Winter can be dreary indoors, but here are some wonderful houseplants, many of which are commonly sold in the wintertime, to add some life to your home. Some are usually only available during the Fall and Winter, and others are available year-round. But all will add some joy in your home when you need it the most!
Table of Contents
10 Winter Plants to Brighten Up Your Home
Rosemary “Trees”
If you have a sunny window, rosemary is a wonderful plant to grow indoors during the winter. Often times, they’re sold shaped like Christmas trees like mine in the photo above. And if you love cooking like I do, it’s a bonus to have fresh rosemary to use as you need it, instead of buying it all the time!
When the weather turns warm, I like to place mine outdoors, and then return it back indoors before the weather gets too cold again.
They do like plenty of sun, so be sure to give your plant a nice bright window.
Amaryllis
Amaryllis bulbs normally are only available to buy during late Autumn and wintertime, and nothing beats the floral show of these plants! The flowers are enormous, and with good care, you can keep these plants year after year. I’ve been growing these plants for over 2 decades.
They are sometimes sold as waxed bulbs, and those are meant to just bloom and throw away. If you want to keep an amaryllis year after year, try and find an unwaxed bulb and plant it in a pot. Otherwise, if you only see waxed bulbs, you can try peeling the wax off and plant that.
Check out my post on planting an amaryllis bulb as well as what to do with amaryllis after blooming so that you can keep it for years to come. It includes everything that I do with my own plants. Over the years, with good care, the bulbs will multiply, and the number of flowers will increase.
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe are beautiful succulents and they come in a large variety of flower colors as you can see below.
They typically bloom when days start to get shorter, and are a welcome sight when they flower! Being a succulent, be sure to let the soil dry out. I’d recommend letting the top inch or 2 dry out before water.
As far as light goes, give this plant your brightest window. It will benefit from at least a few hours of direct sun, especially if you want a good bloom.
Poinsettia
Poinsettias are everywhere during the the holiday season, but did you know that you can keep them year round?
Even though they have some succulent traits (mainly their stems), these plants do NOT like to dry out completely. Their foliage will quickly wilt, drop and dry out if you keep them too dry. I’d recommend only letting the top inch or so of the soil dry out, and then give them a good watering.
Sure, you can have them on display wherever you’d like, but don’t keep them there too long. These are sun-loving plants, so with good care, you can keep them year over year. Check out my monthly pointsettia care guide for tips on how to keep these plants year-round.
Holiday Cacti
Of course, no houseplant collection is complete without a Thanksgiving Cactus or Christmas Cactus. In the illustration I made above, I show the difference in both the foliage and flowers between Thanksgiving Cacatus, Christmas Cactus, and to be complete, Easter Cactus as well.
A lot of people have trouble getting theirs to rebloom, so check out my guide on reblooming Christmas Cactus. It has all the care tips that you need, and this care is also identical for Thanksgiving Cactus. Oftentimes, they are mislabeled, but the care is the same.
African Violets
No houseplant collection should be without an African Violet, or two…or three. They come in a variety of flower colors including purple, white, pink and many variations in between. With good care, they are seemingly in non-stop bloom and they will bring you much joy, and color during the winter and throughout the year.
Paperwhite narcissus bulbs are often sold during the wintertime, often times in kits, or you can buy the bulbs on their own. You can force the bulbs into flower. They’re mainly enjoyed for forcing into bloom indoors. The scent is incredible!
Cyclamen
Cyclamens are very misunderstood because they go dormant during the summer, causing many people to think that they have died. I don’t have any content on the care of these plants, but here is a great short video that I found on Cyclamen care and it also describes the dormancy process.
These plants are often sold in the Fall and Winter, and if you love these plants and have struggled with them, it’s important to understand their dormancy period, which the video above also discusses.
Norfolk Island Pine
Norfolk Island Pines are wonderful houseplants, and you can even treat them as living Christmas trees! Many of them are sold in December, decorated with small ornaments.
Orchids
And lastly, Phalaenopsis orchids are wonderful plants with flowers that last for months, and they really cheer up your indoor space with their flowers. I’ve been growing Phalaenopsis orchids for many years, so if you’ve been frustrated with them, I have an online course that I created.
If you want to learn all about how to get your orchid to rebloom reliably and have healthy, thriving moth orchid plants, don’t miss my signature, online orchid care course, Become an Orchid Master. It also includes bonuses with support from me, personally, to guide you in your orchid journey!
How many of these plants have you grown indoors? Comment below. I’d love to hear!
