Peace lilies are widely regarded as low-maintenance houseplants that are relatively straightforward to keep healthy, provided you water them from time to time. However, when summer rolls around, watering alone is not sufficient — they will need to be relocated away from windowsills if you want them to survive.
While positioning plants near windows is common practice given their need for light, peace lilies are particularly sensitive, and excessive sunlight can scorch their leaves, turning their flowers brown and brittle. Gardening expert and Gardeners Dream founder Craig Wilson has revealed that peace lilies will truly thrive if you take a moment to move them somewhere more humid within your home.
Craig said: "Peace lilies need watering, but not nearly as much as you might expect. Normally, it is best to water your peace lily every few days, with the plant even being tolerant to being watered less often if it is kept somewhere humid in the house like the bathroom."
Peace lilies are tropical plants that naturally grow on rainforest floors, surviving by drawing moisture from the warm, humid air surrounding them. This is precisely why tucking a peace lily into a corner of your bathroom or kitchen works so well, as the hot steam effectively helps keep them hydrated and in good health.
In their natural rainforest environment, peace lilies also receive dappled, filtered sunlight through the canopy of towering trees, which is why it is best to position them reasonably close to, but not directly against, a window. Craig explained: "It is best not to leave peace lilies by external doors or windows because the plants do not do well in exposed conditions."
Excessive sunlight or dry air can hinder a peace lily's capacity to produce flowers, so taking a moment to relocate them to a spot that better mirrors their natural habitat will encourage them to bloom. That said, if there is simply no space for a peace lily in your bathroom or kitchen, do not be concerned, as frequently used rooms in the home also generate a reasonable amount of humidity. As people exhale, they release a small amount of moisture into the air, meaning you can keep a peace lily in your bedroom or living room to help them thrive.
Where possible, find a spot in your home that receives plenty of morning light, as peace lilies favour the gentler rays compared to the harsher glare of the afternoon sun. Rooms with east-facing windows typically receive the greatest amount of sunlight in the morning as the sun comes up, making them the ideal location for a peace lily. By taking just a moment to move your peace lily to a more suitable spot in your home, you are far more likely to be rewarded with an abundance of flowers that will last considerably longer.
