Peace lilies aren’t climbers, so they don’t need support like a stake or moss pole – they don’t really have stems as such, so you’ll struggle to get one attached anyway.
Do peace lilies need support?
Peace lilies don’t need traditional support, like a trellis or something. They grow as a bushy shrub, spreading out over the rainforest floor rather than climbing a tree like a Monstera.
That being said, peace lilies live to droop when inconvenienced slightly in any way, so I understand why people might think that they need support.
The only thing you can do to stop them from drooping is to treat them very well and make sure they stay hydrated.
In order to grow a perky peace lily they need a constant supply of water to all parts of the plant in order to retain turgor pressure. Turgor pressure is just water pressure, but it acts like a bike pump for the plant and if it drops, the plant will droop.
In instances when the plant wants to retain water, it’ll droop to reduce surface area and therefore water loss from the stomata – this often happens in super hot weather.
Supporting peace lilies in LECA
One of the issues we come against when switching peace lilies to semi-hydro is keeping them upright. Heavy soil can weigh roots down so the plant stays put, but LECA is very light (the L literally stands for lightweight) and plants end up falling over.
Definitely put something in place to keep the plant pointing in the right direction. I let one of my baby lilies lean to the right and when the roots got themselves established and it became more secure, it ended up permanently growing at a wonky angle.
It usually takes a month or two for the roots to get established and be able to support the plant on their own. I wedge other plants around it to keep it straight, but you use anything – piles of books, a handy wall…whatever you have.
Another option is to weigh down the roots by adding rocks to the top of the LECA.
How to keep peace lilies upright in water
It’s a bit different with keeping peace lilies in water because their roots can’t keep them upright – the water doesn’t offer any support. Instead, use a vase that has a fairly narrow neck so the leaves have something to sit on.
You can also cut slices of pool noodle and sit them in that if the vase you’re using doesn’t have a narrow enough neck. If the roots are healthy then the plant should be able to stand up on its own.
I hope this was helpful. Unfortunately, peace lilies growth pattern causes them to be a little top-heavy and therefore prone to falling over when they’re freshly repotted.
If yours is falling over even though it hasn’t been recently repotted, it’s worth reviewing the health of the plant and seeing if it’s roots are ok.
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