Houseplants: Peace lily blooms are green, not white!

Replies: 47 Views: 766

Author	Comment
dave Jacksonville, TX (Zone 8a) January 24, 2007 04:04 PM	Has anyone ever heard of this? We have a peace lily that had white blooms when we bought it. Well, not it's been about a year that we've had this guy but all the blooms it puts out now are green - exactly the same color as the leaves! Has anyone ever heard of this before? dave
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) January 24, 2007 07:28 PM	Found this article that says something about finding flowers turning green when they've been pollinated and seed set. I am curious why the new flowers would be green. Hope someone out there in DG land knows the answer. On my plants the flowers will sometimes turn green as they age, before they die. Lin http://www.plant-care.com/peace-lily-spathiphyllum-removing-...
dave Jacksonville, TX (Zone 8a) January 24, 2007 08:42 PM	Hmm, that got me thinking. I wonder if these are actually not new flowers but old ones. I'll ask Trish - she would know. If it's the case that they are just old flowers, then we can snip them and see about getting new flowers. (I'm pretty much a dunce at houseplants, thus I'm posting in the beginner's forum!!) dave
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) January 24, 2007 08:57 PM	I have a small Peace Lily that had one green flower a few months ago, and I FOUND a seed pod .... planted the seeds but, nothing, zilch, nada .... nothing happened! I've had Peace Lily's over the years, with old leaves turning green, but this was the first time I found seeds. I have a large variegated PL that I would love to get some viable seed from! I would snip off all the green flowers, and feed the plant with a flowering plant food and see if the new flower growth isn't the white ones. If they still grow green flowers, maybe ya got something unusual and rare there Dave! Lin
dave Jacksonville, TX (Zone 8a) January 24, 2007 09:33 PM	Lin, thanks! We'll do just that!
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) January 24, 2007 09:38 PM	You are quite welcome! If you are "THE" Dave ... creator of this Wonderful Garden ... I Thank You!
dave Jacksonville, TX (Zone 8a) January 24, 2007 10:26 PM	That's me. The best part of running DG is that I have a great place to come and ask silly questions. :-) best, dave
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) January 24, 2007 11:30 PM	Oh .... in my opinion, no question is silly .... especially when it's about plants or gardening. I am so glad to have found "Your" Garden here on the web. I have been flower gardening and growing houseplants for nearly 40 years and still consider myself a novice. I am learning so much, and getting some really great advice, from some very knowledgeable people here in DG. Have made about a dozen trades since joining in early October .... and plan on many future trades. I love "playing in the dirt", and I've found many friends who enjoy it as much, if not more, than I do. Very Generous "Plant People" here in Your Garden! Lin
dave Jacksonville, TX (Zone 8a) January 25, 2007 12:08 AM	I agree completely. :)
Sashagirl by the Muddy Miss, IA (Zone 5a) January 29, 2007 02:56 PM	Dave, Never thought I'd be able to help YOU, but I can.LOL It's just natural aging, and the green thing isn't the bloom-but in actuality, a spathe. If you've noticed- their has been a lot of pollen shedding over the last couple months, altho if the spath is nearly totally green, it's stopped. You will increase the plants natural vigor, by cutting it off at the base. Just a little interesting tid bit for you-did you realize growers can force bloom, by applying a hort. acid, bdfore shipping to greenhouses? Otherwise, their natural time to send out new blooms is in the spring. Deanna
dave Jacksonville, TX (Zone 8a) January 29, 2007 04:12 PM	Interesting! Thank you very much! I told Trish to snip the blooms off so I'm hoping we'll get new blooms again soon. thanks again! dave
Gitagal Baltimore, MD (Zone 7a) February 01, 2007 08:21 PM	Dave, Will contribute my 2 cents worth. When you cut off the blooms, cut as far down as where the bloom stem comes out of the leaf stem. Cut just above that point. The flower stem that is left inside the leaf stem will, over time, will shrivel up. When you see this, just grab the dried up stem and pull it straight up and out. Other Spath.suggestions. They like to stay pot bound. Do not allow them to ever dry out to the point where they start wilting. Even though they will recover in a couple of days after you water them, you will, for sure, have some leaves at the base that will yellow out. Just cut these, or any other yellowing leaves, off at the very base. And remember--this is a LOW light plant! NO direct sun on this baby! Wash off the leaves now and then to get rid of the dust and dirt. I would not ever recommend that this plant be grown outside, unless you can keep it in TOTAL shade. It is a beautiful, easy plant to have. My other total favorite is a "Shefflera (sp?) Amate". The big-leaved one. It thrives in low light and neglect as well. New leaves are always dark green and shiny. Good office plant. Gita
dave Jacksonville, TX (Zone 8a) February 02, 2007 10:46 AM	Great information Gita - thank you! I agree with the large leaf schefflera. I bought one at Lowes several years ago and it's still beautiful. dave
missy99912 Mission Viejo, CA (Zone 10a) February 21, 2007 12:30 AM	I have had several spaths over the years that have flowered green. I never could figure this out. But I do have an excellent secret to keep your spath blooming year round. After the bloom has died, I replace it with an silk spath bloom. No one can tell it's not real - no one. I mean, the plant is real, who would ever dream that the flower is fake. This also works well for orchids (with the appropriate flower, of course).
