Want a taller, fuller Spathiphyllum? Here are tricks to growing tall peace lilies that look lush, healthy and full of glossy green foliage!
Anyone can keep a peace lily alive, but getting one that’s growing, lush, and full of glossy leaves is a different story. While most care guides focus on watering schedules and lighting, here are some simple tricks that are often overlooked. These small changes can make the difference between an average peace lily and one that becomes a real focal point indoors.
Tricks to Grow a Taller and Fuller Peace Lily
This post contains affiliate links. As one Amazon Associatewe earn from qualifying purchases that support our site. You can check out our Amazon storefront here for all the essentials you’ll need.
1. Start with the biggest variety you can find
Many people don’t realize that not all peace lilies grow to the same size. Compact varieties stay relatively small no matter how well you care for them. But a mature ‘Sensation’ can produce leaves several feet long under ideal conditions, making it one of the largest peace lily varieties available.
If your goal is a dramatic floor-filling plant, look for cultivars such as ‘Sensation’, ‘Mauna Loa Supreme’, ‘Sensation White’, ‘Sweet Chico’, ‘Allison’ or ‘Bingo Cupido’.
These varieties generally develop larger foliage and a fuller habit than the compact peace lilies commonly sold at grocery stores and garden centers. Here are some great ones varieties you can see!
Pro tip: As large varieties mature, some outer leaves may naturally arch outward under their weight. A discreet plant support or soft plant stakes can help keep the foliage more upright and give the plant a taller, neater appearance.
2. Keep multiple crowns growing together
Peace lilies naturally produce additional crowns, or growth points, from the base of the plant as they age. Instead of rushing to separate them, let these crowns mature together whenever possible.
As each crown develops its own leaves, the plant gradually becomes denser and more impressive. This is one of the reasons that mature peace lilies often look much fuller than younger plants. What appears to be a single large plant is often several crowns growing side by side in the same pot.
Unless the plant is very overcrowded, there is often no rush to divide it.
Pro tip: Every few months, inspect the crown and remove any dead stems or dried material at the base. It improves air flow, makes watering easier and helps new leaves emerge unhindered. Here are more like that tricks for bigger peace lilies!
3. Lift the container off the floor
This may sound like a small detail, but it can make an amazing difference, especially in the colder months. Tile, concrete, stone or marble floors often stay much cooler than the surrounding air, even in heated homes.
When roots sit on these cooler surfaces for months at a time, growth can be severely slowed. Use of greenhouse, plant laminaor simple pot feet creates a layer of insulation between the pot and the floor.
We recommend the purchase a sturdy plant base and a plant lamina to maintain airflow.
It also improves air flow around the pot and helps to more effectively evaporate excess moisture after watering.
4. Leave flower stems only as long as they look good
A healthy peace lily can they produce flowers for weeksbut as soon as the white spathe begins to turn green, brown, or papery, it has already served its purpose. However, the plant will continue to direct resources to it that could be better used for foliage growth!
So cut back old flower stems at the base as soon as they start to decline. This encourages the plant to focus on producing fresh foliage and new growth rather than supporting aging blooms. If your goal is a bigger, fuller plant rather than maximum flowering, this simple habit can help over time.
Pro tip: Use clean scissors to remove the entire stem of the flower near the base, rather than cutting off just the flower. Here’s another one, keep your plant in one of these spots; it will surprise you by growing massively!
5. Give the plant even light from all sides
Notice how, in commercial greenhouses, plants receive light from above, resulting in more upright and balanced growth?
You can often tell the difference just by looking at the leaves. Plants that receive light mainly from one side tend to lean towards the window and develop uneven growth. On the other hand, overhead lighting encourages younger leaves to emerge more upright, helping the entire plant maintain a fuller appearance.
If using a grow light, hold it about 12 to 18 inches above the foliage and adjust the height as the plant grows. On the other hand, giving the pot a quarter turn every two weeks also helps all sides get equal exposure to light.
This encourages more balanced growth and prevents the plant from developing permanent leanness.
Buy this Light increases the LED to maintain upright growth when natural light is limited.
Quick Check: If most of your lily’s leaves lean toward a nearby window, the plant is probably getting more side light than overhead light. And of course check if your peace lily is in one of those worst spots and transfer it if necessary.
Peace lilies may not be the fastest growing houseplants, but they reward consistency. A few small changes today can lead to bigger leaves, fuller growth and a much more impressive plant over time.
The definitive guide to indoor plants by Lauren Camilleri and Sophia Kaplan is a great buy for all the plant lovers out there.
