Peace lilies thrive in humidity levels of 50% and above. They grow faster and with healthier leaves when the humidity is between 50%-65%. Anything above 70% is unlikely to make much of a difference.
How much humidity do peace lilies need?
Peace lilies aren’t that picky when it comes to humidity. I consider them a gateway plant when it comes to finicky plants. They’re generally pretty chill, but they make it known when the environment isn’t quite right.
Keeping peace lilies in high humidity
There are benefits to keeping in peace lilies in higher humidity. For the sake of this article I’ll count anything over 55% as higher humidity. Some of those benefits are:
- The soil retains more water in higher humidity – therefore in summer, you won’t have swooning plants every couple of days.
- Higher humidity allows leaves to unfurl faster – the faster leaves unfurl the less chance they have to cause themselves physical damage (yes, leaves can hurt themselves as they emerge).
- Higher humidity plumps leaves up (or rather, low humidity sucks water from them, causing dehydration) and they look glossy and conditioned
Buuut there are also downsides to keeping peace lilies in higher humidity:
- Air that’s full of water is harder to heat – this is great when it’s super hot, but in winter, high humidity can dramatically lower the temperature of your room AND it takes longer (and it’s more expensive) to heat. Peace lilies would pick warm temperatures over higher humidity in winter
- High humidity can cause bacterial infections – if you have high humidity, you need to make sure you keep the air moving. Stagnant air that’s full of moisture is the dream situation for many bacterial infections
Keeping peace lilies in low humidity
Peace lilies can grow perfectly well in lower humidity levels, but they just require a little bit more attention.
In the wild they grow by rivers and lakes in tropical rainforests – very high humidity. This is hard to replicate, so they’ve been bred over the years to be less particular about humidity.
The humidity in my house is around 65%, which is perfect in summer, but not great in winter. To combat this, I run a dehumidifier in winter and my peace lilies don’t suffer as long as I care for them well.
If you keep your peace lilies in lower humidity:
- Keep the leaves clean – spider mites can be a problem in very low humidity levels.
- Check that the soil is evenly moist every week (at least)
- Make sure they get high volume, low intensity light
In short, as long as every other aspect of their care is on point, lower humidity won’t negatively affect them too much.
On the other side of the coin, if you think you’re going to neglect it, higher humidity can be a good way to ensure your peace lily is getting some moisture without intervention from you.
If you’re new to peace lily care, you might find these articles useful:
Do peace lilies like to be misted?
I’m not a fan of misting, but literally thousands of people mist their peace lilies every day and see no repercussions.
I have a whole article on misting here, but the upshot is that it’s a pretty benign habit.
Misting does NOT increase humidity. So if your sole reason for misting is to increase the humidity…stop it. You’re wasting your time.
On the other hand, misting is unlikely to cause your plant harm if it’s otherwise well cared for. If you want to mist, carry on.
Benefits of misting
- You’re giving your plant attention – if you get into the habit of regularly spending time with your plant, you’re more likely to notice when there’s a change or problem
- Misting can knock off dust and bugs – though misting doesn’t increase humidity, it can physically blast undesirables off the plant. Wet leaves can also deter pests like spider mites
Problems caused by misting
- Wet leaves get cold – this is not an issue in summer (in fact, your plant may appreciate being cooled down) but in winter, cold temperatures can negatively affect your peace lilies’ health and cause brown marks on the leaves
- Wet leave can lead to bacterial infections – airflow, airflow, airflow. A cracked window or a fan can make a huge difference.
Keeping peace lilies in the bathroom
I keep one of my peace lilies in the bathroom and it does…fine. It grows bushy foliage like a beast but flat-out refuses to flower. My others flower consistently from May to November.
Advantages of keeping peace lilies in the bathroom
I don’t think there are any specific advantages for the peace lily – a bathroom isn’t any better for them than another room. However, if you want a plant for your bathroom, peace lilies can do well in them. They’re one of the few plants that like high humidity but don’t need it, and they don’t mind the lower levels of light typical in a lot of bathrooms.
- They like the blast of steam – peace lilies like high humidity but don’t need it, so the inconsistent levels of bathroom humidity are fine for them. Other humidity-loving plants like Calathea prefer consistent levels.
- They don’t mind the lower temperatures – peace lilies don’t like cold temperatures, but they don’t mind the slight chill that bathrooms tend to have. They’re also not too bothered about draughts from open windows. IN SUMMER. I only keep succulents in my bathroom over winter (because they live outside in summer and there’s nowhere else in the house I can fit them)
Peace lily temperature requirements
Disadvantages of keeping peace lilies in the bathroom
- It’s usually too cold in winter – peace lilies can tolerate a wider range of temperatures than, say, Calathea, but they won’t appreciate sitting in a freezing cold bathroom in January, especially if you need to open the window for ventilation
- They need some light – peace lilies like long hours of light, they just don’t need high light intensity. Frosted glass can provide that, especially if the window is south or west-facing. If your bathroom is windowless, you will need provide a grow light.
Increasing the humidity for your peace lily
There are a couple of ways of increasing humidity for peace lilies.
The easiest way is to group all your plants together. This can cause issues because you create a super highway for any pests, but peace lilies are usually pretty good at staying pest-free. This doesn’t raise the humidity significantly, but it can be enough for peace lilies.
I’ve tried pebble trays, but my experiments showed that they barely increase the humidity at all.
The other way to increase the humidity is to run a humidifier. Set it to the humidity to that you want (I’d start at 55% – there’s no point increasing the humidity further for peace lilies) and it’ll click on and off as it’s needed.
There are a couple of things to bear in mind when running a humidifier:
Water quality
Peace lilies aren’t that fussy about water quality. In my experience, there’s quite a wide range of tolerance – peace lilies are fine with tap water, but others aren’t.
If your peace lilies are fine with being watered with tap water, then use tap water in your humidifier. Brown tips on the ends of the leaves can signal a water quality issue, so if that’s something you notice try using filtered water in your humidifier.
Temperature
Don’t increase humidity when temperatures are low. When caring for houseplants, we need to strike a balance between light, heat, and humidity to keep plants happy.
If your plant isn’t getting a lot of light, and temperatures are low (i.e. in winter) then it’s in your best interests to keep humidity lower. if it’s too high, not only will your home be colder, but you can end up with damp problems.
As I mentioned before, I use a dehumidifier in winter and my plants don’t mind, because they’re not really growing.
For people running grow lights and heat mats, your plants may not notice that it’s winter, and you can run your humidifiers as normal, but for those of us with a low-tech approach to houseplant care…you can turn them off.
And that’s everything I know about peace lilies and humidity! If you have any additional questions, feel free to leave me a comment below.
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