally you might notice your Peace Lilies drooping for a day or two, and then bounce back, this is normal and sometimes tends to happen.
- Peace Lilies that grow indoors next to a heater or fireplace will not only droop but their leaves will also turn brown and eventually fall off.
