Drooping Peace Lily - Mystery Illness or Environmental Woes
Ask the Expert: Hello! I received a peace lily approximately three wks ago. It sits in afternoon light, and I have watered it once a month. Almost overnight, the leaves drooped. Help sites have told me that wilting can be caused by too much OR too little water. I don’t know what to do! Another peace lily I got on the same day sits only two feet away, and is doing great. Please advise. Thank you kindly. Sharon
Sharon,
Wilting usually does occur because of a watering issue, however other environmental factors sometimes cause problems. Let’s address the most common environmental issue – exposure to extreme temperature changes. Is this peace lily exposed to breezes from an outside door or directly under an air vent? Temperature changes can cause issues like the one you are experiencing. If this is the case, move the plant out of the airflow and it should recover. The other environmental condition deals with the container in which the plant resides. You say you received this plant – was it wrapped in a beautiful foil with a bow from a flower shop? When you receive a plant wrapped in foil, remove the foil as soon as possible. The foil is waterproof and will not let the plant drain. It is ok to leave it in the foil for up to a week. Also, check your container and make sure it has drain holes. If the plant has been soggy for sometime it may have root rot. If the root rot is minor, you can repot and the plant will recover. You might want to read the Brown is a Good Color for Chocolate but not a Peace Lily post - it has some information that will help you. Hopefully this information will help you save your peace lily.
