Growing flowers indoors is how colour lives in a house through the winter, when the garden is bare and the days are short. An African violet on a windowsill, an orchid in flower for months, a paperwhite filling a room with scent, an amaryllis with a flower the size of a dinner plate — all of these are indoor flowers, and all of them are easier than they look, provided you give them what they need. The trick is to choose flowers that suit indoor life, rather than trying to force a garden flower to live in a house.
The flowers that work indoors share a few traits: they are compact, they tolerate a pot, they do not need a cold winter, and they flower for a long time. African violets flower for months on a windowsill, orchids flower for months and then rest, peace lilies flower in low light, and amaryllis and paperwhites are bulbs that flower indoors in winter with almost no care. Garden flowers such as roses, dahlias and tulips are poor indoor flowers: they need more light, more cold and more room than a house can give them, and they are better grown outside.
Light is the limiting factor for almost all indoor flowers, just as it is for indoor fruit. A bright windowsill is the minimum for most flowering plants, and a south or east-facing window is better than a north-facing one. A plant that stretches towards the window, or that grows leaves and no flowers, needs more light. A grow light makes indoor flowering reliable, and it is worth having if your windows are small or shaded. If you are unsure about a variety, a spray, or a diagnosis, check your local extension service — its advice is matched to your climate and soil.
The best flowers for growing indoors
African violets are the classic indoor flower: they flower for months, they come in many colours, and they need only a bright windowsill out of direct sun, regular watering from below, and a small pot — they flower best when slightly pot-bound. Orchids, especially the moth orchid, flower for two or three months at a time, and they need bright, indirect light, a bark-based compost, and watering once a week by soaking the roots. Peace lilies flower in low light, which makes them the indoor flower for a dark corner, and they tell you when they need water by drooping — water them, and they recover within hours. Amaryllis is the winter showpiece: plant the bulb in autumn, keep it warm and bright, and in six to eight weeks it will produce a flower stalk with several huge blooms. Paperwhites are the easiest of all: plant the bulbs in a bowl of pebbles and water, keep them cool and bright, and they will flower in a few weeks and fill the room with scent. Cyclamen flower through the winter in a cool room, and kalanchoe flowers for months on a sunny windowsill. Our growing guides cover the garden relatives of many of these, including lilies and peonies.
Light, temperature and humidity indoors
Most indoor flowers want bright, indirect light — a windowsill that gets sun for part of the day, but not the fierce midday sun that scorches leaves. African violets and orchids scorch in direct sun, and they do best on an east-facing windowsill, or a south-facing one with a sheer curtain. Peace lilies and cyclamen tolerate lower light, and they are the flowers for a north-facing room. Temperature matters too: most indoor flowers want a room that is comfortable for people — warm by day, a little cooler by night — and they suffer near a radiator, which dries the air, or in a cold draught from a window. A drop in night temperature helps many orchids and cyclamen to flower. Humidity is the third factor, and it is the one most houses fail on in winter, when central heating dries the air: African violets, orchids and ferns all suffer in dry air, with brown leaf edges and dropped buds. Stand the pot on a tray of pebbles with water in it, group plants together, or run a humidifier — misting alone is rarely enough. The humidity temperature checker can help you judge whether your room suits the plant.
Watering indoor flowers: less is usually more
Overwatering kills more indoor flowers than underwatering, and the reason is that a pot indoors dries out slowly — there is no sun and wind to dry it. Water when the top inch of compost is dry, water thoroughly until it runs from the drainage holes, and empty the saucer afterwards so the plant is never standing in water. African violets are the exception to the thorough-watering rule: they hate water on their leaves, which spots them, so water them from below, by standing the pot in water for half an hour and then letting it drain. Orchids want a weekly soak: stand the pot in water for ten minutes, let it drain completely, and do not water again until the bark is dry. Cyclamen want water from below too, and they rot if water sits in the crown. Paperwhites in pebbles and water need the water level kept just below the base of the bulb, or the bulb will rot. A plant that wilts in dry compost needs water; a plant that wilts in wet compost has root rot, and it needs to dry out, not more water.
