Anyone Can Grow These Indoor Flowering Plants

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Once you’ve put away your gardening tools for the season, you may wonder how you’ll survive until next spring. Flowering houseplants are the answer! With many colorful, inexpensive options with long bloom times, there’s one (or more!) you’ll want to add to your window sill immediately. Many blooming houseplants thrive for years with minimal care, while others shine for a just few months before fading (sometimes you can coddle them to rebloom, but, honestly, it’s often more work than it’s worth). No worries; place those past their prime in your compost pile.

Here are a few of our favorite blooming houseplants to brighten your home all winter:

Your outdoor garden may be full of colorful flowers from spring to fall, but what about indoors? While we love big, bold, green houseplants, many indoor blooming plants give you flowers throughout the year, adding splashes of color to your interior spaces. Some arrive during the darkest days of winter (hello, Christmas cactus! We love you!), so they’re especially endearing.

Many indoor flowering plants last for years, and they’re not particularly difficult to grow. The most important thing to remember is to give them the correct light. Most houseplants are tropical plants, so they prefer bright, indirect light. That means light from an east-, west-, or south-facing window. North-facing windows usually don’t provide enough light, especially in winter.

Most important, don't overwater! More houseplants die from overwatering rather than underwatering. Poke your finger in the soil and test every single time before you water. If soil sticks to your finger, it’s still too wet. Wait a few more days and test again. No plant likes wet feet! And it’s always better to err on the side of too dry than too wet.

Keep reading to see our picks for the prettiest indoor blooming plants. We've even pointed out the best pet-friendly plants so you won't have to worry about your fur baby.

For more houseplant inspiration:

• 30 Best Indoor Plants That Are Easy to Grow

• 20 Large Indoor Plants That Make Your Home an Oasis

• 20 Large Indoor Plants That Make Your Home an Oasis

• The Best Low-Maintenance Houseplants to Invest In

Crown of Thorns

Crown of thorns, or euphorbia, is a striking tropical succulent shrub. It has pink, white, yellow, or orange flowers. Give it direct sunlight for a few hours a day to encourage blooming. Because it’s a succulent, which means it retains water, give it a drink only when the top inch or two of soil feels dry.

Pet friendly: No

Related: 10 Types of Succulents You Need to Know

Hoya Albo Carnosa

There are many different kinds of hoyas, but they all develop lovely star-shaped flowers in clusters. This one has gorgeous white variegation with pink accents, so it’s colorful even when not in bloom. Give it bright indirect light, and water it only when the top few inches of soil are dry.

Pet friendly: Yes

Related: 50 Pretty White Flowers to Plant in Your Garden

Pink Anthurium

The heart-shaped leaves and pretty red, pink, or white blooms of this plant make it a must-have. The flowers, which are actually modified leaves, show off for a couple of months. This sturdy plant is almost always in bloom.

Pet friendly: No

Desert Rose

Desert rose is a striking succulent with large, trumpet-shaped blooms. It needs at least six hours of direct sunlight, so if you don’t have the right natural lighting, consider a grow light. Because it’s a succulent, water it sparingly—only when the top few inches of soil feel dry.

Pet friendly: No

Related: 20 Best Plant Grow Lights for Your Indoor Plants

Moth Orchid

Delicate-looking moth orchids are not as fragile as they appear. They’ll bloom for months and can live for years with little care. They prefer bright, indirect light (an east- or west-facing window is best). Water once a week until it drains out of the bottom of the pot.

Pet friendly: Yes

Related: How to Care for an Orchid So It Keeps Blooming

Bromeliad

Bromeliads are fun and funky plants related to pineapples. The striking flower, or bract, blooms for a very long period. It needs lots of bright, indirect light (it won't tolerate low light) and water every one to two weeks. Just let it dry out between waterings.

Pet friendly: Yes

Purple Oxalis

Shamrock plants bloom profusely with pretty little star-shaped flowers. The plant's foliage may be green or burgundy. Give it bright indirect light, and keep it slightly moist. Most species of shamrock, which grow from bulbs, go dormant a few times a year. Stop watering and place the plant in a cool, dark place. When you see new growth, move your shamrock back into bright light and resume watering.

Pet-friendly? No

Cyclamen

The heart-shaped leaves and dainty butterfly-like flowers of this charming plant add plenty of color to winter days. Cyclamen need bright, indirect light and prefer to stay slightly moist. Like shamrocks, they go dormant. Put yours in a cool place, don't water it for two months, and then bring it back into the light and start watering it again. With any luck, it will rebloom. If that seems like a lot of work, just enjoy it while in bloom and compost it when it fades.

Pet-friendly? No

Calamondin Orange Plant

This plant blooms flowers and bears fruit! The calamondin orange is a cross between a kumquat and mandarin. It has pretty, super-fragrant blossoms year-round, which develop into one-inch oranges that are cute, edible, and perfect for cocktails. Give it bright light—preferably from a grow light—and let it dry out a bit between waterings.

Pet-friendly? No

Holiday Cactus

These old-fashioned favorites have been popular for decades—and they can actually live that long! Their exotic-looking blooms come in an array of shades from pure white to corals, pinks, and reds. Different species bloom at different times of the year, including Thanksgiving and Easter. They like bright indirect light. Water when the soil feels mostly dry.

Pet-friendly? Yes

Kalanchoe

This succulent has glossy green leaves and bright red, yellow, pink, or orange flower clusters that last for weeks. It does best in bright indirect light and prefers to dry out between waterings. Cut off the flower head after it fizzles, then enjoy the foliage all year long—or compost it because these are tough to get to rebloom next year.

Pet-friendly? No

African Violet

These old favorites bloom year-round if you keep them happy in bright, indirect light. Keep the soil lightly moist, and don't let water drip on the fuzzy leaves because it will cause brown spots. A self-watering pot is a great idea for these pretty blooms.

Pet-friendly? Yes

Peace Lily

Shiny green leaves and spoon-shaped white flowers make this low-maintenance houseplant a classic. With the right conditions, these plants can last for many years with practically no care. Peace lilies tolerate low to moderate light but tend to bloom better in bright filtered light. Keep the soil lightly moist.

Pet-friendly? No

Flowering Maple

Also called abutilon, this plant has papery red, yellow, pink, or peach blossoms. They like bright indirect light, preferably near a window with south or west exposure. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry. They typically last a few years before getting leggy and unattractive.

Pet-friendly? No

Flower Power Amaryllis

You may think of amaryllis as a holiday season type of plant, but the truth is there are many varieties that will bloom at other times of year. Give this plant bright, indirect light and water when the top few inches of soil feels dry.

Pet-friendly? No

Clivia

This elegant flower, a relative of the amaryllis, has long-lasting orange or yellow flowers and glossy leaves. It tolerates most light conditions and likes to dry out between waterings. It's long-lived, but getting it to rebloom can be tricky. Keep it outside in the fall, then move it to the coolest room in the house before the first frost. Let it stay rather dry until midwinter, then gradually increase the water. You should have blooms in February or March.

Pet-friendly? No

Rex Begonia

Rex begonias are easy-care plants that get small pink or white flowers several times a year. However, the rest of the year, you'll enjoy the stunning markings on their colorful foliage. Give them bright, indirect light, and water when the top of the soil feels dry. They prefer to stay a little moist, not sopping wet.

Pet-friendly? No

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