How long do peace lilies live? Peach lilies live for at least three to five years, apart from the indoor varieties, which can stretch up to two decades. The life expectancy of these robust and easy-to-grow plants can be further improved by growing them in the ideal environment, closer to their native.
In this article, we give you a detailed look into how long peace lilies thrive and on what basis one can increase the life of the house plant. Our experts give tips and tricks on how to provide it with care, which will keep the plant going for a long time.
Contents
How Long Do Peace Lilies Live?
The Peace Lily live on average for about three to five years, however some indoor variants have a longer life span of 20 years. Provide them with the right plant care and native conditions, they will not only produce white flowers year-round but will live much longer than five years.
This just means to say that grow them right and the oldest peace lily in your garden will survive for twenty years. Peace lilies cannot live forever, though they do thrive for decades, producing blooms.
How To Increase the Life Span of Peace Lilies?
You can increase the lifespan of peace lilies by growing them under moderate to low light conditions, moist soil with low humidity, minimal use of fertilizer and the right watering schedule. You must remember to repot it, and keep the pests away, and enhance regular maintenance.
– Water Right
As you think about of the question, can a peace lily live for 20 years, of course, they can. Peace lily plants tolerate more drought than over-watering, thus always make sure you do not overwater your plant as it could be hazardous to it.
Excess watering makes the plant susceptible to developing fungal diseases and root rot, which over time can affect the longevity of the plant. At the same time, do not let the soil go completely bone dry as this could result in yellow leaves and wilting foliage.
The ideal way to water the plant is to check for moisture levels first, you may place your finger in by an inch and feel for wetness, and then add in more. Use water at room temperature instead of standard tap water, or rainwater collected and filtered will also be suitable for the plant.
Don’t forget the key feature that you must water as per the season by scaling back in winter and increasing the frequency on hot summer days, otherwise watering once a week is sufficient.
– Reduce Fertilizer Use
Want a 20 year old peace lily in your garden, it is simply you may be shortening the life of a peace lily by using an overdose of fertilizers. Or, the wrong type of fertilizer may be even hampering its health and well-being. Your peace lily plant is sensitive to non-organic and synthetic fertilizers, which can drastically shorten their lives.
The plant can easily develop adverse reactions to chemical formulas. Thus giving the plant a well-balanced organic fertilizer applied just twice a year. Do not fertilize the plant in winter, but just in spring or summer. If you notice your leaves turning a black color, it is a clear sign that the fertilizing isn’t going right.
– Keep the Humidity High
At low humidity levels, you are not going to see even a 10 year old peace lily living for long or sustaining healthy foliage. These are rainforest-based tropical plants, so love a lot of humidity around it.
If you increase the humidity indoors, they will thrive, because how long they live depends a lot on the care and the environment they are given. Overall, this is because the indoor variants live longer than their counterparts grown outdoors.
Thus, maintaining a humidity level between 60 percent and 70 percent is required. If you are growing your plant in a dry zone or during hot summers, then increase humidity by misting the plant often.
Alternatively, you could either group them with other plants to take advantage of collective transpiration or place a pebble tray below the container or pot. As the water in the tray would evaporate, the humidity around the plant will increase.
Look out for leaves with brown tips, which is a clear indication that you are growing your plant in low humidity. If you are growing your plant indoors, use a plant humidifier, because this can easily kick in some moisture around.
– Give It Diffused Light
Your peace lily flower plant dislikes harsh and direct sunlight, which can make it wither away soon. What the plant thrives best in is bright yet indirect light, away from extreme exposure.
The plant is robust and manages to sustain foliage and low light, however seldom will it tolerate direct sunlight. Thus, you can create a greenhouse effect around it, placing it under larger tree canopies or placing a green garden sheet over it to diffuse the light.
The sign that your plant is in its ideal light condition is when you notice its unique, adequate white peace lily flowers blooming and specialized leaves. If you are growing them as indoor plants move them near the north or east-facing window behind shear curtains for some filtered light.
At the same time, avoid extremely dark and dingy corners as these are not optimal for the plant as well. In such cases take the help of artificial lighting such as grow or fluorescent lighting which will take care of its needs.
– Grow Them at Moderate Temperatures
Peace lilies love the warmth of rain forests, thereby preferring to thrive in moderate temperatures between the range of 68 degrees to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep its temperatures lower than this, and surely you may end up shortening its life.
Note that having lower temperatures would damage the roots, and would lead to making the plant weak and limp. Under extreme cold with the roots frozen below the soil, it will seldom be able to absorb the required nutrients or water, thus it will paralyze the growth and health of the plant.
Protect the plant from frost, chilly winds and cold drafts. It is highly recommended to move the plant indoors or to a closed space like a garage in extreme winters, sheltering it from the chills.
Moreover, it is important to shield your peace lily plant from fluctuation or sudden changes in temperatures. Sudden increases or decreases put the plant under tremendous stress, making the leaves turn black and affecting the longevity of its life.
– Keep Pests at Bay
Mites and mealybugs are notorious garden pests that can infect the peace lily and shorten its life. These insects live on the plant’s foliage, feeding through the leaves, stems and sometimes even deep into the roots.
