9 Best Indoor Flowering Plants for Winter to Brighten Your Home for the Holidays
If you miss your colorful garden during the gloomy winter months, indoor flowering plants can compensate for the loss of color and blooms!
Plus, a few things add to the vibrancy of the holiday season, like a houseplant that blooms for weeks, sometimes months.
Flowering plants, and most houseplants at that, are said to boost your mood and even help purify the air inside your home.
Thankfully, many of these plants are low-care, but not only that, they make stunning Christmas gifts.
Choose a few of your favorites at the garden center or nurse, and you’ll enjoy bright flower blooms throughout the holidays.
1) Christmas Cactus
The Christmas cactus is probably the most popular flowering plant in December.
It’s widely available, and it’s even sold in grocery stores.
Red is a beautiful color during the Christmas season but you can also find it in white and pink.
It’s thick, glossy leaf segments offer a unique appearance, too.
To keep your Christmas cactus happy, place it in a spot with bright, indirect light. Too much direct sunlight can harm its delicate leaves.
Water it when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
These plants prefer cooler temperatures and higher humidity. You can increase humidity by placing a tray of pebbles and water near the pot or misting the leaves occasionally.
With proper care, your Christmas cactus can become a long-lasting addition to your indoor garden. These plants are not uncommon to be passed down through generations, blooming year after year.
2) Amaryllis
Amaryllis is a stunning winter-blooming plant that can brighten up your home during the colder months. Its large, trumpet-shaped flowers, in vibrant shades of red, pink, white, or salmon, will catch your eye.
You’ll find amaryllis easy to grow indoors. These bulbs typically bloom within 6-8 weeks of planting, making them perfect for holiday decorating.
Plant the bulb in a pot with well-draining soil, exposing the top third.
Place your amaryllis in a spot with bright, indirect light. Water sparingly until you see growth, then increase watering as the plant develops. Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged.
After flowering, cut the stalks but keep the leaves. Continue watering and fertilizing to help the bulb store energy for next year’s blooms.
When the leaves are yellow, reduce watering and let the bulb rest.
With proper care, your amaryllis can rebloom year after year, becoming a cherished part of your winter indoor garden.
Its dramatic flowers and easy maintenance make it a popular choice for both novice and experienced plant enthusiasts.
3) Cyclamen
Cyclamen plant is my favorite plant during the winter season. It does very well as an indoor plant, but here in my area of Southern California, it is often used as an outdoor plant either in containers or in the ground.
Its thick, succulent-like leaves make this plant very resilient, and the lovely flower blooms add pops of color wherever they’re placed.
Find them in shades of pink, white, red, and purple.
Since it’s a succulent plant, one watering tip for the cyclamen plant is to let the soil dry out between waterings. This will keep it thriving!
With proper care, your cyclamen can bloom for several weeks. After flowering, the plant will enter a dormant phase. Reduce watering during this time and allow it to rest.
When spring arrives, you can move your cyclamen outdoors to a shaded area. Once cooler temperatures return in the fall, it will grow actively again.
4) Jasmine
If you thought jasmine was only for outdoors, think again! You can grow a small pot of jasmine indoors if you appreciate its fragrance!
You’ll need to provide it with bright, indirect light to bloom throughout the colder months.
Water your jasmine regularly, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged. A humidity tray can help create a good environment for it.
If you’re growing this beauty in your home, pruning is key to helping it grow fuller.
Wait after flowering, then deadhead the spent blooms to encourage more growth.
Pruning is vital to maintaining a bushy, healthy jasmine plant. Trim it after flowering to encourage new growth and more blooms.
5) African Violet
African violets are some of the pretties flowering housepalnts, perfect for the h holidays.
Find them in shades of purple, pink, blue, violet, and white.
You’ll love how easy African violets are to care for – just give them plenty of bright light and keep the soil moist.
They thrive in warm temperatures between 65-75°F (18-24°C).
Feed your African violet with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every 2-4 weeks during the growing season.
One of the best features of African violets is their ability to bloom year-round.
Their small size is perfect for gift-giving or sneaking into little corners of your home.
If you want a flowering indoor plant but don’t want to commit to caring for a large houseplant, then an African Violet is a perfect choice.
To encourage more blooms, gently remove spent flowers and rotate the plant regularly for even light exposure.
You can keep African violets for many years as long as you give them the care they need!
6) Peace Lily
Is there a more elegant indoor plant than the peace lily? I think not!
My favorite thing about thepeace lily, aide from its beauty, I how low-maintenance it is.
When it needs water, the plant will tell you in a way that you can’t ignore!
The stems and leaves will begin to droop, alerting you that it needs water asap.
Then, once you water, the plant will perk up in a few hours. To prevent it from reaching the dropping stage, however, aim to check the soil every few days, or once a week.
If the top inch of soil feels dry, it’s time to water!
