20 Top Indoor Flowering Plants That Make Your Home Feel Like a Mini Tropical Escape

Botanical name: Begonia semperflorens
Light requirement: Bright, indirect

Rarely do two begonias look the same. From the tie-dye look to eyelash begonias to the sought-after polka dot begonias, they’re a striking part of any home. These wax begonias have dark succulent leaves that let their delicate flowers shine. It needs a well-draining soil mix to create blooms of white, pink, or red.

Botanical name: Curio rowleyanus
Light requirement: Bright, direct

Like its sister, the “string of bananas”, plants in the curio genus are succulents. They typically grow across the ground in southwestern Africa, so mimic those conditions for success. Dry air and the brightest indoor light you can get, year-round, can produce small white flowers in the summer. They even smell like clove, for a naturally gourmand atmosphere in your home.

Botanical name: Schlumbergera gaertneri
Light requirement: Bright, indirect

This is one member of the holiday cacti family, named for the time of year they tend to bloom. So while Christmas cacti bloom in early winter, spring (or Easter) cacti bloom in mid-spring. If you don’t like a humid environment, the good news is this bright cactus is okay with average indoor humidity. This cactus is native to the forest, rather than the desert. So you need to keep it dry before it flowers, but once buds form, feel free to water to push it along.

Botanical name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Light requirement: Bright, direct

These flowers are blink-and-you-miss-it: each bloom will only last for one or two days. It’s native to Hawaii, Fiji, and Southwest China, so tropical environments with bright, direct light and high humidity will make it happy. With proper attention and frequent watering, it’ll flower throughout the spring and summer months.

Botanical name: Hippeastrum
Light requirement: Bright, indirect

These bulbs are a popular holiday gift, loved for their shiny red wax and easy-to-care for flowers. You can buy a dormant bulb, but patience is required: it can take up to 12 weeks to bloom after planting. The blooms will last you for seven weeks after, and come in a variety of colors for a seasonal surprise. Be sure to rotate the pot every few days so it’ll grow evenly.

Botanical name: Kalanchoe daigremontiana
Light requirement: Bright, direct

This succulent plant is the gift that keeps on giving. Every one of its little blooms are actually “plantlets”, so they can be planted in soil by themselves. It’s an easy way to grow your succulent garden, and it makes a windowsill showstopper. It’s native to dry and rocky soil, so it should be watered sparingly.

Botanical name: Tillandsia xerographica
Light requirement: Bright, indirect

Yes, even the most neglectful plant parents can enjoy some beautiful flowers. Air plants get most of its nutrients from the air, no soil required. You can display these anywhere in the home they’d get plenty of light, so it’s perfect for open shelving. Simply submerge it in a bowl of distilled water for 30 minutes every week or so. These plants bloom bright once, and then slowly die will producing baby plants, so you can start the cycle all over again.

Botanical name: Spathiphyllum
Light requirement: Bright, indirect

The peace lily is a bit of a misnomer, as it’s not truly from the lily family. It’s known for glossy leaves and white leaves that resemble lily flowers. The delicate foliage is susceptible to leaf burn, but in low light, it’s less likely to bloom. It needs lots of water and moist soil, and it’ll droop quite dramatically if it’s dehydrated. Don’t panic—after a thorough water it perks right back up.

Botanical name: Tradescantia pallida
Light requirement: Bright, indirect

This is another plant loved for its colorful contrast. The deep purple leaves bloom to reveal magenta flowers in later summer through the fall. The soil should stay moist for the best chance at flowering, but the Purple Heart is drought resistant as well. If you love the purple color of the leaves, keep it in bright indirect light. The leaves will fade to green in low light.

Botanical name: Saintpaulia ionantha

Light requirement: Bright, indirect

With their fuzzy leaves and clusters of darling blooms, it's not hard to understand why African violets are one of the most popular flowering houseplants. They're low-maintenance, too, as long as you adhere to a few simple rules: Keep their foliage free of water, place the plants in a bright spot, and use a potting mix designed specifically for the plant's unique needs.

Botanical name: Phalaenopsis
Light requirement: Bright, indirect

Few flowering houseplants make a statement quite like the orchid. Sprouting from a base of broad leaves, each spindly stalk produces architecturally shaped blooms in colors spanning impossibly brilliant violets and magentas to delicate whites and ivories. Despite the orchid's reputation for being fussy, the plant will thrive in areas with bright, indirect light and away from drafts. Humidity and adequate airflow around the roots are also key to the plant's health.

Botanical name: Adenium Obesum
Light requirement: Bright, direct

Good things come to those who wait—like the blooms of the desert rose plant. This succulent, which is often sold as a bonsai, grows at a snail's pace (about a foot per year), and it only explodes with pink or red blooms during the summer. Upon going dormant, the plant drops all of its leaves and flowers, then tucks itself in for a nice nap until spring.

Botanical name: Guzmania
Light requirement: Bright, indirect

Another epiphytic plant on our list, this flowering bromeliad does best when nestled into a light, well-aerated potting medium. Note, however, that in addition to watering the soil, you'll need to fill your plant's central "cup" with H2O in order to keep it hydrated and healthy. Expect its striking star-shaped bloom to last up to four months before it dies back, signaling that your bromeliad is nearing the end of its life. The silver lining? Your plant should produce pups that continue its legacy.

Botanical name: Strelitzia reginae
Light requirement: Bright, direct

If you have a spot in your home with plenty of bright light and headroom, consider filling it with a bird of paradise plant. Reaching heights of up to six feet, this stately tropical plant features elegant, glossy fronds that—with proper care—are joined by crane-like blooms during the winter months.

Botanical name: Aphelandra
Light requirements: Bright, indirect

Native to Brazil, this striped stunner bears up to four golden-yellow flower bracts every year. The plant's green-black foliage—which is marked by ivory veining—is gorgeous on its own, so you might not miss the blooms when they die back in about six weeks. Keep your zebra plant's soil consistently moist (but not soggy), and place it near a humidifier to avoid browning leaves.

Botanical name: Lavandula angustifolia
Light requirements: Bright, direct

Give a lavender plant plenty of full-sun exposure and some well-drained soil, and it will thrive. While the green stalks are vibrant and beautiful, the real prize comes in the flower—that fragrant, delicate, purple blossom at the tip of each stalk. Once half of the flower buds have opened, it's time to prune. Harvest some of the stalk below the flower so you can tie your lavender in a small bouquet. Hang it upside down to dry out, and in a couple of weeks, you can shake loose the dried flowers to be used in potpourri, soaps, or tea. The green lavender plant that remains will continue to grow and will flower again.

Botanical name: Cyclamen persicum
Light requirements: Bright, indirect

Truly a cool-weather flowering plant, your Cyclamen Latinia will sport wide, green-striped leaves all summer. You'll have to grow these from seeds (good for both indoor and outdoor use), but sometime around September, they'll start to bloom and can continue to do so well into the Spring. They prefer a cool, bright spot with indirect light. Just don't overwater them or expose them to heat and they'll thrive.

Botanical name: Anethum Graveolens
Light requirements: Bright, direct

Here's the thing about growing an herb garden inside. The plants tend to grow quickly, and then you get to harvest them for recipes or other projects. In the meantime, many herbs come with the promise of a beautiful flower explosion, as is the case with the petite yellow blooms on a Dill plant. In about eight weeks, you can grow Dill from seed to flower. Plus, after flowering, look for the Dill seeds, tiny treasures you can use for cooking, pickling, or growing more Dill.