Indoor Flowering Plants

Having lots of indoor flowering plants and shrubs is a great way to spruce up our homes. Flowering plants add bursts of color and fragrance to the yard and garden, and they improve air quality and our moods.

We don’t all live in climates that let us grow outdoor flowers, though. That’s why it’s so crucial to know which indoor flowering plants are the best choices for your situation. We built this guide to help you create a beautiful indoor garden space.

In this article, we look at the best indoor flowers and give you tips on how to make them thrive. You’ll learn about the top indoor shade plants for low light. We’ll also introduce you to some beautiful indoor plants that prefer bright light and lots of care. By the time you finish our article, you’ll be ready to create an indoor paradise!

A Guide to the Best Flowering Plants for Indoors

Because you’ll be planting and caring for your greenery in the comfort of your home, you aren’t as restricted in your planting times as you are when you plant outside. Many plants do best with a combination of indoor and outdoor care. If you plan on moving a plant outside at any point, do your research to make sure that it can tolerate your current conditions.

When Should I Plant Indoor Flowering Plants?

Before you start your indoor garden, get some information about your local climate. Reach out to your agricultural agency to get the latest information on regional issues, including diseases and unique treatments that might be required. Your agricultural agency can also point you toward the best plant pairings, including types of hanging plants that work well in tandem.

How Do I Grow Indoor Flowers?

To get your indoor flower garden off on the right foot, make sure to provide the right conditions for each plant. Identify a few different areas of your home with varying levels of light to meet each plant’s needs. Some plants will do best in high light conditions, for example.

Others might be super low light plants that require lots of shade to avoid burns or other damage. Your flowering houseplants will require different humidity levels as well as light levels.

Get a humidity meter for a few dollars and identify some areas in your home of varying humidity. You will always have a place to put a new plant where it can be happy. You can adjust your home’s humidity with humidifiers and dehumidifiers as needed, too.

How Do I Care for Indoor Shade Plants?

Always keep an eye on water, temperature, and sunlight, and make any adjustments needed to keep all of your plants happy and healthy. Most of your plants will be able to handle you moving them around without ill effect, but keep an eye on any recently moved plants for signs of shock.

Some plant varieties require more care than others, so check all of your plants’ care instructions in case one of them requires extra attention. It’s fine to fertilize your indoor plants that don’t need sunlight but take care not to give them too much fertilizer to avoid damaging the plants.

It’s easier to add more fertilizer than to remove it, so aim low when you first apply nutrients and add more nutrients later if needed. Not only can you add some container plants indoors, but you can choose some flowers for hanging baskets to place in strategic areas around your home.

Watch your plants to ensure you don’t have any bug infestations. Fungus gnats and aphids sometimes make an appearance and need to be taken care of right away. Kill aphids on indoor plants by smooshing their delicate bodies between your fingers – wearing gloves, of course. A light sprinkling of diatomaceous earth also works well to destroy these pests.

House plants will add some nice color and even scent to the bathroom, bedroom, or kitchen. Be sure to place them where they will get the appropriate amount of light that they may need.

Easy to Care for Indoor Flowering Plants

Check out some of our favorite easy to grow indoor flowers to enjoy year-round.

African Violet (Saintpaulia ionantha)

When you’re looking for a houseplant that grows without much attention and produces gorgeous, brilliant flowers, you can’t go wrong with the African violet. This low-maintenance, hardy plant grows beautiful violet flowers year round in the right conditions.

It is one of the best flowering plants for your bedroom, and its handsome, dark green leaves set off floral displays and enhance your living space. To start a new plant, plant a leaf cutting and keep it watered.

The African violet does best in bright sunlight, keep it near a sunny window or glass door. Keep the African violet well watered, but avoid getting cold water on the leaves to prevent unsightly discolorations.

Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) – Spectacular Indoor Flowering Plants

Nothing brightens up a home like having a bit of the tropics. If you live in a cold-weather climate but want tropical plants in your life, the hibiscus is a great pick.

Hibiscus blooms only last a few days, but with proper care, your plant will produce beautiful flowers all year long. Best of all, the lush flowers come in a variety of shades, and plants will produce pink flowers, red flowers, and yellow flowers in abundance.

Keep your hibiscus near a reliable light source for the best results. If your home doesn’t have a steady light source available, supplement the plant’s light intake by using a grow lamp for a few hours each day.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

Maybe you’re looking for a plant that not only makes your home more beautiful but also improves the air quality. If so, the peace lily is the perfect plant for your needs. The peace lily isn’t just a lovely plant that bursts into remarkable, spoon-shaped white flowers; it’s one of the top plants that clean indoor air.

