All plant lovers know it’s not uncommon for the leaves and flowers to show different colors all of a sudden.
It may be because of pests, diseases, or simply aging.
Peace lily flowers turn black or brown as a result of improper care, stress, or aging. It mostly happens because of unsuitable living conditions, such as bright, direct sunlight.
Peace lilies are called ‘white sails’ because of their clear, white color, and it’s meant to stay that way.
Seeing brown or black on the flowers is your cue to know something is wrong. Here’s everything you need to know about the matter.
Table of Contents
Why Are My Peace Lily Flowers Turning Black or Brown?
There are plenty of reasons your peace lily may be turning brown or black, and they’re all reversible.
Here’s a roundup.
Stress
Stress is the most common reason for discoloration in most house plants.
Even if the conditions in your house are suitable for the plant, plants were made to stay in their natural habitat.
So many things in a house can cause a peace lily to get stressed, such as ill watering habits or poor soil.
The plant may also get stressed because of the lack of light, or too much of it. Peace lilies prefer indirect sunlight.
If they’re placed under direct light, the effects will start to show on their flowers.
The discoloration isn’t the only sign of stress.
You’ll notice the leaves looking wilted, and the flower will overall look fragile. The spadix may also match the leaves’ color, which is a sure sign of stress.
Improper Care
Most house plants are hardy and can live with improper care, but that doesn’t mean all plants will be okay with it.
For example, the peace lily is one of the needy house plants. If its requirements aren’t met, it’ll start wilting and showing brown edges.
Peace lilies need indirect sunlight, but that doesn’t mean they should stay in the shade.
They need plenty of light to survive, so putting them next to a window with a semi-transparent curtain is an ideal solution.
They should also be watered once a week on average.
Excellent Advice: As a rule of thumb, their soil should stay moist, so the watering frequency should vary according to the humidity level and the surrounding conditions.
Aging
What if your plant isn’t stressed? And you’re taking excellent care of it.
Why is it still showing brown or black edges?
Well, there’s a simple, although unwanted, answer: aging.
Sometimes, you’ll do everything to save a plant or revive it, but age will have taken its toll.
Peace lilies are no different; when they age:
- their edges start showing a brown color
- and their leaves start wilting and becoming frail
If you want to track the flower’s age, take a look at its spadix. It should be white once you buy the plant, and it turns green when the flower starts to open up.
After that, it may return to white or it may start browning, which is your cue that the plant is aging.
A brown spadix means the pollination won’t occur, and so the plant will eventually start withering.
How to Prevent Peace Lily Flowers from Turning Black or Brown
While there isn’t a definite cure for browning peace lilies, there are some preventative measures.
If you take care of the plant and follow these tips, it’ll hopefully not brown until it ages old enough to do so.
Maintain a Healthy Temperature
Peace lily flowers thrive at a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit because they originally grow in tropical areas.
Try to maintain a close level to keep the plant in a healthy state. It’s okay to go lower, but try not to let it go lower than 60 degrees.
You can use a thermometer to track the temperature indoors. And if the humidity level is too low for the plant, you may use a humidifier.
Alternatively: You can use a humidity tray, which is basically a tray full of water and gravel. You only have to put the peace lily pot on top of the tray, and magic will start working.
Try Not to Over-Fertilize
If you want to fertilize your peace lily, only do it once every six weeks, preferably starting towards the end of the winter.
It’s not recommended to use fertilizer in the cold months.
Generally, the spadix is more likely to thrive in the spring and summer.
Using too much fertilizer or fertilizing more often than you should may have its toll on your flower.
The flower will eventually start changing colors, and it may show brown or black edges.
Use Filtered Water
It’s not recommended to use tap water for watering peace lilies.
The water contains fluoride, chlorine, and a lot of other additives that belong on the no-no list for plants. Using tap water excessively could be the reason your plant is browning.
Try to only use filtered water, unless you absolutely have to use tap water.
On top of that, try to keep the water at room temperature.
Is There a Cure for Peace Lily Flowers Turning Black or Brown?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a magical cure that’ll get rid of the brown color on your peace lily flower.
However, there’s a solution that may get the plant to start growing again with fresh flowers:
- You can attempt to cut the affected flower at its stem base, along with the spathes. Then, cut off any damaged leaves as well, only leaving the green, healthy ones.
- Make sure to use clean shears when cutting, and avoid doing it using your hands.
- It’s best if you sterilize the tools you’re using before and after, just in case the plant is infected with some disease. To do so, wipe them down with alcohol, and wait until they’re dry to use them on another plant.
- When cutting, make sure you cut the stem at the part where it turns green again. Try not to cut the healthy bit because we’re depending on it to sprout the new flowers.
- After you trim the plant, check the soil for signs of rot or mold. Then, remove any brown or old stalks coming out of it.
- It may also be waterlogged, which may be causing the brown color. The water blockage normally occurs when the pot’s drainage holes are clogged, so you’ll want to check those.
- If they’re blocked, clean them and let the pot drain all its water down the sink. Afterward, check the surface of the soil. If it’s dry, water it, but make sure not to overdo it.
- After that, the plant will start growing a new flower. It’ll take time, around a month or so to sprout a new flower, but it’ll eventually get there.
To Wrap Up
Peace lily flowers mostly turn black or brown because they’re stressed.
It may be because of a sudden change in their living conditions, or because they’re not getting enough light.
Other reasons include aging, which can’t be prevented.
What you can do is care for the plant properly and provide it with sufficient water and light.
Hopefully, it won’t show signs of discoloration if you do so.
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