Peace Lily Leaves Turning Yellow – How to Fix

Much like the development of brown tips, there are a number of factors that can cause peace lilies to develop yellow and soft leaves. The sooner you identify the cause, the more likely it is to be able to revive the plant without needing any pruning.

Issues with Watering

The main culprit of yellow peace lily leaves tends to have something to do with the watering. You are either watering the plant too much or too little. This is something you might remember from science class but one of water’s main responsibilities for plants is to transport nutrients from the soil to the green plant tissues. If, for example, your peace lily is not getting enough water then not enough nutrients might be getting to the leaves which, in turn, results in the yellow leaves.

Issues with Direct Sunlight

Peace lily leaves can also turn yellow and soft if it gets too much exposure to direct sunlight. Let’s think about the native environment of peace lilies. As tropical plants, peace lilies are used to the conditions of the forest or jungle floor where it tends to get indirect sunlight. You need to replicate this at home by making sure the peace lily is positioned in an area where it gets a decent amount of indirect and not direct sunlight. Too much direct sunlight can result in the discoloration of the leaves.

Issues with the Temperature

Peace lily leaves can also turn yellow if it receives too much stress from the surrounding air temperature. The ideal daytime temperature for peace lilies is between 68 and 85 °F. It can tolerate slightly cooler temperature at night. Try to place the peace lily in an area of the house where the temperature doesn’t fluctuate too much. Avoid leaving it next to windows and doors with too much draft.

Should You Cut Off Peace Lily Yellow Leaves?

Some leaves, especially the older ones, will naturally turn yellow and fall off. For peace lily leaves that turned yellow due to improper care, you may want to prune them so that any energy your plant creates is focused on healthy leaves or new leaves.