12 plants for year-round blooms indoors

The days are getting shorter, the reruns of *Le Gendarme à Saint-Tropez* are over, and the flowers on your Chinese hibiscus are becoming scarcer. There's no doubt about it—summer is well and truly coming to an end. If you want to extend the warm season and bring a little sunshine into your home, here's a selection of houseplants that bloom year-round—or almost year-round.

1— The Moon Flower (Spathiphyllum wallisii)

Spathiphyllum wallisii doesn't come from the moon but from South America. Photo by Proflowers / Flickr

Spathiphyllum wallisii is nicknamed the moonflower because of the shape of its inflorescence: large, glossy white bracts that enclose a yellowish spike where the flowers bloom. The bracts renew themselves year-round, allowing you to enjoy a flowering plant in your home from January through December.

The Peace Lily " is a variety well-suited for beginners. Care for it isn't very complicated. It thrives in bright light without direct sunlight and with regular watering. If you want to encourage flowering, fertilize it from March through October and trim off dry stems and wilted flowers.

2— The Shrimp Plant (Justicia brandegeeana)

The flowers of Justicia brandegeeana are so pretty you'd almost want to eat them. Photo by Rror/Wikipedia

The shrimp plant is a relatively rare flowering plant. It isn't (yet) available at every garden center or among every collector. But if you manage to get your hands on one, you'll be able to admire its yellow and pink flower spikes all year round—they resemble tiny crustaceans or Japanese koinobori.

Justicia brandegeeana grows to two meters tall in the wild. When potted and grown indoors, the shrub rarely exceeds 60 centimeters. To keep it compact, prune it back by half in the spring. Don't be afraid to cut it back! It won't stop it from blooming.

3— African violet (Saintpaulia)

Saintpaulia, a classic among flowering houseplants. Photo by Kor!An / Wikipedia

The African violet goes through successive flowering periods lasting two to three months, interspersed with short rest periods (about three weeks). My grandmother had some, and no matter the season, whenever I visited her, her Saintpaulias were always in bloom. I was invariably greeted by little round flowers—purple, pink, white, or even blue—(and Pim's candies).

Thanks to the Saintpaulia, keeping your home filled with flowers from New Year's Day through Christmas doesn't take much effort. Water when the topsoil is dry, using room-temperature water. Be very careful not to wet the foliage during watering, and do not perform misting on the plant: water damages the downy leaves.

4— Cape Primrose (Streptocarpus saxorum)

Less common than the Cape violet, the Streptocarpus is just as easy to grow. Photo by Avishai Teicher / Wikipedia

In the wild, the Cape primrose blooms from spring through fall. But indoors and in pots, this perennial produces clusters of purple, white, pink, or red flowers year-round . With its supple stems, it looks especially beautiful when hung from a pot.

Streptocarpus are easy-to-grow flowering plants. They thrive in bright rooms where the temperature is above 16°. Water yours when the substrate is dry to a depth of three centimeters, and repot them annually in a light, rich potting mix, such as leaf mold.

5— Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

If you have pets, avoid Kalanchoes. The plant is toxic. Photo by Pxfuel /pxfuel

It's often overlooked, but cacti and succulents also bloom. This is true of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. In its natural habitat, this succulent blooms in winter or spring, when the days are short. But when grown in a pot indoors, it blooms at any time of year. In fact, you can find flowering plants for sale in stores any time of year. Pink, red, orange, yellow, or white—it's up to you to choose the color that best matches your decor.

Blossfeld's Kalanchoe will bloom again without any effort on your part. It just needs a rest period of three or four weeks. If you want to encourage blooming, place it in a less bright spot and keep it in complete darkness for 12 to 14 hours a day. The plant will think it's December and bloom more quickly.

6— The Anthurium

Anthurium andraeanum is recognizable by its upright spadix. Photo by Proflowers/Flickr

Anthurium andraeanum and anthurium scherzerianum bloom from October through March. However, when grown indoors and with proper care, these varieties will bloom several times a year. You'll then be able to enjoy a red, pink, orange, or purple spathe and an upright inflorescence.

You don't need a green thumb to grow a flowering Anthurium. Simply maintain good humidity by keeping the potting mix slightly moist and misting the foliage regularly. If the air in the room is too dry, place the pot on a saucer filled with wet clay pellets. And to ensure long and abundant blooms, add fertilizer to the water for watering in the spring and summer.

