Why are my peace lily leaves turning yellow?
One yellow leaf on a peace lily isn’t always a problem, but several at once are a message. Which leaves yellow, and where, tells you whether it’s overwatering, thirst, light or just age.
On a peace lily, yellow leaves with always-damp soil almost always come from overwatering. Yellow leaves after several collapses from thirst point to irregular watering. One or two old leaves near the base slowly yellowing is normal ageing. Push a finger into the soil before you decide.
Why is my peace lily turning yellow?
The peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii) shows its trouble in the colour and position of the yellow leaves:
- Several yellow leaves, soil wet for days. Overwatering.
- Yellow leaves after the plant has toppled more than once. Repeated thirst.
- One old leaf, near the base, slowly yellowing. Normal ageing.
- Pale, light green leaves overall. Too much shade, cold, draughts or lack of feed.
- Pale yellow with dry patches on the window side. Too much sun.
Is the yellow from overwatering?
It’s the commonest cause, and easy to fall into: because the peace lily likes faintly damp soil, a heavy hand creeps in. When the soil stays waterlogged for days, the roots run out of air and begin to rot; with no working roots, the leaves turn yellow. More clues: old and new leaves yellowing at the same time, a musty smell, gnats over the pot and soft, dark stems at soil level. If you peek at the roots, those of an overwatered plant are dark, from deep brown to black, and soft.
What to do.
- Pause the watering until the top two or three centimetres of soil dry.
- Tip out the saucer and check the pot has a drainage hole.
- If the soil smells bad or the roots are soft and dark, lift the plant out, snip off the rotten roots with clean scissors and repot in fresh soil, in a pot with a hole.
- Remove the yellow leaves: they won’t turn green again.
How long the soil takes to dry depends on the spot:
| Where it lives | In July | In January |
|---|---|---|
| South- or west-facing window | 2 days | 4 days |
| East-facing window | 2 days | 4 days |
| North-facing window | 3 days | 7 days |
| Hallway or corner with no window | 5 days | 10 days |
For the full gap and the finger test, read how often to water a peace lily.
Can a peace lily also yellow from too little water?
It sounds contradictory, but yes. It topples completely when the soil dries too far and stands up after a drink; but a plant that keeps drying out loses leaves, and the older ones, near the base, are the first to yellow. The soil is usually hard and shrinking from the sides of the pot, and the roots, if you look, are light rusty brown.
What to do. Soak the soil until water runs from the bottom, and start watering a little sooner. If the soil has dried so far that water runs through without wetting it, leave the pot in a bucket of water for half an hour, then let it drain. There’s no blame: it happens to anyone who forgot for a week. If the tips are dry too, see why peace lily tips turn brown.
Is it normal for an old leaf to turn yellow?
Yes. An old, low leaf that slowly yellows and dries belongs to the normal cycle: the plant renews its foliage over time. If it’s one leaf at a time and the new ones come through green, leave it. Cut the leaf off at the base once it is fully yellow.
Too little light, or too much sun?
In a spot that is too shady, cold or draughty, a peace lily can turn pale or yellow. In direct sun, the leaves turn yellow and scorched on the window side. The sweet spot is bright, indirect light. If the plant sits in a dark corner, browse plants that tolerate low light.
What if the roots are crowded?
With roots filling the pot, the lower leaves yellow, and one sign is soil that dries soon after watering. In spring, move it to a pot only a little larger (about 2 to 5 cm wider): an oversized pot also makes it yellow, because the soil stays too wet.
Does the plant need feeding?
A plant that has sat for years in the same pot, with no feed and no fresh soil, can yellow slowly, leaf by leaf. In spring and summer, a general liquid feed, well diluted (a quarter of the label strength), every six to eight weeks. In winter, none. Before feeding a sick plant, sort out the watering first: feed on rotten roots only makes things worse.
Summary: which yellow is this?
| What you see | Most likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Several yellow leaves, always-damp soil | Overwatering | Stop watering, check the pot and saucer |
| Yellow after several collapses | Repeated thirst | Water a little earlier |
| One old leaf, near the base | Ageing | Cut at the base |
| Pale leaves overall | Too much shade, cold or lack of feed | More indirect light, no draughts, diluted feed |
| Yellow with a dry patch on the window side | Direct sun | Move back or filter the light |
Quick questions
Should I cut off yellow peace lily leaves? Yes, at the base with clean scissors. They won’t turn green again, and the plant wastes less energy.
Can a yellowing peace lily recover? Yes, if the roots are firm. Correct the watering and give it a few weeks; new leaves show whether it worked.
One yellow, several causes
When the signs blur together, your routine decides: when you watered, where the plant lives, what light it gets. Verdejar weighs that against the pot and the logged waterings before telling you what is going on. For the routine as a whole, read how to care for a peace lily.
Sources: Royal Horticultural Society · Missouri Botanical Garden · Clemson Home & Garden Information Center · NC State Extension · UF/IFAS Extension · University of Illinois Extension · Michigan State University Extension · Encyclopaedia Britannica. The days between waterings come from the Verdejar watering engine.