gessiegail Taft, TX (Zone 9a) February 21, 2007 10:27 AM	I don't understand much about these, but I have had this plant about 2 months ......just have to post the pic of the color::: View Larger
Gitagal Baltimore, MD (Zone 7a) February 21, 2007 12:36 PM	Betty, I notice in your picture you have a lot of the seed-heads showing, even on the center bloom. That means the bloom is done! You should cut those off as soon as the Spath flower goes to pollen and starts making a mess. Cut the stems all the way down to where it enters the stem of the leaf it came out of. Leave about a 1/2" of the stem sticking up as eventually, the flower stem inside the leaf stem will shrivel up and get all brown. Then you grab it by the little 1/2" end you left and pull it straight up and out. If you try to pull it out and it does not come freely, it is not ready yet. Wait some more. If you have only had this plant for 2 months, it is possible that all the blooms are deteriorating and should be cut off. The blooms turn green as they age. Don't leave them on the plant. Hope this helps some, Gita
GhostNurse Oshkosh, WI March 31, 2007 07:07 PM	I have two peacelillies one does bloom green, little this flowers that turn white after a little while this peace lilly plant has thinner leaves that are varigated. The other peace lilly has wider completely green leaves when this peace lilly blooms the flowers are white and very large from the first day they open. So I believe it has to do with the type peace lilly they are.
007stevet Ringwood United Kingdom April 21, 2007 01:01 AM	peace lilys blooms are white then turn green View Larger
jennivere Memphis, TN June 18, 2007 12:40 AM	HI, I don't know if anyone willl check this, since it's been a couple of months, but I have a question pertaining to the topic of peace lilies... I got a peace lily for my friend in May, and the bloom is turning green. Actually, it already turned green. I've been reading alot of peace lily literature online, and some sources say to cut the flower stalk off and others just say it's natural and not to worry about it. I'm babysitting him right now, and I don't know what to do, or if I should do anything! I named him Herman, and I am really attachted to this one bloom... (it's the only one) So I'm hesitant to cut him off, but I will, if it's for the best. Also, I have no idea how to cut a plant. I am an amateur, and all of the instructions I have read are either too complicated or too ambigious for my tastes. Thanks!
gingerlily Paxton, FL (Zone 8a) June 19, 2007 07:55 AM	I'm sure others may be horrified at my technique, but I just take a pair of scissors and cut the stalk as close to the bottom as I can get.
greenteem Denison, TX September 18, 2007 09:57 PM	I've always thought Peace Lillies were beautiful, bursting-with-health (even WITH brown spotting) but now I know that they clean the air around them, I am sold. Gitagirl, if you still come around this, thank you for the great advice. It's Lin's story back in January, that really made me think. Where are the seeds of the Lilly ? Are those the lined-up spikes on the spath (thank you Deanna) or what ? I was thinking that you tried to grow one seed, Lin, if I read you right. And maybe the seed is like some other seeds : viable for a while, then no longer. What if I don't plant it at the right maturity point ? But first I have to find that seed ! Where and what is it ? Can somebody help with that ?
