Five of the Best Indoor Winter Flowering Plants (That Aren’t Poinsettias)
Amidst the chill and bleakness of winter, the vibrant pops of color from indoor flowering plants can truly be a mood booster. If you’re looking to diversify beyond the classic poinsettia, here are five fantastic indoor winter flowering plants to brighten your home:
1. Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera): Unlike its desert-dwelling namesake, the Christmas Cactus thrives in cooler temperatures and with less light. It boasts beautiful, arching branches with colorful tubular flowers in pink, red, purple, or white. Around the holidays, it puts on a spectacular show that can last for several weeks.
2. Amaryllis: Known for its striking trumpet-shaped flowers that can reach up to 10 inches in diameter, the Amaryllis comes in a variety of colors including red, burgundy, white, orange, and bi-colored variants. It requires a period of dormancy before it reblooms, so after the initial flowering period in winter, let it rest to enjoy its grandeur again next season.
3. Cyclamen: This vibrant plant’s bright flowers stand like butterfly wings above heart-shaped leaves. Available in pink, white, red or violet hues, cyclamens are a beautiful addition that prefer cooler temperatures and indirect sunlight. Be cautious with water; they prefer to be watered from below and require well-drained soil.
4. Jasmine: Winter jasmine varieties such as Jasminum polyanthum offer a sweet fragrance along with their delicate white flowers. This twining vine can be trained around windows or trellises for an alluring display. Jasmine plants will do best with cooler nighttime temperatures and lots of sunlight during the day.
5. African Violets (Saintpaulia): These compact houseplants offer a rich palette of colors including purple, blue, pink and white with fuzzy leaves that add to their charm. They require moderate temperatures and filtered light to bloom but are known to have long-lasting flowers once they begin.
As you look to add warmth and color to your indoor spaces during the colder months, these blossoming beauties are excellent alternatives to poinsettias. Offering different shapes, sizes, and palettes of colors—there’s surely one that will suit your winter sanctuary perfectly.