This can destroy the plant in its entirety in no time. The earliest signs of pest infestation are the visibility of eggs or larvae in the clusters, especially on the underside of lily leaves and stems.
Prevent the occurrence of such pests by maintaining simple plant hygiene methods. Wipe the peace lily leaves off the dust every few weeks, as pests thrive in an environment where there is dust. Alternatively, mist the plant regularly.
If you do not wish to add any chemicals, you can always treat with an organic solution made of neem oil, onion peel, garlic peel or orange peel whose odors irritate the pests and make them leave the foliage, or an organic solution of neem oil will also do the job.
– Soil
Heavy or loamy soil will not make your peace lily plants go a long way. What the plant needs to sustain its health and foliage is light and well-draining soil.
Heavy soils tend to retain moisture which these drought-resistant plants do not prefer. Moreover, excessive moisture in the soil also puts the plant at risk of developing root rot or fungal diseases.
To make the soil lighter, you can use potting soil mixed with peat or perlite for better the serration. Additionally, also throw in some orchid bark or worm castings that will permit flow out of the water easily.
However, make sure you maintain the soil slightly acidic between a pH of 5.0 to 6.5 and include organic manure to nourish the soil. Well. These measures would eventually go a long way in keeping the life expectancy of the peace lily high.
– Re-pot Every Year
To make the health of your peace lily better and extend its life ahead, repot it annually. The plant outgrows its pot every year, thus move a size up to prevent root-bound and keep it going.
It is very simple, you would have to repot in fresh potting soil which will reduce the risk of bacterial, fungal and pest infestations. The ideal time to repot is in late winter, just before the new shoots begin to appear in early spring.
Simply, if you find your plant growing too large for its pot, transplant it into a pot one size bigger to prevent root-bound plants.
The pot or container you are growing your peace lily needs to have well-draining holes. Make sure it isn’t clogged with debris, gravel, or even stones that can choke holes holding up water within the soil.
– Regular Maintenance
Prune your peace lily regularly, removing dead, decayed and diseased leaves. Also, clear all debris around the plant, as they can put the plant at risk of contracting infections. Always snip the foliage with a sterile garden pruner or knife so that bacterial and fungal diseases are not spread to the plant.
Remember to cut stalks as close as possible, meaning at the base of the plant, this is to help the plant conserve energy through the dead stalk. Also, snip away yellowed and wilted leaves so that you can make space for new and fresh leaf growth.
Whether you are growing it as an indoor plant or as outdoor foliage, you could easily provide the right care and have the plant thriving for decades. This is not difficult as the plant does not demand much and even does a great job purifying the surrounding air.
How Long Does a Lily Flower Live?
A peace lily flower blooms two times a year, once in spring and fall and lasts for around a month or two. After this, the flower will wilt and turn brown. The plant produces white hooded blooms when grown in bright yet diffused light which fades in a month.
How Big Do Peace Lilies Get?
Peace lilies grow to a height of about two to three feet. With glossy lance-like leaves, each of which grows to around twelve inches, the plant can look big. Coupled with this the plant stem grows about twenty inches and the flower to four inches wide.
FAQ
– How Long Do Peace Lilies Take To Grow?
Peace Lilies have a moderate growth rate of three to five years to produce mature buds and foliage. This is provided you have given them the right environment, nourishment, light, and water requirements to thrive and develop fresh foliage. You could boost growth with an organic formula added twice a year in spring and summer.
– Can a Peace Lily Live Long if It Is Grown Inside Water?
Yes, peace lilies can easily grow in soil-less containers and vases, rooting in water. They do live long, however you need to suspend the plant from the base, keeping it just above the waterline, layering it with river stones. Grow these indoors and they can give an aesthetic appeal to your decor.
Conclusion
Now that you have understood that the peace lily can live for several years outdoors and even decades indoors, you can easily include this plant in your garden or adorn your home with its beautiful white blooms.
Let us summarize all that we have learned in the section below:
- Peace lilies are easy-to-maintain plants that can live for around three to five years outdoors and the indoor variants can thrive robustly and healthily for at least two decades. The life of the plant can be increased by growing it in an environment closest to its tropical native.
- The plant is drought resistant and seldom tolerates over-watering, putting it at risk of contracting root rot and fungal infections. Water to keep the soil just slightly moist, under watering the plant is better than over watering thus, just work towards keeping the top soil moist.
- It is sensitive to non-organic and synthetic fertilizers which drastically shorten its life, thus using an organic formula or compost to give it the required nourishment and extend life.
- Keep the humidity high to ensure this tropical plant can sustain foliage. Provide it with moderate levels of warmth and partial and indirect sun. Ensure the pot has well-draining holes and mist the plant regularly to retain humidity around it.
- Finally, what determines the longevity of your peace lily is proper care to keep pests and infections at bay by maintaining good plant hygiene and regularly pruning diseases or discolored leaves. This will reduce the risk of infections thereby keeping it healthy and living longer.
After having read all about how to care for the Peace lily plant to extend its life, you can now have plenty of them adorning your home and garden.
Bring them in and let these easy to maintain plants kick in some charm for a long time to come in your life.
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