Gitagal Baltimore, MD (Zone 7a) September 19, 2007 10:33 AM	Greenteam, Yes, this Thread is still on my "watched" list. I guess it will stay there until all activity ceases. Seeds???? I have NO idea! It would seem that all plants must have some means of propagating themselves..... I DO know that the only way an average person can propagate a Spath is by division. That means--take a section of the plant with a portion of the root attached and start a new plant. A Spath would have to be older in order to have a multi-growth bottom. Then you could wiggle and pry a section loose and pot it up. I can tell you one thing. Most plants (that can be) are now grown from tissue culture. A scientific process. That is how a shipment can arrive at a store with, say, 50 Peace Lilies and they are all identical. Just a few comments.... Gita
scottishlady montreal Canada February 18, 2008 11:01 AM	This is my peace lilly that I bought a few weeks ago. There is a lot of new growth at the bottom of the plant and I am wondering if I should be pruning out some of that growth to get bigger and higher flowers like the two that you can see. There are a couple of new flowers coming out but they are much smaller. Any comments? View Larger
Gitagal Baltimore, MD (Zone 7a) February 18, 2008 12:00 PM	Nice, healthy plant! NO! Don't prune anything! This is how they look. New flowers actually emerge from some of the stems of the taller leaves. They might be small, but everything will grow. You may lose some of the new growth anyway as your plant adjusts to it's new environment. Some leaves may yellow out on you. Then you can cut these off. Do not allow this plant to get so dry that it wilts. It will recover when watered, but the plant will lose a few leaves as a result. No direct sun either! This is a low light plant. Gita
scottishlady montreal Canada February 23, 2008 08:43 AM	Yes, it is a healthy plant! At least in the meantime. I water it only about once every 10 days or so and the humidity in the house is at about 40% on a regular basis. I have started spraying a very fine mist of room temperature water around the leaves about once a week, but barely enough to dampen them. Hopefully, this will not cause any mildew problems! I just wondered about all the new growth at the bottom near the soil and whether this would sap energy from the bigger stems, and whether to weed out some of that new growth. I had the plant repotted when I bought it, the store offering this service when one buys a plant, so there is plenty of room for about a year or so, according to the sales rep. I bought this plant at the beginning of January and up until now there has been no loss or yellowing of leaves. As a matter of fact, the big flowers were only beginning to show when I bought it, and just yesterday I cut off the first of the two "partners" that was beginning to wilt. It did last a long time! The other will be coming off soon, and a new flower has opened since on one of the lower stems. I joked with my 17 year old daughter that when she was giving me lip while sitting at the computer, one of the "partners" would whip around and cover up her mouth!
Gitagal Baltimore, MD (Zone 7a) February 23, 2008 09:15 AM	Sounds like everything you are doing is right on! What are you referring to as "partners"???? I don't understand.....Are you calling the "blooms"---"partners???? Please explain. Gita
scottishlady montreal Canada February 23, 2008 01:51 PM	The partners I am referring to are the two spathes facing one another. It's a name I gave them because they looked like they belonged to each other...LOL.
KangaSmurf Groby, Leicestershire United Kingdom March 08, 2008 04:03 PM	Does anyone know when Peace Lillies are suposed to Bloom. I was given one for my birthday last year (April time), and it had blooms on when i got it, and the blooms kept coming until about September time, when the went Green, so I cut them all off right at the base of the stem, and I haven't had anymore Blooms since. it has one or twice wilted completely - mainly because i've had time off work, and the guys i work with didn't water it for me. but on the whole the leaves are constantly growning, although get brown tips. i do prune it every so often when it looks like it's getting a bit over crowed with leaves. am i doing the right thing? or have i caused it not to Bloom?
ecrane3 Dublin, CA (Zone 9a) March 08, 2008 04:08 PM	I don't think they're the sort of plant that you prune--I'm not sure if there are other things contributing to it not blooming but that could definitely be a factor. If it's getting too big, then move it to a larger pot but don't prune it.
Gitagal Baltimore, MD (Zone 7a) March 08, 2008 05:03 PM	Kanga, Ecrane is right! I have never heard of pruning a Peace Lily either! WHERE do you prune it????? Show us a picture! All the "pruning" should be to just remove older, yellowing leaves! You say your Spath has seriously wilted twice. That is a NO-NO! Every time you allow a Spath to get to the stage where it is wilted, you WILL lose a bunch of leaves!!! Try not to neglect it to that point! If you are gone--and your room mate is not a plant person, you can set up a wicking system to keep your plants moist. Peace Lilies (Spathophylum) like to be root bound. That is why they are always sold in these tight, little pots--but look amazingly healthy! They perform better and "bloom" better in that state. However--as far as I know--they have NO particular bloom-time. They bloom when they are ready---when all the requirements (for them to do so) are just so.....whenever they decide to...... The Spath is a very forgiving plant---just don't try to force it to do anything, and never allow it to wilt from lack of water. In this case--ignorance is bliss......Keep it watered--and then let it be! Gita
plantladylin East Central, FL (Zone 9b) March 08, 2008 07:38 PM	KangaSmurf: You could try feeding your plant once a month with a diluted fertilizer for more blooms. The browning on the leaf edges is probably from lack of humidity. You can mist with a spray bottle once in awhile to help bring up humidity.