Peace lilies thrive in rooms where many other plants would falter, and they look good, too. Peace lilies do best in low to bright light, so feel free to place your lily in areas that are unfriendly to light-loving plants.

The plant prefers high humidity, so keep it well watered and the soil a bit moist. Peace lily plants are poisonous, so always keep them out of reach of children and animals.

Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii)

For a plant that does well in arid conditions, look no further than the Crown of Thorns. The Crown of Thorns is related to the poinsettia and produces similar blooms of spectacular pink and white.

This foliage plant is easy care and is the perfect choice for folks who want an attractive houseplant but don’t have much time for maintenance. Keep the Crown of Thorns in as much bright sunlight as you can provide.

If need be, you can use a grow light to provide any additional light that the plant might require. Keep the temperature from 65 to 75°F for best results.

Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus radicans) – Amazing Indoor Shade Plants

Do you like dramatic colors in your plants, including shocking reds set against brilliant greens? If so, then you’ll be thrilled with the lipstick plant.

This small plant’s indoor flower resembles a lipstick tube, and you’ll get those lovely blooms all year long with proper care and attention. You don’t need to do too much to keep the lipstick plant happy.

Make sure the soil stays moist, and give the plant indirect sunlight for best results. Lipstick plants can tolerate heat better than many indoor plants, place this plant in warmer areas in your house.

Kaffir Lily (Clivia miniata)

Is there a cooler spot in your home where you can’t get anything to grow? The Kaffir lily is perfect for you. Also called the Clivia, the Kaffir lily does best in dry and cold conditions and will thrive in areas of the home that drive off less hardy plant specimens.

Best of all, the Kaffir lily is easy to cultivate. Kaffir lilies prefer dry conditions, so make sure not to overwater your plant.

Allow the soil to dry almost entirely before you water it again for best results. To stimulate blooms, make sure to keep the plant in cooler temperatures of 50-55°F for a few months of the year.

Phalaenopsis Orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis) – Beautiful Indoor Flowering Plants

Orchids are beautiful and add style and grace to any home, but they are famously difficult to grow, right? Wrong! The Phalaenopsis orchid, more commonly called the Moth orchid, is gorgeous and straightforward to develop and maintain. If you want a beautiful addition to your home, consider planting a Moth orchid.

Moth orchids prefer low or diffused light, so keep it comfortable by placing it in indirect light. You can use fluorescent lights in a broad spectrum to care for the orchids if you need extra light. Never use standard potting soil with a Moth orchid; instead, plant your orchids in a specially designed coarse soil mixture.

Add this showstopper as one of the plants for the bedroom to brighten a nightstand or dresser. It’ll make you happy every time you look at it.

Cape Primrose (Streptocarpus saxorum)

What’s your priority when planting indoor shade plants? If your main concern is how often your flowers bloom, take a gander at the Cape primrose, which is also known as the Streptocarpus.

Cape primrose blooms almost continuously if you ensure it has enough nutrients, sun, and moisture. This popular houseplant comes in a spectrum of flower colors, and it’s easy to care for and maintain.

Grow your Cape primrose in moderate to bright light for best results. Allow the plant’s soil to dry out almost entirely in between waterings, and make sure that the temperatures stay above 60°F.

Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi)

The Christmas cactus is the ideal indoor flowering plant for folks who want a spectacular annual display. The Christmas cactus is so named because of its flowering habit; once the temperatures drop in the fall, this plant produces brilliant red, purple, and white flowers all season.

Keep your Christmas cactus in bright light to make sure it stays happy and flowering. To trigger blooms, drop the daily average temperature to about 55°F. Keep the soil reasonably dry, and only water the plant every once in a while. Your cactus might require annual fertilization; check your soil nutrients regularly.

Flowering Maple (Abutilon x hybridum) – Gorgeous Indoor Flowers

An excellent indoor houseplant offers several different advantages. It provides beauty, scent and fresh air, and variety and visual stimulation. The flowering maple hits all of the checkboxes and is a feast for the senses.

The flowering maple isn’t related to the tree, but its maple-shaped leaves and upright appearance add grace to any room. Grow flowering maple in very bright light, and add a grow light to the mix if your natural light isn’t sufficient.

Keep the plant comfortable by leaving it in temperatures between 65-75°F. Your flowering maple requires regular waterings.

