Why Are My Peace Lily Flowers Green?

Last Updated on August 17, 2023 by a Friendly Gardener

Botanically named Spathiphyllum, the lovely Peace Lily is known for its elegant white spathes and spadix amongst deep green foliage. They belong to the Araceae plant family and feature a clumping upright growth habit that can permit plants to grow to heights and widths of 2 feet.

Discovered in 1824 among the jungle flora of Colombia, Peace Lilies have grown in popularity as members of indoor and outdoor gardens. Easy to grow and care for, they are not overly susceptible to either diseases or pest infestations and do exceptionally well in low-light environments. Even better, they will bloom even indoors.

Peace Lilies are easy to care for requiring only well-draining, loose soil containing organic matter, regular watering, and bright indirect light in an environment with temperatures ranging from 65° to 85°F. and humidity between 40% and 60%. With a monthly feeding during the growing season in spring and summer, these plants thrive.

Do Peace Lily Blooms Come in a Variety of Colors?

Although not true lilies, these plants, and their flowers are generally identified with purity for their graceful white blooms. When well-cared for, they will bloom regularly in the winter but may also bloom at other times during the year.

Blooms are generously sized featuring a single spathe or petal on a creamy-colored stem. The true flowers of this plant are found clustered on the stem or spadix. Named ‘inflorescence’, in the beginning, the petal or spathe is wrapped snugly around the spadix. As the flower matures, this protective petal will unfurl revealing the spadix. Initially, the bloom will have a green appearance but will gradually turn white.

Why Are My Peace Lily Flowers Green Instead of White?

When the flowering period is finished, the white spathe will begin to green spontaneously which is to be expected because these flowers are a form of leaf which can perform photosynthesis. Peace Lily blooms turning green is due to an increase in chlorophyll from the photosynthesis process. Peace Lily blooms are mostly white in the form of these curved spathes, but they can grow with green hints or even be completely green.

When flowers turn brown and are no longer glossy, they have passed and can be pruned. When dead blooms are pruned, this permits the plant to channel its energy to more flowering or prolonged blooming.

Peace Lily Turning Green

There are several other reasons for Peace Lily blooms turning green. Among these, we find issues such as improper feeding and incorrect sunlight.

• Improper feeding

While Peace lilies can do with a bit of fertilization, if they are overfed, this can create problems for blooms. A lack of nutrients can result in no flowers. If your peace Lily plant is flowering, but blooms are consistently green, this can be a sign of overfertilization. Should this be the case, know that green blooms cannot be reverted to white even if you interrupt or reduce feeding. However, it will aid your plant in producing white blooms with the next flowering.

• Incorrect environmental Light

Peace Lilies are considered to be low-light houseplants, however, plants that are less than a year old will not produce blooms in low-light conditions. The same is true of Peace lilies that have been recently transplanted and placed in low-light conditions. They will not flower.

If you place your peace Lily plant in strong direct sunlight, blooms may turn green due to increased photosynthesis causing the green pigment to become dominant in the flower.

Can Peace Lily Green Blooms Be Avoided?

To aid your plant in flowering, feed it several times a year, especially during the growing season in spring and summer. Use a balanced liquid fertilizer (NPK 20-20-20) for foliage plants. If the blooms produced are consistently green, try diluting your liquid fertilizer to half-strength before application.

Also, improve your plant’s environmental light. If it is in a very low-light location, move it to a brighter spot where the sunlight is bright but rigorously indirect. Do not expose your plant to direct sunlight.

Check the soil quality as well. An optimal choice for the growing medium is peat-based potting soil which has higher moisture retention. Allow the peat-based soil mix to dry out between waterings.

Finally, check environmental humidity levels and temperatures.  Peace Lilies thrive in locations where the humidity is kept at 50% or above, so beware of air conditioning and central heating that dry air out. Consider introducing a space humidifier or a pebble tray beneath the plant’s container to increase the humidity in the immediate area of the plant.

Temperature is another element to factor in. Healthy bloom-producing peace Lilies do best in temperatures ranging from 68° to 85°F.

Should a Peace Lily Flower Turned Green Be Pruned?

Not unless they bother you. The only flowers that need to be trimmed off are those that have turned brown or black because they are dead. If you do not enjoy green-hued blooms, you can prune them as this will not harm your plant.

What If My Plant Has Never Produced a White Bloom?

If your plant has never bloomed or only produced green flowers, you most likely have a lighting issue. Try placing your plant in a new spot with generous amounts of bright, indirect sunlight and wait for the next flowering period to verify if the plant now produces beautiful white spathes and spadix.

A Final Thought

Remember that your white Peace Lily blooms will turn green naturally after approximately three weeks as part of their natural maturation process. This ‘greening’ of the white flower is due to photosynthesis which is necessary to provide sufficient energy for the developing seeds. So, if your white bloom does tend to go green on you, be happy as your plant is providing for its developing seed and eventual propagation.