Natural leaf aging

An occasional yellow lower leaf on an otherwise healthy Peace Lily is completely normal.

Diagnosis

Natural leaf aging

What's happening

Peace Lily retires its oldest outer leaves to put energy into new growth and blooms from the center. If only one or two of the lowest, oldest leaves are yellowing while the rest of the plant looks lush and green, nothing is wrong.

How to fix it

Trace the yellow leaf down to the base and snip it off cleanly where it meets the crown if you like the tidier look, then carry on with your normal care. Just keep an eye out that the yellowing stays limited to the oldest outer leaves and doesn't start spreading inward or upward, which would point to a watering or root issue instead.

If that doesn't fix it

This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.

Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this