Peace Lilies are gorgeous plants that grow best in tropical weather. When you go to buy Peace Lilies, you may notice that they are often sold as seedlings and not as seeds. This may lead you to wonder if you can grow Peace Lilies from seeds, and if you can use your own, or if you have to find a special place to purchase them.
It is possible to grow a Peace Lily from a seed, however the process takes a very long time, often around three years.
Peace Lilies can be grown from seeds inside your Lily, although keep in mind that the new flowers that grow might not look the same as the source Lily. This is due to the hybridization of Lilies, which can cause the “offspring” to turn out different from the “parent”.
Read on to learn more about Peace Lily seeds and how to extract and germinate your own.
Can You Plant the Seed From a Peace Lily?
Yes, it is entirely possible to plant seeds from a Peace Lily. It’s just as easy as it is to plant them as a transplant. You can buy Peace Lily seeds from the store or online. If you already have a Peace Lily plant, you can also harvest the seeds from your plant to grow another.
Where Can I Buy Peace Lily Seeds?
There are many places where you can buy Peace Lily seeds. Online sites like eBay and AliExpress provide seeds for purchase. So do stores like Lowes. They can be a little harder to find online and in stores than trimmings or seedlings of the plant, but they can be found with enough searching.
The quality of the seeds, though, can be debatable, as many people find that seeds they buy online aren’t great quality.
How to Extract Peace Lily Seeds?
When a Peace Lily blooms, there is usually a thin, long seed pod in the middle of the bloom. The pod will start off light green and eventually change to brown and then black. When the pod seeds are black, they are ready to be extracted. You may be wondering how to collect Lily seeds. Well, the extraction is easy enough thanks to the pods.
With a sterilized knife and a pair of scissors, cut the pod at its base with the scissors. Then cut open the pod and pull the seeds out. The seeds should be located at the top and bottom of the pod.
Depending on your needs, you can either start germinating them right away or store them in a little paper envelope until you are ready to use them or give them as a gift.
It is worth noting that the plant you grow from these seeds may not match the plant you collected them from. This is because Lilies are subject to hybridization which can impact how they look from generation to generation. It can also affect whether they have the correct number of chromosomes, which in turn can mean they may not be able to produce offspring .
Although Peace Lilies cannot always be bred, they can sometimes be split instead. Splitting a Peace Lily involves separating your Lily into two distinct plants. It is best to do this when you notice multiple crowns in the pot.
How Do I Germinate a Peace Lily?
When it comes to germination of Peace Lily seeds, usually it is better to not use potting soil or potting mix. This is because it can cause an issue known as damping off. Damping off is when the seeds rot due to soil-borne pathogens.
If you don’t feel comfortable using just water for your seeds, there are certain potting mixes made for germination. They don’t contain soil, so the soil-borne pathogens aren’t a problem. Instead, they contain peat moss, sand, perlite, and other materials. You can also make your own mix with items like an orchid mix, coconut shavings, and vermiculite.
Depending on the temperature, the Peace Lily seeds can take around 10 days or more to germinate. They also need good humidity, so it is recommended to cover the pot with a plastic bag or wrap to keep the seed and mix moist.
Also, don’t bury the Lily seeds down deep. Just the barest covering will do so that the seed is no longer visible.
How Do You Plant Peace Lily Seeds?
If you want to skip the germination process, that is possible too. The benefit of germination is that it allows you to check and make sure the seed can bloom before planting.
However, if you want to skip the process, you can just place the seed in the soil or mix that you want it to grow in. There is a good chance of damping off if you don’t germinate, as you will place the seeds directly in the soil and risk seed rot.
With seeds you bought, it is best to germinate them. That way, you can tell if the seeds are growing properly and are of good quality before planting them in your soil. Make sure that your plant stays moist, but not too wet as you are growing it, especially at the beginning. Keeping it in a humid area is a good idea as well.
Some people prefer to grow a Peace Lily in water. This is fine too as you can just take the Peace Lily seedling and place it into the water once roots start to form.
How Long Does It Take a Peace Lily to Grow From a Seed?
To grow Peace Lilies from seeds can take many years. Three years seems to be the common number for plants to begin to produce buds. Some people have been lucky enough to have them bud within six months, but that seems to be a rare occurrence when there are perfect temperatures and humidity for them to grow in.
Technically, it takes one year on average for a Peace Lily to reach maturity, but that doesn’t mean you will get a bloom.
This is why many people prefer to use a trimming instead of germinating their own seeds. Peace Lily seedlings are a great option for those who want to experience the blooms sooner and not wait around three years, but some may not find it as rewarding.
How Long Do Peace Lilies Live?
Peace Lilies live a fairly long time relative to other flowers. On average, they can last anywhere between three to five years after blooming. However, when it takes about three years to start to bud from seed, that number can be disappointing.
The flowers themselves usually stay around for about a month or two per year, but if cared for well, they can sometimes last a little longer. When the flower cluster (known as the spadix) and the leaf that encompasses the flower (known as the spathe) are starting to grow old they will begin to wither and turn brown.
This doesn’t mean that the rest of your plant is going to die. It is very normal and occurs when there are no other lilies around to reproduce with. Some people cut these when they are dying to reduce the amount of energy the plant has to expend on something that is going to die anyway. But it is really up to personal preference on how you handle it and whether you let the plant do its own thing or not.
Summary
Peace Lilies take a long time to grow from seed. While they can germinate in as little as ten days, when it comes to getting flowers, it can be more like three years. However, for those that have the time and patience, it can be a rewarding process.
Not only can you buy seeds online, but you can also harvest your own from your existing Peace Lily flowers. The harvesting process is easy, as you just have to cut out the pod containing the seeds.
Now that you know the work and patience involved in growing Peace Lilies from seed, you can decide whether or not you are ready to move forward and grow your own.