Peace Lilies are one of those plants that everyone thinks they understand until they try to keep one alive for more than six months. Then they realize it’s not quite as easy as they thought.
I had mine in a dark corner of my bedroom for almost a year before I figured out why it was looking so sad and droopy. Even peace lilies, known for not needing a whole lot of care, still have some preferences that can’t be ignored.
They’re not the pickiest plant out there but definitely have strong feelings about where they live. But once you find the right spots for your peace lily it will thrive. It’s also very forgiving, will let you you when it’s wants watering and has gorgeous white blooms.
So I’m going to show you some locations in your home where your peace lily will not just survive but really do well.
Quick Answer
- Bright, Indirect Light: Put your peace lily near a window that has filtered light. Too ouch sun will burn the leaves.
- Warm, Stable Spot: Keep the plant away from any drafts, heaters and vents as they will stress it.
- Moderate Humidity: Bathrooms, kitchens or rooms that have slightly higher humidity can help peace lilies to grow better.
For more help see Peace Lily Care Guide: Tips to Get Thriving Plants.
Understanding What Your Peace Lily Wants
Before we get into the specific rooms to put your peace lily in it’s worth looking at what peace lilies like in a home.
They originally come from the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. In these rainforest they would grow on the floor under larger trees. That means they’re well adapted to filtered light, warmer temperatures and higher humidity.
What they really need, and I can say this from personal experience, is medium, indirect light. Not darkness. Not full sun. It’s that inbetween area that slot of people struggle to get right.
They also like the humidity to be around 50 to 60% and temperatures between 65 to 80°F. Keep those in mind as we look at the best places for them in your home.
The Bathroom
I’m starting with this one because it’s somewhat underrated. Your bathroom – especially if it has a window – might be the best place for your peace lily. I’ll explain why:
Every time you shower your bathroom becomes a bit like a rainforest. The humidity increases, the air gets warm and steamy and if you have a frosted or north facing window you’ve also got the filtered light that peace lilies like.
I moved one of my peace lilies into my bathroom about two years ago and the difference was pretty amazing. After a few weeks it had three new leaves and even bloomed for the first time since I got it.
I’m not saying every bathroom works. If yours has no windows then you will probably need to use a grow light.
But if you’ve got any natural light at all, try it. Put your peace lily on a shelf, the counter or even on top of the toilet if that’s all the room you’ve got.
Bathroom Placement Tips:
- Keep it at least 3 to 4 feet away from any spray from your shower as peace lilies like humidity not getting wet
- If your bathroom gets cold at night move it somewhere warmer or leave the door open
- Wipe the leaves occasionally as bathroom grime can stop the plant from being able to absorb light
- Rotate the pot every couple of weeks so all sides get equal amounts of light
Living Rooms and Common Areas
Living rooms are where most people instinctively put their peace lilies and that’s fine. It’ll usually work out fairly well.
Living rooms generally have a few windows, air flowing well and temperatures that stay pretty consistent as they’re used all the time.
Light is what you have to get right with living rooms though. I once put a peace lily of mine next to a south window in the summer and the tips of the leaves turned brown very quickly.
The sun in the afternoon shining directly on a peace lily will be too much and the leaves can get sunburnt.
Instead you want to look for spots that get bright, indirect light. This could be a few feet away from a window, near an east facing window where the morning sun isnt as strong or even in a corner that doesn’t get the direct sun.
One of my most successful placements has been on a side table about six feet from a west facing window. What makes it work is that it has a sheer curtain that shields it partially from that harsh sun.
Best Living Room Spots:
- Corner spots near (but not directly in front of) windows
- On plant stands or side tables that get them up the height of the window
- Near east facing windows for morning light
- Grouped with other tropical plants as they raise the humidity for each other
Peace lilies can also tolerate less light than most flowering plants but if that’s all they get they won’t bloom as often. So if you want those white flowers peace lilies grow your plant is going to need brighter indirect light. In lower light they’ll still grow and look healthy but you’ll get very few if any blooms.
Bedrooms
There’s some science behind keeping plants in your bedroom, even though some people worry about oxygen levels at night. According to research peace lilies continue to improve the quality of the air 24/7 and the amount of carbon dioxide they produce at night is small compared to what humans exhale anyway.
I keep a peace lily on my nightstand about two feet from an east facing window. It gets some morning light there and has become part my routine when I wake up – I check if it needs water on autopilot now.
The bedroom works well for peace lilies because the temperatures in them are usually moderate and stay consistent for the most part. You’re not cooking in there (hopefully) so the temperature isn’t going to have any spikes.
You’re also probably running a humidifier in winter if you live in a dry climate. And bedrooms often have that perfect north or east light that peace lilies love.
Bedroom Considerations:
- Don’t put it directly on any windowsills where they get cold drafts in the winter
- Keep them away from any vents that could dry out the leaves with too much heat
- If you have blackout curtains make sure the plant gets some natural light during the day
- Nightstands, dressers and bedroom shelves are all good options
The Kitchen
Kitchens can be amazing for peace lilies because you get a lot of natural humidity when cooking, boiling water, washing dishes etc. There is a downside though – the temperature cab fluctuate a lot and there’s also potential to be exposed to cooking fumes.
