Root rot
A persistent droop over chronically wet soil with a soft, mushy, sour-smelling base is root rot — the serious one.
Diagnosis
Root rot
What's happening
Soil that stays waterlogged for weeks suffocates the roots until they decay, and that rot creeps up into the crown and stem bases. The plant can't take up water through dead roots, so it wilts and won't recover with watering. Left unchecked, the rot takes the whole plant.
How to fix it
Act quickly. Unpot the plant and rinse the soil off the roots, then cut away every brown, soft, mushy root with sterilized scissors until only firm, pale roots remain. If the crown is rotting, divide the plant and keep only healthy clumps. Repot into fresh, fast-draining mix in a clean pot with drainage holes, water sparingly while it recovers, and keep it out of direct sun until it firms back up.
What fixes it
- Pots with drainage holes — Repotting into a clean pot with real drainage stops water from pooling and re-rotting the roots.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Peace Lily care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this