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12 Flowering Houseplants That Last Way Longer Than Any Bouquet

By Arricca Elin SanSone

| Sep. 17, 2020

Now that your outdoor garden is starting to wind down for the year, it’s time to move the show indoors with a few flowering houseplants. (Some can thrive for years indoors if you give them the right conditions.) The main requirement: Bright, indirect light. That means the pot should not be set in direct sunlight but placed within a few inches of a south- or west-facing window. East-facing windows work in a pinch, too, but forget about north-facing, as you won’t get sufficient light as the days grow shorter. Also, make sure the pot has holes in the bottom so excess water can drain out, and dump out the tray underneath the pot after watering, because no plant likes wet feet (er, roots).

Here are our favorite flowering houseplants to add color to any room of your home:

Natalya Mamaeva/Getty Images

1. Moth Orchid

Needs moderate to bright light
Water when nearly dry

With its butterfly-like blooms, this orchid looks delicate, but it’s much sturdier than you’d think. Also called the Phalaenopsis orchid, this charming plant doesn’t need repotted often and actually flowers better when it’s slightly root-bound. It will bloom for years with little care.

$25 AT AMAZON

ALBERTO OROZCO/GETTY IMAGES

2. Peace Lily

Needs moderate to bright light
Water when nearly dry

Perhaps not as flashy as other flowering houseplants, a peace lily with loads of white spoon-shaped flowers has an understated elegance that works in any setting. It flowers best in bright light, although it will tolerate low light. Cut off the flowers at the base of the plant once they turn green to keep the plant looking tidy. Peace lilies can live for ten or more years.

$24 AT AMAZON

Mint Images/Helen Norman/Getty Images

3. African Violet

Needs bright light
Keep soil lightly moist

These plants absolutely hate getting waterlogged, so don’t overdo it! Also, keep water off the leaves to prevent spotting, and pinch off faded flowers so the plant stays pretty. In the right conditions, African violets can live for a few decades.

$15 AT AMAZON

MARTIN WAHLBORG/GETTY IMAGES

4. Christmas Cactus

Needs bright light
Water when soil is dry

The exotic-looking blooms of Christmas cactus come in white, hot pink, peach and pale pink. Different species bloom at different times of year, including Thanksgiving and Easter, and they can live for decades. If a piece breaks off, insert the end (where it came off of the main plant) into moist potting soil in another pot. It will root to create a new baby plant to keep or share.

$13 AT AMAZON

CLIVE NICHOLS/GETTY IMAGES

5. Kalanchoe

Needs bright light
Water when almost dry

This cheery succulent has clusters of bright yellow, pink, red or orange flowers that last for weeks. Cut off the flower head when it fades, and enjoy the glossy foliage all year long. If you keep it, don’t count on reblooming next year; this plant is finicky, so don’t feel bad if you toss in the compost pile; they’re inexpensive enough to buy seasonally.

$19 AT AMAZON

Margarita Zhilova / 500px/Getty Images

6. Cyclamen

Needs bright light
Keep soil slightly moist

Cyclamen has dainty red, pink or white blooms that float above cute heart-shaped leaves. They like it on the cool side (60 to 70 degrees), or they get annoyed and drop leaves. It’s tough to get them to rebloom, so enjoy and compost when they start to look ratty.

$14 AT AMAZON

Pierre-Yves Babelon/Getty Images

7. Chenille Plant

Needs bright light
Keep soil slightly moist

With its fuzzy red flowers, called catkins, chenille is rather eye-catching in bloom! A hanging basket shows off its unique blooms nicely. But be aware that the catkins are toxic and may irritate skin, so wear gloves when handling and keep them away from kids and pets. It’s a fast-growing plant that can last for years.

$26 AT AMAZON

Merethe Svarstad Eeg / EyeEm/Getty Images

8. Amaryllis

Needs bright light
Keep soil lightly moist

These dramatic blooms come from bulbs available for purchase in the fall. Put them in a bright spot because insufficient light causes the foliage to flop over once it emerges from the bulb. Blooms occur in about six weeks and last for a month or more. Many people try to time them to bloom for the holidays. To save the bulb for next year, leave the foliage intact but cut the flower stalk, then move outdoors in the shade after the last frost occurs. In late summer, cut off any foliage and don’t water until about six weeks before the next time you want it to bloom. Then start watering (and hope for the best)!

BUY IT ($15)

Liudmyla Liudmyla/Getty Images

9. Begonia

Needs bright light
Water when almost dry

There are more than 1,000 species of begonias and begonia hybrids! Many different types, including some grown for their stunning leaf patterns, will survive indoors with sufficient light. Begonias are particularly susceptible to overwatering, so don’t keep the soil sopping wet. Pinch off flowers as they fade to keep them looking neat. Many types will last for years.

$5 AT AMAZON

ALEXEY BUGAYEV/GETTY IMAGES

10. Gloxinia

Needs bright indirect light
Keep soil slightly moist

This relative of African violets has velvety bell-shaped flowers in gorgeous deep purples, blues, reds and pinks. Like African violets, don’t get gloxinia leaves wet or you’ll have brown spotting on the foliage. They flower for about two months. The plants can live for years, though they can be somewhat finicky about reblooming.

$7 AT AMAZON

NikShargin/Getty Images

11. Oxalis

Needs bright indirect light
Water when almost dry

This adorable plant, also called a shamrock plant, grows from bulbs and has bright green or deep burgundy leaves with tiny, prolific white or pink flowers. Some species close or fold up their leaves at night or on cloudy days. Many species go dormant a few times a year and appear to be dying. But this is a normal part of the growing cycle for bulbs, so place in a cool, dark spot and stop watering. When you see new growth, place it back in bright light and resume watering. Also, keep it away from pets, as it contains oxalic acid, which can cause kidney damage if ingested in large quantities.

BUY IT ($16)

Svitlana Ozirna/Getty Images

12. Flowering Maple

Needs bright indirect light
Water when almost dry

This lesser-known houseplant has pretty deep red, yellow, pink or peach papery blossoms that appear almost year-round. The plants last a few years before getting too leggy and ugly. At that point, toss ‘em in the compost bin!

BUY IT ($13)

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12 Flowering Houseplants That Last Way Longer Than Any Bouquet

1. Moth Orchid

2. Peace Lily

3. African Violet

4. Christmas Cactus

5. Kalanchoe

6. Cyclamen

7. Chenille Plant

8. Amaryllis

9. Begonia

10. Gloxinia

11. Oxalis

12. Flowering Maple

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12 Flowering Houseplants That Last Way Longer Than Any Bouquet

1. Moth Orchid

2. Peace Lily

3. African Violet

4. Christmas Cactus

5. Kalanchoe

6. Cyclamen

7. Chenille Plant

8. Amaryllis

9. Begonia

10. Gloxinia

11. Oxalis

12. Flowering Maple

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