How to Propagate a Peace Lily | Step by Step Methods

Anyone who loves Peace Lilies as much as we do, will also probably be desperate to know what methods you can use to propagate them, as well as how easy and quick it is… Well, the good news is that it really couldn’t be easier but the only downside is that you can only propagate them through division of the mother plant.

In this post we will cover the step by step process as well as what tools you’ll need, issues you may face and all of our tips to ensure success!

Why propagate a Peace Lily?

There are several reasons why you might choose to propagate your Peace Lily. Firstly, lots of people want to simply multiply the number of plants you have without actually having to buy any more. Offshoots will also make great gifts for friends and family, and with correct care will soon flower on its own.

You may also choose to multiply your Peace Lily if part of it is sunburnt or starting to die. You just want to be sure that the section of the plant you are using is healthy and pest-free. Otherwise, the illness or pests will transfer onto your new plant, which really isn’t ideal!!

What tools will I need to propagate my Peace Lily?

Let’s start off with the easiest part. It’s important to make sure you have all the right things before taking the first cutting!

1. Healthy and mature Peace Lily

2. Sharp scissors/shears

3. Spare pot(s)

4. Fresh soil and water

5. Newspaper or plastic sheet

What methods can I use to propagate my Peace Lily?

Unlike many other houseplants, Peace Lilies are herbaceous, this means that they have no stems above the soil level. Because of this, there is only really one way to successfully propagate them which is through division of a large mother plant. This means you will need quite a mature plant with various natural offshoots to be able to make two or more plants out of it which can be a bit of a barrier if your plant is still quite young.

How to propagate a Peace Lily by division of the mother plant

1. Take your plant out of its pot

   To be able to divide your Peace Lily you’ll need to locate the natural offshoots of the plant, so start by taking it carefully out of the pot. As they grow they develop new sections of leaves that will almost appear to be separate plants already.

   Shake off the potting mix around the roots and run your fingers through the roots if they are quite packed together, a chopstick can also be handy for loosening any tightly packed soil.

2. Locate the various offshoots on your plant

   When looking for a part of the plant to divide it will become very obvious where the natural offshoots are. Each section will have its own root system that can be separated to form a new plant.

3. Separate the sections

   You may have to trim off the odd root if they aren’t untangling easily, but you should be able to carefully pull the offshoots apart from each other.

   When doing this, you want to make sure that each part of the plant has a substantial amount of the root system to aid a successful propagation. The number of new plants you make at this stage is completely up to you and how bushy or small you want them to be.

4. Place in water or fresh potting mix
   

   Pot the main mother plant back into its original pot (or downsize to a smaller pot if you have taken away a large amount of the growth).

   Now the next step is to decide whether you want to grow your new offshoots in water before potting into soil. You only really need to do this if the sections have very short roots but usually with division we go straight into potting mix.

5. Continue normal care

   If your cutting is now in fresh potting mix then you can care for it as you would your mother Peace Lily. If it’s in water first you want to refresh that water every couple of days and repot into potting mix once the roots have grown.

Peace Lily Propagation FAQs

Below you’ll find all the answers to your questions, from time of year to equipment you can use to aid success.

Should I use a grow light for my Peace Lily cuttings?

Grow lights are great to use when propagating houseplants as they provide ideal light conditions for young cuttings. They can avoid problems caused by a lack of sunlight and help to stimulate growth. Grow lights can also be used more generally on your mature houseplants if they don’t get enough light in autumn and winter so are a great investment for any plant parent.

What’s the best time of year to propagate a Peace Lily?

You want to begin in spring/summer but make sure that any wintery cold weather is behind you so that your new plants are growing in warmer brighter months. This will speed up growth and help them recover from any stress.

As you will be dividing the plant, rather than growing cuttings it won’t matter so much about doing it at the start of the warm weather as the process is much quicker. Propagating Peace Lilies in autumn or winter is still possible but will mean your new, now less mature plants won’t be growing as fast and the risk of root rot is much higher!

Can I propagate my Peace Lily from a single leaf?

Unfortunately, no! The only ways to grow new Peace Lilies is by division of the mother plant or by germinating seeds (but this is a very lengthy and often unsuccessful process).

How do you take care of a young Peace Lily?

Exactly the same as you would a fully grown plant! Native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, they love bright indirect light, a moderate amount of water and higher than normal humidity (this can be supplemented with a spray bottle, or even better, a humidifier). You can learn more at our Peace Lily care guide.

Should I mist my young Peace Lily plant?

Absolutely! They love humidity and will really appreciate the misting from a spray bottle.

If you’re into making your life a little easier, you could invest in a humidifier (this is our favourite) and take the work out of maintaining the health of your plant.

Common problems when propagating a Peace Lily

Why is my young Peace Lily turning yellow?

This is normally a sign that your plant isn’t happy with its current lighting situation. Unfortunately, this could mean too much or too little light is getting to the plant, so try a few different spots and give it some time to adapt and react to its new environment.

Why is my young Peace Lily drooping?

This is almost always a sign that your plant doesn’t have enough water. Once you water it, your Peace Lily will spring back to life in around 30 minutes. They can just be a little dramatic at times!

Check out our detailed Peace Lily care guide for more information on how to care for your plants after propagating!