7— The Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis)

Consider growing your Moth Orchid in a clear pot so you can check the condition of the roots. Photo by Maja Dumat/Flickr

Does the hybrid Phalaenopsis really need any introduction, with its long stems and perfectly symmetrical flowers? Yes, just to let you know that it blooms twice, in spring and fall. The blooming period lasts two to four months and gives off a pleasant scent of lily of the valley or water lily.

A single flower stalk blooms twice. After the first bloom, cut the flower stalk two nodes below the withered flowers and wait for the plant to recover. If this is the second bloom, the stalk will not produce any more buds. Cut it back to the base. A new flower stalk will emerge from the axil of the oldest leaf.

8— The Cambria Orchid

Cambria flowers have the characteristic symmetry of orchids. Photo by Tom Oates / Wikipedia

The Hybrid Cambria orchid blooms for an average of two months and can flower at any time of year. The plant produces up to 100 flowers on its flower spikes. Star-shaped, they come in red, mauve, purple, or yellow.

Unlike the Phalaenopsis orchid, the Cambria species does not rebloom on its old stems. You must cut the flower spike after blooming and wait until a pseudobulb develops a new shoot. But that's not enough. The Cambria orchid needs a temperature variation between day and night to produce new flower buds. You can place your plant in an unheated room that's protected from frost (such as a sunroom or greenhouse) and move it outside to the garden in the summer.

9— Guzmania (Guzmania lingulata)

Difficult to care for, Guzmania can be a challenge for beginner gardeners. Photo by Sven Brandsma / Unsplash

Guzmania is a plant in the Bromeliad family. It blooms only once and dies after producing small white flowers surrounded by red or orange bracts. Fortunately, however, the blooming period—which often occurs in winter—lasts several months.

Once your Guzmania has faded, don't throw it in the compost right away. The plant produces offshoots at its base. When they reach ten centimeters in height, replant them in a growing medium for epiphytes, such as orchid potting mix. You'll then have to wait a few years before you see them bloom.

10— Single- or double-flowered Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana)

Impatiens walleriana can grow up to 40 cm tall. Photo by Sheila Brown / Publicdomainpicturest

In our climate, Impatiens are planted in the garden as annuals. But they can also be grown in pots indoors as perennials. When grown this way, they bloom almost year-round. Impatiens walleriana is a hybrid bred to produce long-lasting, abundant blooms. It comes in single or double flowers and in every color imaginable. Can't decide between white, pink, purple, or red? Choose a variety with bicolored flowers!

The more light your plant receives, the more profusely it will bloom. Place your Impatiens behind a window with a sheer curtain, away from drafts and radiators. If the flower buds fall off, it means you're watering too much or not enough. In summer, the substrate should remain moist without being waterlogged. In winter, water only when the substrate is dry deep down.

11— The Racket Tillandsia (Tillandsia cyanea)

Tillandsia cyanea is a distant cousin of the pineapple. Photo by James Ho / Flickr

Tillandsia cyanea's flowering period begins in the fall and ends in the spring. For nearly nine months, this “air plant” displays a curious pink bract—resembling a racket or a fan—from which blue-violet flowers emerge.

Like many bromeliads, Tillandsia blooms only once. After flowering, the mother plant produces offshoots. After a year or two, when the plant dies, the offshoots are sturdy enough to be repotted. The pink quill is an epiphyte. It does not absorb nutrients through its roots but takes in water through its leaves. Its care differs from that of other flowering plants. Instead of watering the substrate, mist the foliage with soft water. Add a foliar fertilizer for orchids to stimulate growth and flowering.

12- Vriesea

Vriesea is an easy plant to grow. Photo by Maja Dumat / Flickr

Yet another bromeliad that sacrifices its life to offer us colorful blooms! With this species, it's the red, orange, and yellow bracts that really stand out. The white flowers are rather inconspicuous. In the tropical forests of South America, Vriesea blooms in the summer. But if it thrives in your home, it will bloom year-round for several months.

After flowering, continue to care for your Vriesea by watering it and misting it with soft water. This will encourage the growth of offshoots, which you can plant in soil to propagate the plant. Repot them in a mixture of orchid potting mix and potting mix for flowering plants or houseplants. To improve humidity without overwatering the roots, place the pots on a saucer filled with moist clay pellets.