Peace Lily With Brown Tips and Leaves – How to Fix

Are the lush green leaves of your peace lily plant turning not so healthy anymore with the development of brown tips? This is usually a result of improper care and can be reversed if you find the cause at any early enough stage.

Humidity is too low

Peace lilies are tropical perennials so they do appreciate being placed in a warm, wet environment. If you put them in a place with the total opposite conditions then brown tips will start to form on the leaves because the plant is deprived of the moisture it requires to thrive. This can happen in winter if the peace lily is placed near the central heating vent where a lot of dry warm air will come out.

One way to prevent brown tips from appearing along the peace lily leaves is by misting the plant twice a week. Plants like peace lilies don’t absorb water through their leaves but the act of misting will offer some temporary relief by increasing the humidity level around the plant. We recommend using distilled water when misting the peace lily.

Incorrect watering

Watering tends to be the culprit when it comes to any issues that develop with peace lily leaves. Brown tips can start to form if the plant is getting too little or too much water. For peace lilies, too little water is much preferred than too much water. You should only water the soil once it starts to feel or look dry. Make sure to water the pot thoroughly (until you start seeing some water seeping out in the catchment underneath the pot).

Soil is not well draining

This is linked to the watering problem. Make sure the peace lily is grown in soil that drains well. Peace lilies that are grown in soil that clogs easily will have a higher chance of getting sick and developing brown leaves. It could make it harder for roots to absorb nutrients and also increase the risk of the plant developing diseases like root rot. If you don’t see water draining out from the pot then it might be time to repot the peace lily to new well-draining soil.

Too Much Sunlight

Too much of a good thing can sometimes be a bad thing. In their native tropical environment, peace lilies are used to getting indirect sunlight so make sure the peace lily plant is not positioned in an area of the house where it gets exposure to too much direct sunlight. This can “burn” the leaves which results in the brown tips.