White peace lily flowers turn green over time. You may be taken aback by the transformation of your peace lily’s petals if this is your first time growing them.
Also, the white flowers may turn brown and die before turning green. In this article, I will explain the color change of peace lily flowers and how to deal with it.
Contents
- The White Flowers of The Peace Lily Are Modified Leaves
- The Mystery of The Greening Peace Lily Flowers
- What If The Peace Lily Flowers Turn Green to Brown and Die?
- Nitrogen and Magnesium Overdosage
- Lack of Light Is Another Reason Why White Flowers Turn Green
- Environmental Stress
- When Should You Be Worried?
The White Flowers of The Peace Lily Are Modified Leaves
The white flower-like part is a modified leaf known as a “spathe” The spadix at the Peace lily’s center is the actual flower. This part is called an inflorescence.
This type of flowering is common to plants in the family Araceae. Other plants, like calla and pepper, have similar flowering patterns.
The peace lily’s blooming season spans from May to October, with peak bloom occurring in the months of May and June. Use a water-soluble fertilizer to support its continued blooming.
The peace lily is technically an ornamental plant, but it produces flowers, so it’s best to use a fertilizer designed for flowering plants instead of a general-purpose one.
The Mystery of The Greening Peace Lily Flowers
Why are plant flowers white in the first place? The reason why flowers are often brightly colored is to attract insects that will help spread pollen.
The Spathiphyllum flower’s transformation from white to green indicates that it has fulfilled its function as a flower and is now ready to transition into a new phase of its life cycle.
Because the white portion is a modified leaf, it is thought to be an attempt to increase chlorophyll, the green pigment required for photosynthesis.
When Spathiphyllum flowers turn green, it is best to cut them off at the base of the stem so as not to stress the plant. If you keep it from using too much energy, it will produce more and more flowers.
If the plant’s flowers aren’t opening correctly, cutting back its new leaves will free up resources that it can put toward flowering instead.
What If The Peace Lily Flowers Turn Green to Brown and Die?
Pollination is rare for peace lily flowers, so seeds are rarely produced. In this case, the spathe flower goes from white to green to brown.
Most of the time, the flowers are cut off when they turn green, so it is not common to let them stay on until they turn brown and die.
There could be other causes if the Peace Lily flowers turn from white to brown instead of white to green.
For example, it can die and turn brown if it doesn’t get enough sunlight. If it gets too much sunlight, it can burn and turn brown.
Peace Lily likes bright places but can turn brown if it gets too much direct sunlight. So, putting the Peace Lily on a windowsill that gets a lot of light is best.
Nitrogen and Magnesium Overdosage
Nitrogen and magnesium are essential elements that help form chlorophyll, which makes the leaves lush and green.
Because the Peace Lily spathe is a modified leaf, an excess of these nutrients causes the plant to produce more chlorophyll, the green pigment in the leaf.
This green pigment is responsible for harvesting energy from the sun and converting it into food for the peace lily.
Excess nutrients can affect the plant’s overall health, developing these different colored spathes.
The issue can occur during both cold and hot months. In the first case, it usually means that you are fertilizing when you should not be or that the dose is incorrect.
You should not apply fertilizer in the fall until the beginning of the following spring.
If the problem occurs during the summer, it means that you are probably dosing incorrectly.
In the warm months, I recommend applying fertilizer at half the recommended dose listed on the package, usually, one feeding every 4-5 weeks for this plant.
Lack of Light Is Another Reason Why White Flowers Turn Green
The peace lily requires very strong indirect sunlight for optimal growth and health. When there isn’t enough light, the plant uses its resources to get the most out of the light it has.
To do this, the modified leaf or spathe turns green to help the plant survive. That’s why you should put this plant in a room that gets a lot of sunlight, not too far from a window.
Environmental Stress
Sometimes the Peace Lily will develop a green spathe if you move it to a new location, as this is a response to the change in environmental conditions.
This can happen if, for instance, you kept the Peace Lily outside over the summer but brought it inside along with other plants when the weather cooled down.
The plant’s health can be temporarily compromised by changes in lighting conditions, air circulation, and, often, humidity levels.
When Should You Be Worried?
A green flower is not necessarily a bad sign for your peace lily. After taking all the necessary precautions, if the bracts remain green but the plant displays no other signs of distress, you need not worry.
However, if the spathiphyllum shows signs of weakness and disease in addition to the green spathes, you may want to diagnose and treat the problem.
For a complete look at the Peace Lily’s health, you should always check the condition of the leaves as well:
- If these are brown, the plant is getting too much direct sunlight.
- Watering issues are to blame if the ends of the plants are turning brown. You should either water more often or raise the relative humidity in the room. Remember that the general rule is to water when the top two to four inches of soil are dry.
- Yellowing leaves often signify that a plant is getting old and dying. Only if all of the leaves turn this color could it be a problem with the roots.