Why are my Peace Lily’s leaves curling? Causes and Solutions

If you notice that your Peace Lily’s leaves are curling then this may be signalling that something isn’t quite right. Luckily, however, curling leaves are often an early sign that something is wrong so it can mean you have caught the issue early which is great. 

In this article, we will be going through each of the different causes of curling leaves on a Peace Lily so that you can get straight to diagnosing and treating the problem.

Curling Peace Lily leaves can mean underwatering

If the leaves on your Peace Lily are starting to develop brown tips, edges, spots or entire leaves are turning brown as well as curling, then it may be due to underwatering. Peace Lily plants like to have some moisture in the soil and are definitely not drought tolerant. Because of this, we tend to take a little but often approach when it comes to watering. This also prevents them from dramatically drooping down as well.

If you think your Peace Lily has been underwatered and this is causing the curling leaves then check the soil before you change anything! You want to make sure the soil definitely is dry before giving it more water as otherwise, this can cause more issues than the curling leaves. 

The most reliable way to check the moisture levels in the soil is by using a moisture meter. They are really affordable little devices that you pop into the soil and it will tell you how damp or dry the soil is. We always recommend this one from Amazon.

Your first reaction to an underwatered Peace Lily might be to drown it in water in the hope it will suddenly recover and stop the leaves from curling. However, this can actually cause your Peace Lily to become quite stressed if its environment suddenly changes so the best thing to do is gradually introduce water over the course of a week. 

To prevent further underwatering causing the leaves on your Peace Lily to start curling, it’s important that you increase the frequency or amount of watering. You want to prevent the soil from fully drying out for extended periods of time. 

Overwatering can also cause curling leaves

As with underwatering, too much water can also be very harmful for your Peace Lily and cause curling leaves. Consistent overwatering will mean that the roots start to rot and become damaged. 

This means your plant won’t be able to get the needed nutrients and moisture that it needs which ironically leaves your Peace Lily dehydrated. To prevent moisture loss, your Peace Lily will begin curling its leaves. 

To figure out if overwatering is definitely the cause of your Pilea’s brown leaves, we recommend checking the moisture levels in the soil is with a moisture meter. If it is waterlogged then replace it with fresh potting mix (we love this one from Miracle Gro as it will give your plant all the right nutrients) to allow your plant and its roots to recover.

Alongside refreshing the potting mix, you also want to trim off any roots that have started to rot. The best way to tell this is if they have started to turn dark brown or black in colour and are soft to touch. By removing these dying or dead roots, it means your Peace Lily can focus on growing new healthy growth and doesn’t waste any energy trying to keep the dying or dead roots alive.

Curling leaves can indicate cold temperatures

This is quite a common cause of curling Peace Lily leaves and one that is quite easy to diagnose as well. As they are native to tropical areas, Peace Lilies thrive in warm temperatures. They can adapt to normal room temperatures but extreme drafts and cold rooms can really start to impact your plant’s health, causing their leaves to start curling to begin with. 

Over time, cold temperatures can also cause brown leaves, stagnant leaves and leaf drop so it’s important you catch this one early. 

To diagnose the problem, use a digital thermometer to check the temperature around your Peace Lily. This will help you keep track of any fluctuations. 

Treating the issue is also simple as you just need to find a slightly warmer spot for your Peace Lily and the leaves should begin uncurling.

Lack of humidity might also be the cause of the curling leaves

Although slightly dry air won’t immediately kill your Peace Lily plant it can cause curling leaves and brown leaf tips. This is because curling leaves is one of the mechanisms Peace Lilies use to prevent moisture loss. 

There are several different methods you can use to increase the humidity for your Peace Lily:

1. Mist the leaves

   This is something you should build into your regular Peace Lily plant care routine as it’s really great for their overall health and can prevent brown leaf tips as well as curling leaves.   Mist the leaves a few times each week with a spray bottle. We love using these amber glass spray bottles from Amazon.

2. Shower your Peace Lily

   This is a more short-term solution but is great for overall plant health as it gets rid of dust and pests that might be secretly living on your plant. Just make sure not to have the shower on full water pressure as this can damage the leaves or stems. 

3. Invest in a humidifier

   Humidifiers are a must-have for any plant parent and are a great investment in the long-term health of your plant! Our plants love this one from Amazon!

Those are the most common reasons why your Peace Lily has developed curling leaves. Hopefully, if there aren’t too many other problems along with the curling leaves then you should have caught the problem fairly early and after a few simple changes, your Peace Lily should be back to full health in no time. 

If you want to find out more about Peace Lily care visit our plant care guide here.