Peace Lily Light Requirements: A Complete Guide

The peace lily is renowned for growing in settings like the average home and workplace where there is less natural light. It’s a plant, though, so it can’t survive in an entirely dark area. Even the peace lily plant’s dark leaves will fade and lose their luster without the right amount of light. Just as well, excessive illumination causes this type of plant to shed its leaves and have dry tips.

In this guide, we will take a look at everything you need to know about providing the perfect amount of light for your peace lily.

Peace Lily Description

Peace lilies are species of tropical flowering plants in the Spathiphyllum genus. They may be identified by their broad, palm-like leaves and spoon-shaped, one-petaled blooms. These imposing, flamboyant plants thrive in low-light environments, but they thrive even more in light that is appropriate for the time of year. Most species and cultivars reach heights of one to four feet. However, some can reach heights of six feet. In US plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, peace lilies may be grown outside in a shaded setting. Because of their lack of outdoor hardiness, they are often cultivated indoors.

Do Peace Lily Plants Really Not Need Light?

All plants require sunlight or artificial light in some capacity, but they are able to endure brief periods of darkness. Naturally, they need to be able to survive throughout the sunless night, but in an emergency, most plants can also endure long periods of darkness. The grass beneath a kiddie pool on a stretch of lawn becomes yellow and wiry after a while. This adaptation, known as etiolation, concentrates the plant’s remaining energy on expanding as far as it can in an effort to once again access sunlight.

The peace lily is very often included on lists of plants that can survive without light. However, as mentioned earlier, all plants need light in some capacity. The peace lily is simply able to survive in low-light conditions, but it will not thrive or flower without an adequate amount of sunlight.

Can Peace Lilies Be Grown Outdoors?

Although peace lilies are often cultivated inside, you can take your houseplants on a summer vacation and place them on a covered porch, patio, or under some trees. Place the peace lily in the shadow, away from direct sunshine, where it will receive bright indirect light. When the temperature at night falls under 60 degrees F, bring the plant indoors if possible. If you live in an area with little humidity and very aggressive sunshine, your peace lily may not grow well outdoors.

Why is Proper Lighting So Important for Peace Lilies?

Even for plants that don’t require a lot of light, light is essential to a plant’s ability to develop steadily. The reason for this is that light initiates the process of photosynthesis in plants. The plant does this to produce the sugar it needs as a fuel source.

Even though water and fertilizer are important for peace lily plant maintenance, a plant cannot thrive without sunshine. Only a few plants, which rely on parasitic interactions with other plants, can grow without sunshine. Even the peace lily needs just a little light to start the plant’s effective photosynthesis process, which feeds the plant. Similar to fertilizer, most plants don’t like too much light. Beyond a certain point, increasing the amount of light available to plants will not promote further development. Bright light-sensitive plants, such as peace lily plants, experience sunburn rather than a favorable reaction.

The secret to inducing flowering in tropical home plants is frequently to restrict the amount of light. In order to begin this process, some plants need to be put in a closet and totally shielded from light for a few hours each day. It might be challenging to provide some plants with adequate strong light for them to thrive in a domestic setting. It is simpler to provide just enough light for vigorous development without installing expensive plant lights by picking plants with lower light requirements, such as the peace lily. This is one of the reasons why these plants are so well-liked in a variety of indoor settings.

Light Requirements for Peace Lilies

Peace lilies are native to tropical regions of the world, just like many other plants that are grown as indoor plants today. They may be found mostly throughout Central America. In tropical areas of Asia, peace lily plants can also be found in some local populations. Whether they are reared indoors or outside, they need warm, humid surroundings. They don’t get a lot of light since they grow under the canopies of trees in jungles and tropical regions. The deep canopy of the older trees that are growing above them filters what little light they do receive.

These circumstances are simple to reproduce in a typical household setting. Peace lily plants may be put in almost any place where there is at least a little diffuse light, with less light being preferable over more. They can survive without a lot of natural light and do well when placed near a window. For areas of the house that don’t receive a lot of natural light, think of jungle plants that flourish in the understory of trees. Replicating this environment isn’t difficult if you strategically place a grow light near the plant.

In the typical interior setting, low light levels are prevalent. If there isn’t any natural light for you to provide your peace lily, consider placing them close to a somewhat strong overhead light source. A 40-watt bulb could be able to offer what your plant requires if you can position it closer to a small table light. Any plant lights intended for bright light-loving plants should be kept away from the peace lily plant.

So, to summarize, your peace lily will need bright, indirect light with some dappled shade in order to grow well. This can be replicated with artificial lights, but most homes have at least one window that would provide a suitable amount of light for the peace lily to grow.

Is My Peace Lily Getting Too Much Light?

You can tell whether your peace lily plants are receiving too much light by keeping a close eye on them. The oldest leaves may start to turn yellow if there is gradually too much light for the plant. Peace lily plants that have just been propagated and are variegated may be more vulnerable.

Curled leaves are another sign of prolonged light exposure, particularly when they first appear as new growth. Fresh leaves may also turn yellow if the exposure is very bright and strong for a brief time. Even if you move the plant out of the light, these yellow leaves won’t ever become green again and will need to be pruned for new growth. The greatest thing you can do after seeing yellowing is to encourage the plant to develop new leaves because the afflicted leaves will ultimately dry out and fall off. However, there are other causes for this that may not just be too much light. Pests, disease, and root rot are additional causes of dead-looking leaves.

Is My Peace Lily Not Getting Enough Light?

Unfortunately, the majority of symptoms that a peace lily plant is not getting enough light can also appear to be symptoms of too much light. While dealing with a shortage of light, leaves may first begin to droop before becoming yellow. Over time, too little light will cause the leaves’ margins to yellow and develop dry tips.

Lack of light can also explain why peace lily plants don’t blossom and appear glossy and dark. Increase the quantity of light the plant receives if it won’t bloom despite receiving adequate watering and a decent level of humidity. The white spathes and yellow flowers will begin to bloom when there is a constant yet diffused light coupled with opportunities for shade.

The peace lily is an excellent plant to grow in homes or offices that receive little in the way of natural light. Just make sure that you can provide your peace lily with bright, indirect light with plenty of shade in order for it to thrive. If this isn’t possible, a grow light could be very helpful.

Want to learn even more about this amazing plant? Check out our complete guide to peace lilies here.

Bonus: Why are Peace Lilies Given at Funerals?

Peace lilies are often given to someone who is in mourning and, along with other varieties of lilies – are often used to decorate at funerals or visitations. It is considered to be a go-to funeral flower because of the significant meaning behind its blossoms. Lilies represent the soul’s return to a peaceful state of innocence. The peace lily plant symbolizes innocence and the rebirth of the departed’s soul from the physical world to a greater place. Potted peace lilies are an appropriate gift for a friend in mourning because they can carry the plant home to brighten their lives for a long time to come.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Anya Why