Can Peace Lily Grow Outside? (+How To Care For Them Outdoors)

Peace lilies are tropical epiphytes that are popular indoor plants but can be grown outdoors as well. Growing a peace lily outside largely depends on your location. So a common question that everyone has in their mind is can peace lily grow outside in their region? Let’s find out.

Though peace lilies are popularly kept as houseplants, you can still grow them outside if you live in USDA zone 10 to 12 or in any place that has a warm climate. Peace lilies prefer indirect sunlight and a moist environment, so plant them in a shady spot to avoid exposure to direct sunlight.

Many factors will influence the growth of peace lilies outside, such as climatic conditions, sunlight exposure, watering schedule, soil, and placement.

These plants prefer suitable growing conditions, so the care will slightly be different from one kept indoors.

This article will be a helpful care guide for growing outdoor peace lilies.

Can peace lily survive outdoors?

You might be under the impression that peace lilies can only grow indoors, but that’s not true. They will grow well outside if you provide them a suitable outdoor location, preferably shaded and moist. 

A peace lily will survive well outdoors in USDA hardiness zone 10-12 as these places have warmer climates. Plant your peace lily directly in the soil as ground cover or big planters. 

But you need to bring the potted peace lily indoors to protect them from frost damage during winter. Outdoor peace lilies will require regular watering, pruning, and they should be placed or planted under shade for best results.

 If you want to grow peace lily outdoors, you need to make sure that you understand the requirements as they will need more intensive care outside. If these requirements are not met, the plant can even die. 

Factors that will influence the growth of peace lilies outside

Before planting peace lilies outside, it is crucial to consider the external conditions. These plants grow well if the external conditions suit their growth requirements. Unfavorable conditions can severely affect the plant.

We will now carefully analyze all the key elements that will influence your peace lily when grown outside.

 The primary factors are :

• Light 
• Temperatures
• Humidity  
• Watering requirements
• Winds
• Soil 
• Pests and diseases

Let’s discuss each point in detail.

Light

Light is crucial for every plant for performing photosynthesis to carry out their life processes. Peace lilies do well in indirect light and partial shade. Their light requirements will not change even when they grow outside.

Peace lilies are not capable of tolerating full exposure to sunlight. You should keep outdoor peace lily under dappled shade. They can tolerate the morning sun for about an hour but can’t be exposed to the afternoon sun.

You can place your peace lily in a location where it will receive the partial shade and no direct sunlight. You can also place it under the shade of a big tree.

What happens if you will expose your plant to direct sunlight?

Peace lilies are sensitive to direct sunlight, and excessive exposure will cause many problems to them, such as:

• The plant will burn out and get sunburns. Sunburn is a severe issue for peace lilies when it is placed outside. 
• Hot afternoon hours are simply harsh and intolerable for your peace lilies. They will probably die if they do not get partial shade.  
• The leaves will curl, wilt, and get discolored. 

Therefore, you must ensure that your peace lilies are not exposed to direct light by keeping them in partial shade.

Also read: What Kind Of Light Does A Peace Lily Need? (Peace Lily Light Requirements)

Temperature

Peace lilies are tropical perennials, which means that they thrive in warm conditions. It would be best if the temperature is higher, as peace lilies do not like low temperatures.

Peace lilies can survive outdoors in zones 10 and 12 as temperatures in these zones will suit their requirement. They are not adaptable to uncertain changes in temperatures.

So, a drastic change might harm them, and in such cases, you have to bring them indoors.

What temperatures can they tolerate?

Peace lilies prefer a consistent temperature of around 65-80°F during the day and 10°F lower at night. They are hardy plants, and they will struggle to survive in frosty winters, so you should protect your peace lily from winter drafts.

You might have to bring your peace lily indoors if the conditions are too harsh for them and when the temperature reaches 45°F, which could damage their leaves, stems, and roots.

It would help if you covered your garden peace lilies with a bedsheet, blanket, or plastic sheets to protect them from frost. 

Also read: Where Should Peace Lily Be Placed? (Ideal Spot+Placement Tips)

Humidity

Peace lily prefers high humidity. They thrive well when humidity is above 50%. They will easily survive outdoors if the air humidity is around 50% or more.

They like moist environment and develops some problem in dry conditions. To increase the humidity around them, you can mist them, especially in summers.

You can also place your outdoor potted peace lily in a tray of moistened gravel to increase humidity around the plants.

How will low humidity hamper your outdoor peace lilies?

Peace lilies do not like dry air conditions, and low humidity will cause your plants to stop blooming. Low humidity will make the soil dry and will create drought stress for the plant.

Due to low humidity, plants will have brown tips on leaves. So it will be better to keep a humidity check on peace lilies for maintaining the humidity levels.

Also read: Do Peace Lilies Need Misting? (+Ideal Humidity)

Water requirement

Peace lily needs consistently moist soil, but they never like standing in water. Generally, indoor peace lily requires weekly watering to keep them hydrated.

If you are growing them outside, their water requirements will increase because of more heat and light. The peace lilies will lose a lot of moisture from the leaves over time, and you have to make sure that you care for the plant properly.

For that, you have to maintain a watering schedule.  

