Flowering Houseplants

Start with healthy plants

Check the leaves both top and bottom. You don't want to bring any new insects into your home! Look for plants with a uniform color. The lower leaves should not be yellowed. Choose plants with straight, sturdy stalks and a well-balanced array of leaves.

Consider the light

Generally, the brightest light in your house is a south-facing window. The lowest light levels are to the north. Flowering houseplants generally require a few hours of direct sunlight each day for flower production. East or west exposures are great places to keep blooming plants over the winter months, but will often be too hot for the summertime. Plants already blooming can be placed at lower light locations throughout your home, but remember that some green leaves will naturally turn yellow in the lower light conditions.

Temperature

All plants vary in their requirements, but generally temperatures between 55-65° F are suitable. Flowering plants often enjoy cooler temperatures than tropical houseplants and some require cooler temperatures to set bud. For the longest bloom, move plants to a cooler location overnight. Avoid heat ducts and tops of TVs.

Monitor for pests

Occasionally insects may be a problem. For this reason careful inspection at the time of purchase is extremely important. Flowering plants are often just temporary visitors, but they have the potential to bring insects to other plants in your home. Most common pests of flowering plants include whitefly, thrips and mealybug. Often disposal of the plant is the best solution. Pesticides can sometimes injure flowers.

Know when to compost

Often flowering plants are grown for a specific season. After the flowers are gone, they may be quite difficult to get to rebloom and not worth the space they occupy in your home. Consider recycling them on your compost pile! Plants that fall into this category might be Pocketbook plant, Florist mums, Cyclamen, Poinsettia, Zebra Plant, Persian Violet, Cinneraria, Kalanchoe, Ornamental Pepper, Paper Whites, Bromiliads, and Gloxinia. Below are listed flowering houseplants that will be of interest even when not in bloom. Many common annuals also make good flowering plants if given enough sunlight. Remember to remove (and compost) spent blossoms to encourage other buds to open.

Prepared by Chris Mayer