Oxalis (Oxalis triangularis)

Are you looking for a plant that blows you away every time you look at it? You’ll be delighted with the Oxalis plant. The Oxalis is a remarkable plant with beet-colored, dark purple leaves shaped like butterflies or shamrocks, and it produces lovely, delicate pink flowers.

Plant your Oxalis from bulbils directly in the soil. Keep the Oxalis in moderate to bright light to keep it happy, and keep the soil moist and well watered. The Oxalis thrives in temperatures between 60-75°F.

Anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum) – Heart-Shaped Indoor Flowering Plant

When you want an indoor plant that’s easy to maintain and has long-lasting and attractive blossoms, the Anthurium is right up your alley. This attractive houseplant is tough and eager to grow. Best of all, the Anthurium’s leaves and flowers are both heart-shaped; the flower is incredibly long-lived, and cut flowers will survive for a long time.

Grow the Anthurium in bright light for best performance, although it can tolerate moderate light, as well. Keep the plant in warm temperatures, and make sure that the soil stays moist. The Anthurium is poisonous, so keep it out of reach of children and animals.

Jasmine (Jasminum spp.)

One of the most delightful features of indoor flowers is the variety of lovely scents that they lend to your home. Jasmine flowers, in particular, add a honeyed fragrance to the air and make any space exude charm and warmth. Jasmines are a vine plant, which makes them perfect for hanging basket flowers to brighten the living room or another area.

Grow Jasmine in extremely bright light like direct sunlight, and use grow lights each day if necessary to keep the plant healthy. Jasmines do best with seasonal temperature variation, so keep them in temperatures between 40-60°F during the winter months to stimulate growth and blooms.

In the spring and summer, add Jasmine as one of your deck or patio hanging plants for a delightful scent that is relaxing and romantic.

Calamondin Orange (Citrus microcarpa)

You won’t find a better, more colorful, and more fragrant addition to your indoor house plants than the Calamondin orange tree. This dwarf citrus tree produces small orange fruit all year long. The fruit tastes like a kumquat and orange hybrid and works well in desserts and preserves recipes.

Give your Calamondin orange tree enough sunlight every day, and turn on a grow light if it needs more light than your local conditions can provide. Use a specially formulated citrus fertilizer when planting and once a year after that, and keep the tree watered and warm.

Brazilian Fireworks (Porphyrocoma pohliana ‘Maracas’) – Beautiful Indoor Shade Plants

Often, the best things come in the smallest packages. That’s certainly the case with the Brazilian fireworks plant, which tops out at a foot high and two feet wide. The Brazilian fireworks plant gets its name from its fall colors, which explode like pyrotechnic bursts from its textured leaves. The plant tends to shoot its seeds several feet away from the stalk, too.

Give the Brazilian fireworks plant medium to bright light, and don’t be afraid to add a grow light if it needs extra help. Keep the plant watered, but don’t let the soil get too moist to avoid root rot. The Brazilian fireworks plant does best in warm temperatures.

Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa)

Are you looking for a houseplant that is as much flower as leaf or stalk? Say hello to the Gloxinia plant. The Gloxinia is a small plant, related to the African violet, that barely tops out at a foot and a half tall.

What makes this plant stand out, though, is its remarkable bell-shaped flowers that can grow as large as the rest of the plant combined. Avoid splashing water on the foliage to prevent spots from forming.

The Gloxinia likes moist soil; keep the plant well watered when not dormant, and make sure that it gets moderate to bright light. Once the blooms fade and drop, force the plant into dormancy by withholding water and reducing the temperature.

Guppy Plant (Nematanthus spp.)

Perhaps you need a long-blooming houseplant that requires little care. If you like the sound of a robust, hardy plant with lovely flowers, you’ll love the Guppy plant. The plant’s glossy green leaves alone make it worth taking the trouble to plant, but it offers much more.

In addition to its foliage, the Guppy plant bursts into flowers shaped just like a colorful guppy fish that will delight your family. You’ll need to keep your Guppy plant in bright sunlight for best results, although it can tolerate moderate light, too.

Make sure that the plant’s soil stays mostly dry, and keep close tabs on the temperature. The Guppy plant likes cooler winter weather, so place it in 50-55°F during the cold months.

We hope you’ve had a good time with our indoor shade plants guide. Having a vibrant and healthy indoor flower garden is essential to keeping your home beautiful and your family happy. This article shows you the best indoor flowers for all conditions and helps you develop your indoor green thumb.

We appreciate you reading our indoor flowering plants guide. If our tips for indoor flowers were useful to you, please spread the word and share this indoor flowering plants article with your family and friends on Facebook and Pinterest.