The peace lily (Spathiphyllum) is a stunning houseplant with lush green foliage and long-lasting blooms. Regular care makes these plants easy to grow and adds a pop of color to your living space. Like most houseplants, peace lilies benefit from regular pruning and trimming for various reasons. It encourages new growth, removes dead leaves from the plant, and ensures your plant continues to thrive indoors.
Learn how and why you should prune your peace lily plant to ensure it stays healthy and growing strong.Â
Table of Contents
Materials Needed
Here are the tools you will need to prune this beautiful plant.
- Peace lily plant
- Sharp pruning shears
- Gardening gloves
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Paper towel or cloth
Why Prune Your Peace Lily?
Peace lilies don’t need to be pruned very often, and in fact, yours might not need trimming at all. This type of houseplant typically grows well with minimal pruning. Here are a few tell-tale signs that your plant may need a trim.
Remove Dead Leaves
One of the main reasons people choose to trim their peace lily plant is because of dead or wilting leaves. Dead leaves occur naturally as the plant ages but can also be caused by overwatering or improper care. Whatever the reason, remove these leaves promptly because the plant will continue to use its energy to maintain these leaves.
Trimming away the older leaves allows the plant to focus on new growth. Look for leaves that appear brown at the tips, are yellowing, or wilting.Â
Pro Tip: Peace lilies are sensitive to chemicals like chlorine, which tap water contains. A build-up of chlorine in the soil will eventually cause the plant’s leaves to turn brown at the tips. To avoid this, water your peace lily with filtered water or rainwater.
Promote New Blooms
Another reason to consider pruning your peace lily is to promote new blooms! Peace lilies bloom for anywhere from one to two months. When the flowers have lived out their life cycle, they begin to wilt, turn green, and then brown before eventually falling off. Trimming these dying flowers encourages the plant to produce new blooms and leaves.
Plant Is Getting too Large
If your peace lily grows too large, prune it to control its size. Trimming back some of the leaves lets you keep it the exact size you want.
How to Prune Your Peace Lily
Now that you know why you should trim your peace lily, follow these step-by-step directions to successfully prune your plant.
Step 1 – Prep Your Pruning Shears
Before you start, disinfect your pruning shears to prevent bacteria from getting on your plant. Pour rubbing alcohol onto a paper towel or cloth and wipe down your pruning shears or scissors before using. In between cuts, don’t forget to wipe down your shears.
The most ideal time to prune your peace lily is during its active growing season — which is spring through fall. However, if at any point you notice decaying foliage on your plant, it’s best to remove it right away.
Step 2 – Trim Away Dead Flowers or Leaves
Next, put on gardening gloves and prune any flowers or leaves that appear unhealthy. Trim the stem at a 45-degree angle at the soil level. Get as close as possible to the base of the plant and take as much of the stem as possible. However, if the leaves only have brown tips, trim off the tips and keep the rest of the leaf intact.
Peace lily flowers grow on long stalks, and once they produce a flower, the same stalk won’t produce another one. When trimming a dead flower off your plant, cut the entire stalk back at the base.
Note:Â Peace lily flowers, stems, and leaves contain calcium oxalate, which is a skin irritant. Always wear gardening gloves when pruning this type of plant to protect yourself.
Step 3 – Throw Away Cuttings and Tidy Up
Once you finish pruning the dead foliage off your peace lily, clean up the area and throw away any cuttings. Lastly, it’s a good idea to disinfect your tools again to prevent accidentally spreading diseases between plants.
Unfortunately, you cannot propagate peace lilies by cuttings. They can only be propagated by division. If you are removing healthy leaves to control the size of your plant, you’ll also have to throw away these cuttings.Â
Get Trimming!
With these basic tips and guidance, you’re ready to prune your peace lily! It’s pretty simple — removing dead leaves and withered flowers means a happy, healthy plant!
Do you have any tips on how to prune a peace lily plant? Have you tried it before? Leave a comment down below and share your expertise.
