Why buy cut flowers that fade in a couple of weeks when you can have beautiful blooming houseplants? Dig in for easy tips to keep them happy and healthy.
Add cheerful color to your favorite indoor spaces with the beauty of flowering houseplants. While most of our common houseplants are grown for their lush, tropical leaves, there are a few species that readily produce attractive flowers in the average home.
Tip #1: Give Them Good Light
High light levels are key for keeping most flowering houseplants happy. Light gives them the energy to grow and produce their beautiful blossoms. In general, you’ll want to keep flowering houseplants in a spot where they cast a strong shadow throughout the day. If they don’t get enough light, many will grow well, but they may not bloom.
Don’t have a good window? No worries—most flowering houseplants will do just as well under artificial light. They care more about getting enough light than where it comes from.
Tip #2: Fertilize Frequently
While light gives them the energy to grow and bloom well, fertilizer is like vitamins to help supplement that healthy growth. Fertilizing with a general-purpose fertilizer (either time-release or water-soluble) from time to time can encourage optimal blooms.
Note: You might see fertilizers positioned to help plants bloom better. I haven’t noticed—in my experience—these products push more flowers on houseplants. So you should be fine using any general-purpose fertilizer.
Tip #3: Pay Attention to Temperature
Some houseplants—like Phalaenopsis Orchids, for example—need certain conditions to help them trigger blooms. So even with good light and fertilizer, your houseplants may be shy to show off their beautiful flowers. If your favorite houseplant isn’t blooming, you may need to do some research—different varieties have different needs.
Tip #4: Repot Regularly
If your houseplants are stressed from being rootbound, when there are too many roots filling the pot, it can also keep them from blooming well. As a general rule, we recommend repotting houseplants to a slightly bigger pot when you see about 75 percent roots and 25 percent potting mix in the rootball when you slip the plant out of its pot.
Our Favorite Flowering Houseplants
Anthurium: Newer varieties of Anthurium have individual flowers that can last more than a month—and with good light levels, they can continue to produce new flowers every month. That means with good care, your Anthurium can just about have at least one flower on most of the year!
Bromeliad: There are a wealth of Bromeliad varieties available; most of what we grow are Guzmania species, which have exotic, torch-like blooms atop strappy foliage. Individual flowers can last a couple of months, so this plant can give you a big burst of color.
Holiday Cactus: Holiday Cactus hails from tropical rainforests of South America and shows off orchid-like flowers around the holidays. It typically blooms once a year, but the bloom period can extend for a couple of months.
Phalaenopsis Orchid: Phalaenopsis Orchid is the most commonly grown orchid species as a houseplant. It features lovely, long-lasting blooms in a range of colors. It typically blooms once per year, but in the right conditions, it may send out spikes twice a year.
Spathiphyllum: Perhaps the most commonly grown flowering houseplant, it features lush foliage topped by white flowers reminiscent of Calla Lily. Like Anthurium, with good conditions you can keep it blooming much of the year.
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