Feeding, repotting and getting flowers to rebloom
Indoor flowers need feeding through the growing and flowering season, because a pot's nutrients wash out with every watering. Feed every two weeks in spring and summer with a balanced liquid feed, at half the strength on the label, and for orchids use a fertiliser made for orchids. Stop feeding in winter, when most indoor flowers rest. Repot when the plant has outgrown its pot — when the roots fill the pot, or the compost has broken down — and use a compost suited to the plant: bark-based for orchids, a light, free-draining mix for African violets. Getting a flower to rebloom is the skill that separates an indoor gardener from someone who buys a plant in flower and throws it away: for an orchid, cut the flower spike back to a node after flowering, keep feeding it, and it will usually flower again within a few months; for an amaryllis, keep the leaves growing after flowering, feed it through the summer, let it rest in autumn, and it will flower again in winter; for a cyclamen, let it rest in summer, keep it dry, and start watering again in autumn. Deadhead African violets and kalanchoe as the flowers fade, and the plant will keep making more.
Forcing bulbs indoors: paperwhites, hyacinths and amaryllis
Forcing bulbs is the easiest indoor flower project there is, and it gives you flowers in the middle of winter, when the garden has nothing. Paperwhites need no chilling: plant them in a bowl of pebbles and water in autumn, keep them cool and bright, and they will flower in four to six weeks. Hyacinths need chilling: buy prepared bulbs, plant them in a pot of compost, keep them in a cool, dark place for eight to ten weeks, then bring them into the light, and they will flower in a few weeks. Amaryllis needs no chilling: plant the bulb in a pot with the top third above the soil, keep it warm and bright, water sparingly until growth appears, and it will flower in six to eight weeks. Tulips and daffodils can be forced too, but they need a long chilling period, and they are better grown outside. Forced bulbs are usually spent after flowering — plant them in the garden, where they may recover, or compost them and start again next autumn.
Common indoor flower problems
The commonest indoor flower problems are easy to recognise. Buds dropping before they open usually mean a sudden change — a cold draught, a move, dry air or a missed watering — and the cure is steady conditions. Brown leaf edges usually mean dry air or salts building up in the compost from tap water and fertiliser — raise the humidity, and flush the pot with rainwater occasionally. Yellow leaves can mean overwatering, underwatering or old age, and the pattern tells you which: yellow lower leaves in wet compost mean overwatering. Leggy, stretched growth with no flowers means too little light — move the plant to a brighter window or add a grow light. Small black flies around the pot are fungus gnats, a sign the compost is staying too wet — let the surface dry out between waterings. Fine webbing under the leaves means spider mites, which thrive in dry air — raise the humidity and wash the leaves. If a problem does not improve, the plant disease checker can help you name it. The grow light calculator can help you work out how much extra light a plant needs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest flower to grow indoors?
Paperwhites are the easiest: plant the bulbs in pebbles and water, keep them cool and bright, and they flower in a few weeks. African violets are the easiest long-term indoor flower.
Why are my African violet leaves spotted?
Water on the leaves spots them. Water African violets from below, by standing the pot in water, and keep water off the leaves.
How do I get my orchid to flower again?
After flowering, cut the spike back to a node, keep feeding it lightly, give it bright indirect light and a cooler night, and it will usually flower again within a few months.
Why are my indoor flower buds dropping?
Usually a sudden change — a cold draught, a move, dry air or a missed watering. Steady the conditions, raise the humidity, and the plant will usually settle.
Can I grow tulips indoors?
You can force them, but they need a long chilling period first, and they are better grown outside. Paperwhites, hyacinths and amaryllis are the bulbs that force easily indoors.
Indoor flowers are a bright windowsill, a steady routine and a little patience: give them light, water them from below where they need it, feed them lightly, and let them rest when they need to. Start with a paperwhite bowl and an African violet, and add an orchid when you are confident. For more on the individual flowers, see the growing guides, and plan your indoor display with the garden planner.