Brown leaves of peace lilies may be caused by temperature changes, sunburn, and dried soil as a result of underwatering. Low humidity causes the peace lily to lose too much moisture from the leaves, which causes the leaf tips to turn brown.
most typical causes of browning peace lily leaves.
- The leaf tips turn brown in low humidity. Tropical plants called peace lilies prefer a moist atmosphere. Low humidity caused by heating or cooling indoors robs the leaves of moisture, turning the leaves and leaf tips dark.
- Underwatering results in drooping, yellow and brown leaves. You need evenly damp soil for peace flowers. The leaves become brown when the soil is overly dry.
- The browning of leaf tips is a result of overfertilization. Compared to most indoor plants, peace lilies are more sensitive to fertilizer. The leaf tips turn dark when fertilizer is applied too frequently or in excess concentration.
- Brown tips can be caused by hard tap water that contains too many minerals or chemicals (fluoride and chlorine). To prevent brown tips, peace lilies prefer to be watered with rainwater, bottled water, or distilled water.
- inadequate drainage and overwatering. Potting soil must be uniformly moistened and have good drainage for peace lilies. Browning leaf tips are initially brought on by soggy soil, and subsequently yellowing and drooping leaves are the result.
- Leaf scalding causes yellowing and browning. The leaves of peace lilies burn to a yellow and brown color in the sun since they are evolved to thrive in the shade.
- Changes in temperature result in browning of the leaves. Peace lilies prefer temperatures between 68°F and 85°F, with the nighttime temperature being around 10°F colder. When the temperature is too high, the soil can dry up too soon and turn brown or yellow, but when the temperature is too low, the leaves can turn brown and die.
A peace lily with brown leaves can be brought back to life by spraying the leaves to raise humidity, planting it in well-draining soil, watering it thoroughly every week, placing it in shade, and pruning off any brown leaves or leaf tips with a pair of sharp pruners.
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Peace Lily Leaves and Leaf Tips Turning Brown
Low humidity, submersion, and too much sun are the three main causes of browning peace lily leaves. Topical plants known as peace lilies favor moist, evenly-drained soil and shade. The leaf tips turn brown if the soil and air around the leaves are excessively dry.
Water the peace lilies (Spathiphyllum wallisii) about once a week to keep the soil evenly moist.
If the soil totally dries up, it can frequently bake hard and become hydrophobic (rejects water), which causes water to flow off the top, down the side of the pot, and out of the drainage hole in the base instead of properly penetrating the soil and reaching the roots.
The first sign of stress is drooping leaves with brown tips if the peace lily’s roots cannot reach the water it needs.
Similar to other tropical plants, peace lilies are native to Central and South America’s humid woods.
In-house heating, air conditioning, and draughts from open doors can all contribute to brown leaf tips because indoor humidity is often lower than what peace lilies require.
The first symptom of stress is when the dry air dries out the leaves, making the tips brown.
Because of their extremely delicate leaves and adaptation to shady situations, direct sunlight and even very bright rooms are not ideal for peace lilies and may result in brown tips.
The likelihood of turning the leaves and blossoms yellow and brown in direct sunlight is higher.
While dry circumstances are the most frequent culprits of brown leaves and brown tips, there are other elements that can also play a role, including:
- Poor drainage and overwatering
- Whether there is too much or not enough fertilizer,
- The tannish browning of the tips of peace lily leaves can also be brought on by hard tap water (too many minerals) or by pollutants in tap water like fluoride and chlorine.
How to Save a Peace Lily With Brown Leaves and Brown Leaf Tips
Feel the soil at the top of the pot and at the bottom via the drainage hole in the base to identify whether the reason for the peace lily leaves, flowers, and leaf tips becoming brown is due to overwatering and poor drainage or dry conditions due to underwatering.
The ground should feel consistently damp. The leaf tips and leaves turning brown are probably caused by the soil feeling dry, in which case:
- Make sure the root ball is completely submerged before submerging the peace lily in water for at least ten minutes. By doing so, you can make sure that water soaks into the soil properly, preventing water from dribbling off the surface and allowing the roots to receive the moisture they require.
- Every 7 to 10 days, give peace lilies a really good soak in water. The peace lily prefers a cycle of irrigation in which the soil is extensively watered and then left to dry between irrigations. This protects against root rot caused by muddy soil and guarantees that the peace lily has access to adequate moisture to meet its water needs.
- Indoor humidity is increased by misting the leaves. To raise the relative humidity surrounding your peace lily, either water the leaves or use a specialized plant humidifier. By misting the leaves, you may mimic the humidity of the peace lily’s natural environment and offset the effects of dry indoor air, which helps to prevent brown leaf tips.
- Avoid placing peace lilies close to a heat source, in the air currents created by air conditioning systems, or in drafts. The best area for your peace lily is away from any inside heating because peace lilies do well at room temperature but indoors can drastically dry the air.
If the soil at the top and bottom of the pot feels wet, overwatering and poor drainage are to blame for the browning of the leaf tips. In this case:
- Reduce the peace lily’s watering frequency. Peace lilies prefer a good soak to ensure that the soil is evenly saturated, followed by a dry period before being watered once again. This replicates the average soil moisture levels found in the peace lily’s native habitat. This usually entails watering peace lilies every seven to ten days.
- To allow water to drain freely, make sure the peace lily is placed in a pot with drainage holes in the base. To prevent standing water at the roots, peace lilies require soil that is consistently moist and drains efficiently. To maintain proper drainage, periodically empty any saucers or trays that may be under the pot of extra water.