KangaSmurf Groby, Leicestershire United Kingdom March 10, 2008 03:14 PM	Thanks for the info, I'll have to leave my work mates strict instructions from now on, to water my plant when i'm away, and i'll stop the pruning straight away. i cut off all the dead and light colour leaves, but i have also cut off ones which make it look crowed - but i know not to do that yet. I've not re-potted it since i got it, but it doesn't look like it's out grown it's pot yet. my desk in my office, in right under an sir con unit, and it doesn get hot and cold all the time. I also out in some Baby-Bio plant food, every so oftern - over the winter only once or twice, but durong the summer i tend to do it once a week. i'll try and get a picture and post it, but i'm not very good with up loading things, so don't hold you breath!!!! LOL....
ecrane3 Dublin, CA (Zone 9a) March 10, 2008 04:37 PM	It's OK to remove leaves if they're dead, just don't prune the ones that are still alive.
annalaura Warner Robins, GA June 08, 2008 01:59 PM	Hi everyone, I just joined in...i love this site:) i just bought a peace lily at lowes today and i wondered, how do you propagate this? i am thinking of having one in my bedroom as well...
Gitagal Baltimore, MD (Zone 7a) June 08, 2008 06:42 PM	annalaura, I would NEVER mess with dividing a Peace Lily! Let the Pros do the propagating! They are inexpensive and come in a variety of pot sizes. They LOVE to be pot-bound (do not repot!) and are LOW LIGHT plants. Only thing--do not let them wilt, as you will loose a few leaves afterward if you did. It WILL recover, though. Some things are best left alone in my opinion! Gita
lilylover08 Cambridge, MA August 02, 2008 01:16 PM	I used to water my peace lily once a week. So when I left for a 5 day trip, I thought it would be okay once I got back. But to my utter disappointment, when I got back, the plant completely wilted and all the blooms turned brown. I thought my lily died! I immediately watered it and now after two days, it seems to be coming back to life with the leaves and flower stems starting to stand upright. Now despite the fact that my lily is not drooping anymore, the stems that had the blooms are yellowish brown and look ugly. I've heard that for a normal lily that wasn't brought back from the dead, you just cut off the spiky 'flower' when it turns brown. But the 'leaf' right beside the spiky flower actually look much worse than the 'flower'. I've uploaded a picture that shows one stem with the 'flower' cut off and (leaf intact) one that has both the 'flower' and 'leaf'. My question is: do I cut off the leaves that have turned brown, in addition to the 'flowers'. If so, where do I cut them -- right at the root of the plant at the bottom, or at the top where they've turned brown? Thanks in advance for any advice you can provide! View Larger
Gitagal Baltimore, MD (Zone 7a) August 02, 2008 01:48 PM	As I said in my above Post--the Peace Lily suffers a bit if allowed to wilt. The price you pay will be yellowing/browning leaves--usually near the bottom. It does take a P.L. about 2 days to recover or stand up straight again after a serious wilt. As far as cutting back. It it is just a dead leaf--cut it back all the way to the bottom. If it is a dead bloom, it's stem comes out of a stem of a leaf. Cut a dead bloom back to where it comes out of the leaf stem. Leave about 1" sticking out, as, eventually, the flower stem inside the leaf stem will shrivel up and die. It takes a long while for this. When it is all dried up, grab it by the 1" end you left sticking out and pull it straight up and out. If it does not come out when you tug on it, it is not yet "ready" to be pulled out. Pulling the dead stems out is just maintenance. It does not affect the plant any if you do not--but they are not all that pretty to look at. BTW, new blooms also come out of the stems of the leaves on the lower part of the plant. They almost look a bit "pregnant"--swollen, and then a flower stem emerges. Hope this helps! Gita
newbie2plants Harper Woods, MI August 08, 2008 01:43 PM	Hello forum!! I am new to house plants. I have a peace lilly that had a bloom but it drooped and fell off. Some of the leaves r growing straight up toward the ceiling, is this normal? I also have 2 spider plants one is completely green the other is green and white. The green one has a lot of babies. I read somewhere to put them in soil while its still attached. I did that so we will see what happens. The green and white was given to me in bad shape. I trimmed the brown tips now it really looks sad. What can I do to help this poor guy? View Larger
newbie2plants Harper Woods, MI August 08, 2008 01:44 PM	This is the poor spider View Larger
newbie2plants Harper Woods, MI August 08, 2008 01:45 PM	I hope I did this right. Please let me know if its wrong. View Larger