I tried keeping a peace lily on top of my refrigerator (it’s near a window so I thought it might work) and it actually did pretty well for a while. The warmth from the fridge and the kitchen humidity helped it grow.
But I didn’t anticipate one thing: the temperature swings. When I’m cooking a big meal my kitchen can go from 70°F to 85°F pretty quickly. Peace lilies don’t love temperature changes like that.
Also, keep them away from the stove. Grease particles can coat the leaves over time which stops them from being able to photosynthesize. And they end up looking gross.
If you’re going to put a peace lily in your kitchen think about places that get the benefits (humidity, light) without the drawbacks (temperature swings, cooking splatter).
Smart Kitchen Placement:
- On top of cabinets if you have high ceilings and skylights
- On counters away from the stove area
- Near kitchen windows that aren’t right above sources of heat
- On kitchen tables with good natural light
Home Offices
This is where I keep my largest peace lily now and I’m convinced it makes me more productive. There’s sone research suggesting that having plants in your workspace reduces stress and improves concentration, though I can’t cite any specific numbers off the top of my head – I just know it works for me.
The home office is great because you’re usually in there during daylight hours so you can keep an eye on your plant and make sure it gets what it needs. You’ll notice when it needs watering and you’re around to adjust the blinds or move it slightly if the light seems wrong.
My peace lily sits on a plant stand next to my desk about four feet from a large north facing window. North light is really consistent and is bright enough to work but never too harsh or direct.
The plant has been in this spot for over a year and is more than double the size it started. I occasionally mist it during my work breaks which takes all of thirty seconds.
Office Setup Ideas:
- On the corner of your desk if you have window light
- On a plant stand or shelf put near windows
- Grouped with other plants
- Near north facing windows for the best all day light
Spots to Avoid
Its a good idea to know where NOT to put your peace lily as well because I’ve definitely made some mistakes that I wish I hadn’t.
Dark Hallways and Corners: I know they’re marketed as low light plants but there’s a difference between low light and no light. If you have a hallway closest or interior corner without any windows then it’s a bad choice for a peace lily. It will either grow very little (and definitely not flower) or die completely.
Right Next to Heating or Cooling Vents: The forced air dries out the leaves ridiculously quickly and you’ll be watering all the time just to try and keep up. Plus the temperature fluctuations stress the plant. It just won’t work.
South-Facing Windowsills: Unless you have sheer curtains or the window is shaded by trees outside south facing windows in the northern hemisphere get far too much afternoon sun. It will turn the leaves will brown with crispy edges and they will eventually become yellow.
Anywhere with Cold Drafts: Peace Lilies are tropical. They do not like the cold. So don’t put them near doors that gets drafts, old windows that let in the cold air or anywhere that gets below 60°F on a regular basis.
What About Grow Lights?
Grow lights can be really useful if you live in somewhere that’s dark or you’re trying to keep plants in a basement. I’ve used an LED grow light for a few plants in my darker rooms and it works pretty well.
For peace lilies specifically you’re going to want a full spectrum LED one. Keep it on for about 10 to 12 hours a day about 12 to 18 inches above the plant. I use a timer so I don’t have to remember to turn it on and off (because I almost certainly wouldn’t remember).
That said, natural light is always better when you can get it. Grow lights should be used as a supplement, not a replacement for finding a decent spot that has proper natural light.
Creating the Best Microclimate
Once you’ve picked your spot there will be ways you can make it better. Peace lilies love humidity, as I’ve already made clear, and unless you live in a naturally humid climate you’ll probably need to give them some help.
I try to group my tropical plants together as they naturally increase the humidity around each other. It’s lazy but works really well.
You can also use a pebble tray (put some rocks in a dish with water and then the plant pot sat on top) although I’ve found this only makes a small difference unless you have a really dry house.
A smaller humidifier is probably the best way to go if you’re serious about tropical plants. I run one in my living room during the winter and all my plants look happier from me doing so. You don’t need anything fancy – a basic cool mist humidifier aimed in the general direction of your plants will work fine.
Final Thoughts
Finding the perfect place for your peace lily will probably take some experimentation. What works in my house might not work exactly the same in yours because every home is different – different light, different humidity, different airflow etc.
Start with the thinking about bright, indirect light; consistent temperatures; decent humidity. Then look at your plant. Is it growing new leaves? Is it blooming? Are the leaves a healthy green? If yes you’ve got a good spot. If no then try somewhere else.
Where my peace lily lives now, and where it’s doing very well, isn’t where I originally planned to put it. I moved it three times before I found the right balance of light and humidity.
That’s normal. It’s all part of the process and what a lot of us have to go through. Don’t be afraid to move your plant if something isn’t working.
And even if you choose somewhere that doesn’t work out peace lilies are forgiving enough that you’ll probably still have a plant that’s alive and will grow when you so move it.
