17 Types of Houseplants that Bloom Indoors

Closeup of Gloxinia Sinningia speciosa flowers in the foreground and dark green leaves. Plants on the windowsill against the background of window.
© Diy13/iStock via Getty Images

Written by Heather Hall

Updated: October 28, 2023

Share on:

Advertisement


Welcome to our guide on houseplants that bloom indoors. Whether you want a spark of color during the winter or you have the perfect sunny windowsill, you’re sure to find the perfect plant.

1. African Violet

African violet

Don’t get water on your African violet’s leaves, or they will turn brown.

©Lapa Smile/Shutterstock.com

African violets are some of the easiest flowering plants to nurture indoors, and they come in a great variety of colors and shapes. They need warmth and bright, indirect sunlight, but it’s important to avoid getting water on their fuzzy leaves as this causes brown spots. The ideal growing conditions for African violets are medium to bright light and temperatures between 65-75°F. The plant can reach up to 8 inches tall and 16 inches wide.

2. Oxalis

Purple leaves of false shamrock (Oxalis triangularis)

False shamrock, or oxalis, is a houseplant that blooms indoors all year with enough light.

©Edita Medeina/Shutterstock.com

This attractive houseplant has triangular-shaped leaves that look like clovers. The leaves are either a purple hue or plain green, with or without silver accents. It produces a consistent display of light pink or white flowers above the foliage. In order to thrive, oxalis requires medium to bright light, temperatures between 60-75°F and soil that is kept moist. It can grow up to 12 inches tall indoors.

3. Peace Lily

Peace lily closeup

The flowers of the peace lily are spaths.

©armifello/Shutterstock.com

A peace lily is a beautiful indoor plant that can make any home look more inviting. Growing and caring for a peace lily is relatively easy and doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. They can thrive in bright, indirect sunlight and in areas with high humidity. Allow the soil to dry out slightly in between waterings. Use potting soil that has good drainage, and be sure not to overwater, as it may lead to root rot. Fertilize two to three times a year with a balanced fertilizer.

4. Anthurium

Flamingo flower (Anthurium andraeanum) in the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney, Australia

Flamingo flowers (Anthuriums) are houseplants that bloom indoors with very little maintenance.

©Shurik the Creator/Shutterstock.com

Anthuriums are beautiful houseplants that bloom indoors. The blooms are bright and long-lasting. They have dark green, heart-shaped leaves with waxy surfaces and vibrant red, pink, or white flowers that stand out against their leaves. These plants do best in bright, indirect light, and they need to be watered regularly. Anthuriums are a great choice for those looking to add some color to their home. Their attractive flowers can last up to 8 weeks. They also need very little maintenance, making them a great choice for busy people who want a low-maintenance plant.

5. Christmas Cactus

Christmas Cactus in front of a window.

Be sure to give your Christmas cactus a period of chill so that it can form flower buds.

©iStock.com/Nadezhda_Nesterova

Christmas cactus is a beautiful flowering plant with bright and vibrant blooms. The plant has a large, woody stem and thick, segmented leaves that are usually a deep green or purple-red in color. Its flowers are typically pink, red, or white and bloom in the winter months, making it a popular holiday decoration. Christmas cactus is also known for its distinctive star-shaped flowers.

6. Flowering Maple

Abutilon 'Cloth of Gold' blossom

The leaves of flowering maples look just like a maple tree, hence the name.

©iStock.com/PFMphotostock

Flowering maple (Abutilon x hybridum) has leaves that resemble those of a maple tree. However, they are not related. The blooms of this plant are crepe-paper-like and come in shades of yellow, orange, pink, or red. Many varieties have variegated or splotched foliage. You can grow it upright as a tree, prune it to keep it shrubby or place it in a hanging basket. To keep the plant healthy, it needs intensely bright light, temperatures between 65-75°F, and evenly moist soil. This plant can grow up to 5 feet tall indoors.

7. Jasmine

Trachelospermum asiaticum or Asiatic jasmine loves growing in the shade

There are many types of jasmine, and several of them make great houseplants that bloom indoors.

©Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 – Original / License

Flowering jasmine has delicate white or pink flowers that bloom in the spring and summer months. The flowers are star-shaped and have an amazing scent that fills the air with a sweet aroma. Jasmine also has glossy green leaves and grows in a vining habit. It is an easy-to-care-for plant that can thrive indoors when given enough light. The plant can be pruned to keep it tidy and can be trained to grow along trellises or other structures for a stunning display. Flowering jasmine needs temperatures above 60°F in summer and above 40°F in winter. It will grow 4 feet tall as a houseplant.

8. Clivia

Clivia plant flowers

The blooms of Clivia plants grow in bunches of up to 20 flowers at once!

©Elena Lyuban/Shutterstock.com

Clivia (Clivia miniata) is sometimes referred to by many as a kaffir lily. It is an uncommon houseplant and typically produces clusters of tubular blossoms during the winter season. The flowers are yellow or orangish red. To make sure it blooms, it needs a cold winter season. Expose it to a winter temperature of 50-55°F to encourage blooms. It grows up to two feet tall indoors. Be aware that this plant is toxic to humans and pets.

9. Brazilian Fireworks

Brazilian fireworks are rare houseplants that bloom indoors.

©Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0 – Original / License

Porphyrocoma pohliana ‘Maracas’ is a beautiful flowering houseplant native to Brazil. It produces bright yellow-orange blooms with a unique orange-red center. This stunning flower is a real showstopper, making it a great choice for a houseplant that blooms indoors. Brazilian fireworks’ richly-colored petals are a delight to look at. It also has a sweet, spicy fragrance. It needs constant temperatures above 60°F

10. Gloxinia

Closeup of Gloxinia Sinningia speciosa flowers in the foreground and dark green leaves. Plants on the windowsill against the background of window.

Houseplants that flower indoors, like Gloxinias, are fun to grow on a sunny windowsill.

©Diy13/iStock via Getty Images

Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa) typically produces attractive, bell-shaped flowers with contrasting bands or spots of white in late winter. Each flower is 3 inches wide. Once the blooms die off, stop watering the plant and let it go into dormancy before resuming watering when new growth appears. Gloxinia will grow to 18 inches tall in bright light. Keep the indoor temperatures between 65-80°F during the summer and 55-75°F when dormant.

11. Guppy Plant

closeup goldfish plant

The goldfish plant, or guppy plant, will flower all year long in intense indoor light.

©New Africa/Shutterstock.com

This houseplant that blooms indoors is related to the African violet. Guppy plant flowers during the summer normally. If you are able to provide this plant with intensely bright light, it will bloom 12 months of the year! The thick, fleshy leaves are dark green and grow on pendulous stems that hang over the side of the container. It looks awesome in a hanging basket because the flowers form at the very tip of the branch. Keep the room temperature above 65°F in summer and give it a period of chill at 50°F during winter. This period of chill will encourage even more flower buds to form. This plant is 2 feet tall.

12. Lipstick Plant

Lipstick plant - Aeschynanthus radicans var. lobbianus

Lipstick plants need moist soil.

©PeterCam/Shutterstock.com

This plant is also a cousin to the African violet. The lipstick plant also has long trailing stems and dark green oval leaves. It forms tubular flowers in the fall. If the light is bright enough, it will bloom a second time during the spring. This plant looks great in any kind of pot and loves to sit on a covered porch during the summer. Keep the temperatures above 60°F at all times and the soil moist but not soggy.

13. Shrimp Plant

Mexican shrimp plant, long colorful bracts which look somewhat like shrimps and green leaves, close up. Justicia brandegeeana or False Hop is evergreen shrub, flowering plant of the family Acanthaceae

Try growing houseplants that bloom indoors in hanging baskets for maximum visual appeal.

©LifeCollectionPhotography/Shutterstock.com

This is a very fast-growing houseplant that blooms indoors. Even indoors, you will likely have to prune it. It also produces abundant blooms on flower spikes. The flowers do look like pink shrimp and show up all throughout the year. Some cultivars have yellow and green flowers. Shrimp plants require temperatures that never go below 60°F and soil that never dries out completely. With care, it will grow 3 feet tall indoors.

14. Angel Wing Begonia

Beautiful Angel Wing Begonia flowers at a botanical garden in Southern California

 Begonia coccinea, or angel wing begonia, is a houseplant that grows 6 feet tall indoors.

©akrassel/iStock via Getty Images

This is one of the most rewarding houseplants that bloom indoors. It is also one of the easiest to propagate. The angel wing begonia will grow 6 feet tall indoors and produce pink, white, or red flowers throughout the year. There are many cultivars available now. You can buy them with leaves of silver, maroon, or green. Keep the temperatures above 65°F, and don’t let the soil dry out too much. This plant has roots and stems that are toxic to both humans and animals.

15. Rieger Begonia

Red, orange rieger begonia flowers pattern background and begonia (semperflorens) leaf in garden landscape. Begonia wax flower with leaves for garden design.

Begonias can tolerate low light but prefer bright indirect light to flower indoors.

©Linas Toleikis/iStock via Getty Images

This is a tuberous type of begonia that blooms in the dead of winter. Just when you really need to see a flower! Rieger begonia flowers are like tiny roses and can be red, orange, or yellow. The foliage is highly glossy and deep green. It grows 18 inches tall indoors and likes to be kept moist, like all begonias. This begonia is also toxic to humans and animals. Begonias are some of the easiest houseplants that bloom indoors.

16. Wax Begonia

Wax begonia

Wax begonias are a very easy-to-grow houseplant that blooms indoors.

©Halit Omer/Shutterstock.com

This is a very easy-to-grow houseplant that blooms indoors. As long as you can keep the soil moist but not soggy and the temperature over 65°, you will be rewarded with blooms all year. Give it bright, indirect light, and don’t forget to propagate as many cuttings as you want. They propagate easily in a glass of water. The flowers are pink, white, or red against bright green waxy leaves.

17. Bromeliad

Radiant magenta flower in full bloom, green leaves

Be sure to water only the bract of the bromeliad plant, not the soil.

©iStock.com/Dagmar Niemann

Bromeliad (Guzmania lingulata) is an attractive and vibrant houseplant with distinctive purple, yellow, orange, or red bracts. Its leaves are glossy green and arranged in a vase-like shape. The flowering shoots originate from the center of the foliage, and the blooms can last up to six months. To ensure optimal growth, this cousin to the pineapple requires bright light, temperatures between 65-80°F, and moderately dry soil. Pour water directly into the top of the flower bract.


Share this post on:
About the Author

Heather Hall is a writer at A-Z Animals, where her primary focus is on plants and animals. Heather has been writing and editing since 2012 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture. As a resident of the Pacific Northwest, Heather enjoys hiking, gardening, and trail running through the mountains with her dogs.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.