It’s January as I write this, and National Houseplant Appreciation Day is in January.

Not all of the Southwest has warm gardening weather in January, in fact many of areas have freezing nights and snow – enough for skiing!    If you long to the brightness of flowers in you life – don’t wait until spring, head over to your local nursery, florist, or even supermarket for some flowering houseplants.

Top 5 Flowering Houseplants

Two things about this list. First. None, repeat NONE, of these are safe for pets or humans to eat. This includes pet birds.  Second. These flowering houseplants tolerate the low relative humidity inside human homes in winter – generally 10 to 35 percent.

Peace lily (Spathiphyllum) tops the list, with large and long lasting white flowers.    It is also tops at cleaning pollutants out of indoor air.  More on that topic in this Houseplants article.

Flamingo flower (Anthurium), is related to peace lily but comes in shades of pink, red, and white.   They may bloom year round.  The cover image (above) is a red flamingo flower.

The hard to find blue ginger (Dichorisandra) is worth the hunt. Giant green leaves and stunning blue flowers. Avoid bright light.

For a hanging plant, flying goldfish plant (Columnea) is charming. The flowers are delicate and come in shades of orange, yellow, and reds.

Jungle geranium (Ixora) is no relation to geranium, so not stinky. The plants flower in a wealth of vibrant and pastel colors.

Yes. there are also orchids.  I discussed them earlier. I could discuss them again.  At great length.  There are books and books on the topic.

So Many Houseplants

Many house plants will flower, but they are not grown primarily for their flowers.    This list includes long-time favorites like spider plants, pothos, sanseverias (snake plant, mother-in-law’s-tounge), and dracenas (dragon tree, corn plant).

As you shop remember that Southwestern homes especially have low humidity.    If you are a beginner, skip the moisture-loving African violet and Cape primrose.    You may see dwarf camellias or gardenias, but they are not happy indoors, so again, not ideal for the beginner.

Beautiful Leaves

I shall have to circle back and do a post on lovely houseplants to grow for the leaves.  Personally I adore the begonias (Begonia). There are so very many species and varieties, and all lovely. Tuberous begonias can be tricky for a beginner. I suggest you start with some angel wing begonias (Begonia rex).

Then there are African violets. They never flower for me, but the leaves are just so darn cute.

General Houseplant Care

This applies to the plants discussed here. Most houseplants are originally understory rainforest plants, living in areas beneath other plants. This means that they are somewhat “pre-adapted” by their genes to live well in “captivity” inside our homes.

Light

Understory is generally shaded. Either full shade or scattered pockets of light as the day passes. Either way, these understory species do not appreciate the full sunlight of outdoors.

Water Overall

We think of desert as dry, but a rainforest can be dry too. A 100 foot jungle giant tree will sure soak up the water, so that despite all the rain falling, a little understory plant may have to get by on very little water.

Some of our house plants are “perching” plants in the wild. The Flying goldfish plant mentioned here and Christmas cactus as well. These species perch off the ground on the branches of jungle trees, and so get by with whatever water they can grab as it runs down the branches and trunk.

Let your plants dry out somewhat between watering. Not bone dry, with the soil a solid block. But not soaking wet either.

Water Quality & Temperature

Many sites tell you to let your water come to room temperature before watering. If you live in North Dakota, where the water comes out of the tap at about 50F, even in summer, this is certainly true. 70F water is better.

Floride and chlorine are not found in rainwater in the rainforest. By letting your tap water sit overnight, you allow most of the chlorine to evaporate. It is easy. I keep a one quart pitcher by the sink. Whenever I have to let the water run to get hot, I run it into the pitcher. This then gets poured into a 5 gallon bucket which is used for water for the indoor plants. If its full and the indoor plants don’t need it, the outdoor landscape plants get a treat. Yep, I am thrifty.

Soil

Books have been written about this. Something that drains well is my advice. I use cactus mix and everyone is happy.  Be sure that there is a hole in the bottom of your pot for drainage.  Don’t over fill your pots with soil.  Top dressing helps prevent fungus gnats.

Fertilizer

To keep your flowering houseplants flowering, lightly fertilize every 6 to 8 weeks with a well rounded fertilizer. Remember that half-strength fertilizer is better than too much.    Use an organic fertilizer that provides the trace nutrients, and helps build soil, One example is guano, which is available in most nurseries – but generally not in big box stores. Or, you could use a pelletized slow-release fertilizer.

 

Happy Houseplanting!

Please consider my online course “Houseplants for the Southwest.”

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today.

Peace,
Jacqueline

My Online Class about Houseplants

Most common houseplants are native to tropical rain forests, and thus they can have highly specialized needs. This class will focus on house plants that thrive in a home with low humidity – like in the arid Southwest – or any air conditioned home in the summer!

This class is on my Gardening With Soule class site on New Zenler.

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