Since it’s a tropical plant, you don’t have to think about excessive watering, although it’s always better to check the soil before adding more water as excessive watering can cause root rot issues to peace lilies.

How often do I water my peace lily outside?

If you’re growing peace lilies outside, they will need a lot of water to keep them hydrated. You will have to water them several times during the week in the summers.

You should water the peace lily less during the winter months as they will conserve more water when temperatures fall.

Check the soil by poking a finger in the soil. If the soil feels dry, add more water to the plant, and if the soil feels moist, it will be better to hold off your watering for a day or two and check back again.

Peace lilies are sensitive to cold and chlorinated water so avoid using either of these to your plant.

Also read: How Often Should A Peace Lily Be Watered? (Peace Lily Water Requirements)

Wind

Peace lilies will never enjoy strong winds. They can easily get damaged by strong winds. Never place them in an area of strong winds. Both hot and cold drafts will undoubtedly harm your plant.

Where should I place my peace lilies outside?

The best location of peace lily outside is a shaded spot with early morning sunlight or dappled sunlight. It is sensitive to direct sunlight, and it will scorch the leaves of your peace lilies.

 So, find a spot for the peace lily in your garden to protect it from strong winds where the water doesn’t pool after the rain.

Soil

Peace lilies prefer fertile and quick-draining soil. Heavy soil mix can create problems for your peace lily that is placed outside.

You can add compost to the soil while planting the peace lily in the garden. Mulching around peace lily is an excellent way to ensure their healthy growth.

What nutrition will be good for outdoor peace lilies?

Peace lilies are significantly less demanding plants, and they can happily grow will little fertilization.

However, you can feed your peace lily using a balanced 10:10:10 formula diluted at the rate of 1/8 teaspoon of fertilizers per gallon of water for giving them nutrition. 

Also read: What Kind Of Soil To Use For Peace Lily? (Peace Lily Soil Mix)

Pest and diseases

Outdoor plants are at risk of getting infected diseases and pests more than indoor plants.

So you will have to be very careful when you place your peace lily outdoors, as they will get exposed to disease and pests, and it won’t take much time before the plant gets attacked by them.

Pests like mealybugs, aphids, and scales can cause damage to the plant if they are left unchecked. For instance, you will notice white residue developing on plants if mealybugs infest them.

How can I prevent pests and disease for my outdoor peace lilies?

To prevent pests and diseases, you have to be careful by closely observing the peace lily to identify any sign of infestation. If your plants have pests, apply pesticides and spray them on the plant regularly for a few weeks. 

Most importantly, you should prune the outdoor peace lilies to keep them away from pests and diseases.

Also read: Do Peace Lily Attract Bugs? (Identification+How ToGet Rid Of Them)

How can you move indoor peace lily outside?

All this information must have helped know whether your area has suitable growing conditions for peace lily outdoors. We will now discuss how you can move your peace lilies from your home to the outside environment of your garden. 

The plants will take some time to adjust to the outdoor world. So you must move them gradually as sudden changes might be shocking for them. 

Let’s now look at the steps which are involved in shifting your peace lily outside.

• At first, find a shady spot in your garden that will suit your peace lily’s growing requirements.
• Move your plant to a shady spot for few hours every day. 
• Then slowly increase the outdoor time by only a few hours.
• Start exposing your plant to the morning sun for a few minutes every day for about 7 to 10 days and then slowly increase the duration to 1 hour.
• Never let it in full sun and keep it in that shady spot only. 
• Start observing your plant. If it is doing good and not looking dull and damaged, it is ready to move outdoors.
• Now you have to care for your peace lily by keeping it away from direct sunlight, provide it adequate water, fertilize it and keep it away from pests and diseases.

How to care for peace lilies outdoors?

Growing peace lilies in garden soil is not a difficult task. There are some steps given below to plant peace lilies in garden soil.

• First, you have to start digging the garden soil to a depth of 1 foot. Now cover this area by adding sandy loam, peat moss, and organic compost.
• Do a pH test of the soil and make sure that it falls in the range of 5.8 to 6.5 on the pH scale. Make sure that the soil is rich and well-draining.
• Then plant your peace lily inside the soil.
• You should plant the peace lily in the ground at the same size in which they were in the containers.
• Water it right after you plant it. 
• Before watering the next time, wait for the plant to droop. Avoid overwatering your new garden peace lily as it won’t be able to stand in soggy soil.
• Keep checking the moisture level and check the soil by scratching it with your fingers before adding water. Water immediately if the soil feels dry.
• Now fertilize your plant. You can even add a slow-release fertilizer to the soil at the time of planting. 

Final words

Peace lily can grow outside in USDA zones 11 and 12. It can grow well in other areas also if the places have warm conditions. You should not place it outside if your area doesn’t support proper growing conditions.

Plant your peace lily in a shaded spot in your garden, like under the shade of a tree. Protect them from direct sunlight, frost, and strong winds.

The care for outdoor peace lilies will slightly differ from the indoor ones, so you have to change the care routine. The plant will take some time to adjust to the outdoor environment, and it is a slow, gradual process.

Ref: ScienceDirect, NCBI, University of Vermont, Nationalgeographic, NC state university, University of Florida, The University of Arkansas, Queensland Government.