The Best Flowering Houseplants to Grow in the UK

Some people can’t get enough of houseplants with dramatic and showy foliage, but many are much more interested in encouraging their plants to produce beautiful flowers. Flowers are temporary features of houseplants with most lasting only a matter of days and even the longest lasting flowers can seem fleeting. Growing flowering houseplants is about more than getting to enjoy the flowers when they arrive, it is also about keeping your plants happy and healthy throughout the year so they will give the best floral displays that they are capable of.

If you are not yet someone who grows houseplants but you love to display cut flowers in your home, you should consider growing flowering houseplants instead. Where cut flowers only last a week or so indoors, a flowering houseplant can be encouraged to put out blooms for a much longer season of colour and scent. Some varieties will give you fantastic results with only a little effort while others are trickier to keep happy and flowering.

Hibiscus

You might be familiar with these beautiful plants from your trips to the Med and other warmer climates where they are often large, showy shrubs bearing masses of prominent flowers. These species are often too large and needy to be grown as houseplants in the UK, but there are loads of smaller, more manageable varieties to choose from and they grow well indoors given the right conditions. Each flower only lasts a day on most species, but some of the smaller varieties that do well indoors are bred for longer lasting blooms.

Peace lily

These beautiful plants have structural foliage and long lasting white flowers that are completely unique in their form. They are beginner friendly if you are willing to keep an eye on their water levels, and generally do well in most indoor temperatures and light conditions. The peace lily is known for its air purifying abilities and it will help filter toxins from the air in your home. If you forget to water these plants they will wilt quite spectacularly, but will perk right up again after a good soak.

Orchids

Tropical and showy, many orchids such as phalaenopsis grow in the branches of other trees because they are epiphytes. They don’t harm their host tree, simply using it for support and better access to light. They are grown in special orchid pots because their roots are not designed to grow in soil. They need excellent drainage and the right potting mix, and a good amount of water and nutrients in order to produce their stunning, alien looking blooms that can last for weeks at a time. Many people don’t realise that their orchid will flower again if kept in cooler conditions for a while, and sadly many of these plants are thrown out once their blooms die off. If you love orchids, give yours a chance to flower again because it’s usually only a matter of time before it will.

Hoyas

Hoyas, also called Hindu rope plants or wax flowers, are vining beauties that take many different forms. Their tiny, fleshy flowers are so perfect that it can be hard to believe that they’re real. They are usually scented, and the flowers will last a long time. It can be tricky to ensure your hoya is kept at the right high humidity level, but a spritz with a mister once or twice a day should be enough to keep them happy. Their flowers are absolutely worth the effort!

Madagascar jasmine

If you can’t get enough of the heady scent of jasmine on a warm summer day in the garden, you will love Madagascar jasmine. This variety bears larger flowers than others and their perfume is equally intoxicating. They are prolific bloomers and will produce their delicate white flowers from spring until autumn if you can keep them happy. Keep them in a sunny position in the spring and summer and give them plenty of fertiliser to encourage those blooms to keep on coming.