Gitagal Baltimore, MD (Zone 7a) August 08, 2008 02:09 PM	newbie, It is normal for Peace Lily leaves to point up. That is how they grow. The plant looks OK to me--a bit sparse--but Ok. New leaves will grow and fill it in eventually. Remember--the Peace Lilly (Spathophylum) is a LOW light plant. It also likes to be root-bound--AND, never let it get so dry that it wilts. That is very traumatic to this plant. Spider plants: The all green grows a lot faster and "seems" more robust, BUT-----it is not as "graceful" as the striped one. When the "all greens" get older--they tend to separate/sprawl in the middle and the plant looks kind of yuk. You cannot change a green to a striped--and v.v. Re the babies.....Wait until they have grown some of the air-roots while still attached to mama. Then you can break them off and-- 1. Put them in a glass of water for the roots to start growing--about 2 weeks. Then pot them up. 2. Plant them directly in fresh potting mix and keep moist. Both will work. Your little "baby" in the picture looks way too small to have any roots on it. If it has NO roots growing on it, let it "hang around" for a while longer. You will see them when they are ready. The "babies" hanging all over a Spider plant is also what makes it so beautiful. Pick off only the bigger ones with dried roots all around them as they distract from the good looks of the plant. Just some more facts--Maam..... Spider plants make "garlic-clove-like things" on their roots in the soil that store water. In an older Spider plant, the whole pot can be filled with these "cloves". Because of this--a Spider Plant can go long periods without water with no ill effects. Another fact---Brown tips on a Spider plant are caused by a couple different things. 1..Being of the "Dracena" family--it absolutely abhors Chlorine and other "salts" in the water we have in our homes! If you are on a well--Not to worry! Otherwise--fill a jug/bottle (top off!) with water from your tap and let it air out for a couple of days. Chlorine is a gas and will eveporate. Then use that to water the Spiders. 2..Low humidity will do this also. take your Spider outside for the Summer--put it somewhere with filtered light. Too much sun will burn it up. 2..It does NOT hurt the plant to have the leaves trimmed back like you did. Keep it up! Hope you feel better about all this! Gita
Lynda_45 Jacksonville, NC (Zone 8b) August 08, 2008 02:38 PM	I am very new to houseplants. I was given a peace lily three years ago when my brother passed away. I never really did any thing for it except water it and give it houseplant food when the leaves looked faded. I had it in a window, just to give it some natural light. I really didn't know if it was a house plant or not. It has never gotten much bigger than when I got it. I put it out on my deck one day for some rain water.I know this goes against its nature,but it started looking better than it ever had. It has started growing,and I had to change pots. What do you make of all this?
Gitagal Baltimore, MD (Zone 7a) August 08, 2008 03:07 PM	All plants like fresh air and the natural humidity and rain showers of outdoors. I take everything I own outside for the summer--except my African Violets. You just have to watch the light requirements. Peace Lily needs almost total shade outside.... Also--there are several varieties of Spath. The one that is called "Petit Spath" is a smaller variety and will never grow much taller. Then there is the "regular" Spath---and then there is the "Spath Sensation" which has HUGE, dark green leaves and also HUGE blooms. it is spectacular--but may be too large for the average home. Gita
newbie2plants Harper Woods, MI August 08, 2008 10:23 PM	Thank you so much Gita. I want to keep these plants for a long time!!!
lilylover08 Cambridge, MA August 11, 2008 08:19 PM	thanks gitagal! i appreciate it!
daisylovn Wilmer, AL (Zone 8b) October 30, 2009 02:52 PM	I am bumping this thread for two different reasons: 1. I was tickled pink to see "The Dave" posting a question in the Beginner Houseplant forum... Just confirms how "down to earth" (pun intended) Daves Garden really is.. Kinda homey and comfortable. 2. There is alot of great information about Peace Lily Care, and so many Beginner Houseplant People begin with Spaths/Peace Lilys.
tapla Bay City, MI (Zone 6a) October 30, 2009 04:17 PM	I realize it's a pretty old thread, and I didn't read the whole thread to see if there was a definitive answer to this question, but what's being referred to as a 'bloom' (the spathe) is actually a modified leaf or bract. In the white spathes, the chloroplasts are masked, but sometimes become more prevalent and move the bract toward green when exposed to sufficient light. The spike in the middle of the modified leaf is actually the bloom. To draw a parallel, what almost everyone calls the flower or bloom on a poinsettia are also modified leaves (bracts), the color of which are greatly affected by photo-period and to some degree, photo-intensity. The poinsettia's blooms, like the spathe's are also rather insignificant/inconspicuous and located in the middle of the bracts. Al
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY October 31, 2009 07:55 AM	I have a peace lily (I think) and it has never bloomed. I got it at Gran's funeral, it has like 20 plants with 6 inches of stem and adventitious roots. I have broken off a couple and those stems started sprouting at the base and the broken off tops are growing away, but still no blooms. How can I tell a spath from an aglaonema? Will peace lilies grow stalks? I got a different peace lily as a rescue. I know it is a couple years old and it has no stalks, so that got me to wondering.