The main reasons why peace lily leaves turn brown include:
- Moisture stress from overwatering or underwatering. Overwatering can cause root rot and fungal infections leading to brown leaf tips, while underwatering causes dryness and browning.
- Poor water quality such as tap water with fluoride or chlorine causing leaf discoloration.
- Lack of humidity, as peace lilies thrive in humid environments. Low humidity leads to dry, brown leaf tips.
- Exposure to too much direct sunlight or sun scorch burns the leaves turning them brown.
- Temperature stress from being in environments too hot or cold for the ideal range (65-85°F).
- Overfertilizing causing fertilizer salt buildup which damages leaf margins.
- Natural aging of older leaves turning brown and dying.
- Pests and diseases can also cause browning but are less common indoors.
To fix brown leaf tips, remove damaged leaves, adjust watering to keep soil moist but not soggy, use purified or rainwater, provide indirect light, maintain proper temperature and humidity, avoid overfertilizing, and check for pests. Repotting may help if root rot or salt buildup is suspected. In summary, brown leaves on a peace lily are most commonly caused by watering issues, low humidity, too much sunlight, temperature extremes, and fertilizing problems. Correcting these cultural care conditions usually helps the plant recover and prevents further browning.