Use rainwater, bottled water, or filtered water to water your peace lily if your locality has exceptionally hard water to avoid turning the leaf tips brown. Additionally, you can water peace lilies with water that has been placed in a dish overnight so that fluoride and chlorine can vaporize, making the water safe to use for watering the peace lily.
(Read how often to water peace lilies in my article.)
Should I cut the brown tips off my peace lily leaves?
With a good set of pruners, trim back any brown leaf tips. To restore the appearance of the peace lily’s leaves and to encourage fresh green development, trim the leaf back with a natural-looking, rounded leaf shape if the brown tip does not turn green again.
This does not hurt the peace lily, and if the root cause of the browning leaf tips has been addressed, the peace lily should continue to grow in a healthy green state.
Peace Lily Leaves Turning Brown and Yellow
The leaves closest to the sun will typically become yellow after a peace lily has been gently burnt, while severely scorched leaves will turn yellow along with dying leaves that are brown.
Direct sunshine can also dry out the potting soil fast and rob moisture from the leaves, adding to the stress and fostering the conditions for drooping, curling leaves.
Therefore, if your peace lily is in direct sunshine on a South-facing window sill, this is the cause of the leaves turning brown and yellow and appearing burned.
The leaves can turn brown and yellow after even a little exposure to the sun.
How to Fix a Peace Lily with Brown and Yellow Leaves
- Place the peace lily in a spot with shade and dim lighting. Find any area where there is peace and quiet away from the sun. Peace lilies tolerate shade to bright indirect light.
- Mist the foliage and thoroughly water the peace lily. If the leaves are drooping, spraying the foliage and giving the soil a good soak to ensure the roots can access moisture can assist. If the leaves have been burnt in the sun, it has likely also created drought stress.
Do not cut back the leaves while the plant is under stress if the peace lily’s leaves have been burned brown and yellow since they will not turn green again.
Ensure the peace lily has the right environment for it (high humidity, room temperature, evenly moist soil). then ideally wait till fresh green growth starts to appear. When you can observe active development, peace lilies are more resistant to trimming, but even then, only remove up to one-third of the leaves, even if they are burned.
Trimming the dead leaves back to the plant’s base enhances its beauty and encourages the emergence of new, wholesome, green leaves. When plants are actively growing, peace lilies can recover quite fast.
Peace Lily Leaves Turning Brown and Dying Due to Fluctuating Temperatures
It is common for temperature changes to be the cause of peace lily leaves becoming brown and dying. The ideal temperature for peace lilies is between 68°F to 85°F, with the nighttime lows being around 10°F lower. The leaves become brown and look to be dying if the temperature rises above the preferred temperature range or falls rapidly.
The majority of the time, peace lilies thrive at room temperature, but if the plant is placed on a window sill and its leaves come into touch with the glass, the cold glass at night may cause any leaves or blossoms to turn brown.
The peace lily leaves may turn brown in the Winter due to the erratic interior temperatures.
Although it is often cooler indoors during the Winter days, if the heating is turned on in the evening, the temperature can suddenly rise at a time when the peace lily prefers cooler conditions.
The peace lily’s leaves may become brown and eventually die due to this temperature cycle, which is the opposite of the one to which it has adapted in its natural habitat.
The soil might dry out more quickly and the humidity can be reduced indoors, both of which can be detrimental to the peace lily and cause the leaves to become brown.
To learn how to preserve a peace lily with yellow leaves, see this post.
How to Save a Peace Lily with Brown, Dying Leaves
The ideal temperature for peace lilies is between 68°F and 85°F, which is similar to the temperature in most homes (but around 10°F cooler at night). The key to allowing peace lilies to recuperate is to keep them away from sources of interior heating or unexpected cold.
Should I cut the brown leaves off my peace lily?
Cut the brown, withering leaves back to the plant’s base using a sharp pair of pruners. In order to restore the peace lily’s appearance, it can assist to prune back brown, dying leaves in order to encourage the growth of fresh, healthy green leaves.
Peace lilies can be pruned back at any time of year if the leaves are going brown, drooping, or dead, but it is usually best to do so during the plant’s active development in the spring and summer when it is more resilient.
If you notice brown, dead leaves, refrain from fertilizing because the plant is already under stress and fertilizer that promotes growth could put an undue strain on its resources.
Only fertilize the peace lily in the spring and summer, when it is actively growing.
To learn how to save a fading peace lily, see my post.
Key Takeaways:
- Due to drought, low humidity, temperature changes, and sunburn, peace lily leaves become brown. Too much direct sunlight causes the yellow and browning of peace lily leaves. Due to the dry soil and low humidity, the tips of peace lily leaves get brown as a result of moisture loss.
- Too much direct sunlight causes the leaves of peace lilies to turn brown and yellow. In their natural habitat, peace lilies like to grow in the shade because the heat can scorch their leaves, which turn them yellow and brown.
- Sudden temperature changes can cause peace lily leaves to turn brown and develop a drooping, withering appearance. The ideal temperature for peace lilies is between 68°F to 85°F, with the nighttime lows being around 10°F lower. Drooping, decaying, brown leaves might result from sudden temperature fluctuations due to the contrast in environmental conditions.
- To restore the peace lily’s appearance, trim back any brown leaf tips with a good set of pruners into a normal leaf shape. After cutting the leaf tips back, mist the leaves to keep them from becoming brown once more.
- Brown leaves of a peace lily can be brought back to life by misting the leaves to promote humidity, thoroughly watering the soil, and shielding the leaves from any direct sunlight. To encourage healthy growth, prune any brown leaves down to the plant’s root.