Also, if you’re on the hunt for a low-light houseplant, peace lilies are perfect for this.
Its glossy-green leaves thrive in low-light conditions.
Peace lilies prefer temperatures between 65-80°F, which aligns well with most indoor environments.
They don’t require frequent fertilizing, but a monthly dose of balanced, water-soluble fertilizer during the growing season can promote healthy growth and blooming.
It’s perfectly normal, however, for the plant to take breaks from flowering.
This is not a plant that blooms continuously for months on end. However, its lovely foliage is worth keeping all year.
7) Orchid
Orchids are elegant indoor flowering plants that can bring exotic beauty to your home during winter. These stunning flowers come in various colors and shapes, making them a versatile choice for any decor.
You’ll find orchids easy to care for, as they thrive in indoor environments.
Place your orchid in a bright, indirect light spot to encourage blooming. An east-facing window is often ideal for these plants.
Water your orchid once weekly, allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings. Be careful not to overwater, as this can lead to root rot.
A well-draining potting mix specifically designed for orchids will help prevent this issue.
Orchids prefer warm temperatures, so keep them away from drafty windows and cold air vents.
Maintain humidity around your plant by misting it regularly or placing a humidity tray nearby.
With proper care, your orchid can bloom for several weeks or even months. Once the flowers fade, don’t worry – with patience and the right conditions, your orchid will likely bloom again next season.
8) Kalanchoe
Here’s another popular plant that can thrive both outdoors in warmer climates and indoors as a houseplant.
If you’re a fan of succulents, you’ll love the Kalanchoe.
It produces virbant flower blooms during the winter and you can find them in various colors, too.
Once the weather warms, you can take it outdoors and plant it among your other plants; just make sure to acclimate it first to avoid plant shock.
Aim to give your Kalanchoe as much bright,indirect light as you can.
Water your Kalanchoe sparingly and let the soil to dry out between waterings.
It’s a succulent plant, so it can handle a bit of drought, and it hates to be waterlogged.
To promote reblooming, prune your Kalanchoe after it flowers. Remove spent blooms and cut back long stems to preserve a compact shape.
9) Bromeliad
Speaking from experience, bromeliads are one of the most low-maintenance and reslient houseplants you can grow. This make them perfect Christmas gifts, even for houseplant beginners!
They come in a variety of interesting colors so if you’re longing for something fun and unique, you’ll likely appreciate a bromleiad plant during dreary winter days.
Provide them with bright, indirect light and moderate humidity.
Water well but always make sure to drain excess water so the plant is never water-logged.
Want to know my favorite thing about this plant, and something that surprised me when I first purchased one? It’s incredibly long-blooming! It blooms for months and months.
Simply place your bromeliad in a warm spot, as they prefer temperatures between 60-80°F (15-27°C).
Caring for Indoor Flowering Plants
Below are some super-simple tips that’ll help you care for your houseplants during the holiday season. It all comes down to understanding their needs for sunlight, water, and humidity!
Once you have that down, the rest is a breeze!
Best Lighting Conditions
Keep in mind that flowering indoor plants enjoy plenty of bright, indirect light. It’s what helps them flower!
Place your plants near east or west-facing windows for ideal exposure. South-facing windows work well in winter but may be too intense in summer.
If your house doesn’t have access to much sunlight, you can try using a grow light according to the package instructions, which is usually to place the light 6-12 inches above the plant.
There’s many affordable options online.
A good tip for hosueplants is to rotate them every week or so to make sure the entire plant has equal exposure to sunlight; this helps it grow and flower more evenly.
Watering and Humidity Requirements
Most houseplants prefer consistent watering, so check the soil every few days to ensure it’s never dry. That being said, one of the worst things you can do to indoor plants is letting the soil remain soggy and water logged.
Always make sure your plants have the ability to drain any excess water from the pot.
You can do this either by using a pot that has a drainage hole or making sure to water sparingly if you don’t have drainage.
If you notice small gnats flying around your plants, you’re likely overwatering. Hold back a few days then water again.
When the top inch of soil feels dry, it’s time to water!
Another good houseplant tips is to use room-temperature water. Also, never use ice cubes to water your plants – the cold temperature of freezing water can shock your plant and lead to damage.
Remember to drain the pot’s saucer of any remaining water; allowing the bottom of the pot to sit in water can result in root rot.
Many flowering plants thrive in higher humidity. You can improve humidity by doing any of the following:
- Grouping plants together, which actually does help improve humidity levels!
- Using a pebble tray filled with water and placing it beneath your houseplant’s pot
- Using a small humidifier near your plants
- Misting water around the houseplants with a spray bottle every few days
If your house is especially dry, you might have better success placing them near your kitchen or bathroom.
I hope these tips help you enjoy your flowering hosueplants this winter! Good luck and Happy Holidays!