The peace lily is one of the most popular houseplants thanks to its glossy green foliage, graceful white blooms, and relatively easy care requirements. While these tropical plants are known for their elegant flowers, it can sometimes be a struggle to get this houseplant to bloom. Here’s how you can encourage your peace lily to bloom and enjoy those signature white flowers year after year.

Understanding Peace Lily Blooms

This is besides the point, but what many people think of as the flower is actually a modified leaf called a spathe. The true flowers are the tiny blooms on the upright spike in the center, known as the spadix. Healthy peace lilies typically bloom during the spring and early summer, although mature plants grown in ideal indoor conditions may bloom more than once throughout the year.

Give Your Peace Lily Bright, Indirect Light

One of the biggest reasons a peace lily doesn’t bloom is insufficient light. Peace lilies are often marketed as low-light houseplants because they can survive in dimmer conditions. However, surviving and blooming are two different things. Plants kept in low light usually produce healthy leaves but few, if any, flowers.

Place your peace lily where it receives bright, indirect sunlight. Avoid prolonged direct afternoon sun, which can scorch the leaves.

Water Consistently

Peace lilies like evenly moist soil but dislike sitting in water. Give the plant water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Thoroughly soak the soil until excess water drains from the bottom of the pot. Remember to empty the saucer so the roots can dry out.

Allowing the plant to wilt occasionally won’t usually cause lasting damage, but repeated drought stress can reduce flowering.

Increase Humidity

As tropical plants, peace lilies appreciate moderate to high humidity. Use a humidifier or a pebble tray with water if the conditions in your home are dry. Another tactic is to group houseplants to increase the dampness in the air or relocate the plant to an area with naturally high humidity, like a kitchen or bathroom. Higher humidity supports healthier foliage and can improve blooming conditions.

Feed During the Growing Season

Blooming requires energy, so fertilizing can help set your plant up for success. Use a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer at half strength every four to six weeks during spring and summer. Avoid overfertilizing, as excessive nitrogen encourages leaf growth at the expense of flowers. Pause fertilizing during the fall and winter when growth naturally slows.

Avoid Repotting Too Often

Peace lilies actually bloom better when they’re slightly root-bound. If your plant has plenty of healthy leaves but no flowers, resist the urge to move it into a much larger container. A pot that’s only one to two inches wider than the root ball is usually sufficient. If you give the plant a larger container, it will focus its energy on root growth instead of flower growth.

Keep Temperatures Comfortable

Peace lilies thrive in temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. The temperature needs to be dialed in if you want flowers. Too far in either direction will ensure your houseplant will not bloom. Most homes are a comfortable temperature, but keep the peace lily away from heating or cooling vents, exterior doors, and any windows that are routinely opened to prevent temperature fluctuations.

Remove Old Blooms

Once a bloom starts to fade, trim the flower stalk near the base using clean pruning shears. The plant will continue to support the declining flower if left attached. Removing spent blooms allows the plant to direct all of its energy toward producing new flowers.

Be Patient with Young Plants

Not every peace lily is mature enough to bloom. Smaller plants may spend their first year or so establishing roots and producing foliage before they can flower regularly. As the plant matures, you can expect flowers.

Tips for a Peace Lily to Bloom

Getting a peace lily to bloom is largely about recreating its native tropical habitat as much as possible inside your home. Bright indirect light, consistent watering, moderate humidity, and occasional fertilization all play important roles in encouraging flowers. With a little patience and proper care, your peace lily can reward you with elegant white blooms that brighten your home and complement its beautiful evergreen foliage.