Gardening Houseplants Choosing Houseplants 11 Tropical Plants with Flowers That Will Enliven Any Room Add a touch of the tropics to your home with these blooming plants. By Andrea Beck Andrea Beck Andrea Beck served as garden editor at BHG and her work has appeared on Food & Wine, Martha Stewart, MyRecipes, and more. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on January 11, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Plants that come from tropical regions often grow well in our warm homes. In addition to their lush leaves, many of these tropical species will produce gorgeous blooms indoors. Some are even fragrant! A few of these plants can be a little more finicky than others to grow when it comes to water and light, but most are fairly easy-care. Even if you're just beginning your houseplant collection, most of these varieties will reward you with colorful flowers without much effort on your part. Here are the best flowering tropical plants to grow, along with tips for keeping them healthy so you can enjoy their beautiful blooms for as long as possible. 01 of 11 African Violet Marty Baldwin A classic favorite among plant parents, African violet (Saintpaulia) produces velvety green leaves on short leafstalks. It has clusters of single, semi-double, or double flowers in white, pink, red, violet, purple, blue, lime green, pale yellow, or bicolor. Petals of this tropical flowering houseplant are ruffled, rounded, or fringed. Size: Up to 12 inches tall Light: Bright to low, indirect light Watering: Water when the soil feels dry to the touch. Avoid getting water droplets on the leaves (which will damage them); place the pot in a shallow dish filled with about an inch of water for 30 minutes so the roots can soak up water from the bottom. 02 of 11 Anthurium Marty Baldwin A popular tropical houseplant, Anthurium is available in numerous varieties that produce stately, brightly colored blooms. These plants adapt to most homes' low light and erratic humidity and can bloom almost constantly. Size: Up to 20 inches tall Light: Bright, indirect light Watering: Water when the soil is dry to the touch (Anthurium doesn't like consistently moist soil) 03 of 11 Begonia Marty Baldwin Often used as an annual in gardens and outdoor containers, begonias make a pretty indoor plant, too, particularly fibrous and rhizomatous varieties. Many begonias produce foliage that's just as attractive as the clusters of small, colorful blooms. Size: Up to 18 inches Light: Bright, indirect light Watering: Water when the soil feels dry to the touch. Avoid getting water droplets on the leaves (which will damage them). Place the pot in a shallow dish filled with about an inch of water for 30 minutes so the roots can soak up water from the bottom. 04 of 11 Bromeliad Denny Schrock Striking and unusual, a bromeliad blooms only once, then slowly forms offshoots before the main plant dies. The offshoots can be repotted as their own plants. Size: About 3 feet Light: Medium to bright light Watering: Pour a small amount of water into the cup-shaped leaves in the center of the plant to keep it moist. Empty the water weekly and refill to prevent it from becoming stagnant. 05 of 11 Calla Courtesy of Proflowers The elegant flower of the calla (Zantedeschia) isn't a flower at all. Instead, it's a spathe (a petal-like leaf) that curls around a column of fragrant yellow flowers. A popular choice for bouquets and flower arrangements, you can find calla in white, pink, yellow, orange, or red. Size: Up to 3 feet tall Light: Bright, indirect light Watering: Keep consistently moist while the plant is in bloom, then let it dry out as the plant dies to encourage new growth. 06 of 11 Clivia Robert Cardillo Large clusters of trumpet-shaped orange blooms top leathery, dark green leaves on this tropical houseplant. The flowers fade in late spring and are followed by pretty red berries. After repotting Clivia, it may take years to bloom again. Size: Up to 3 feet tall Light: Bright, indirect light Watering: Water deeply to keep the soil a little moist between waterings. Let your plant dry slightly before giving it another drink. 07 of 11 Goldfish Plant Dean Schoeppner Look closely at the reddish-orange blooms of Columnea gloriosa, and you'll see they resemble small goldfish hiding among the small glossy leaves. This plant grows long trailing stems, so it's a good choice for a hanging basket. Size: 18 to 24 inches Light: Bright, indirect light Watering: Keep the soil slightly moist during the summer, then let it dry out somewhat between waterings in the winter. 08 of 11 Gardenia Marty Baldwin Gardenia blooms from spring through fall with large glossy, dark green leaves and fragrant creamy-white flowers. However, it's tricky to grow as a tropical flower indoors because it won't set flowers when warmer than 65°F at night. It also needs high humidity and lots of sunlight, so it works best in a cool greenhouse. Size: Can grow up to 8 feet outdoors but are commonly up to 3 feet indoors. Light: Place in a spot with at least half a day of direct sunlight. Watering: Water when the soil is dry to the touch. 09 of 11 Lipstick Plant Lipstick plant. Dean Schoeppner The unusual blooms of the lipstick plant are made up of a dark purple tubular cup holding a scarlet flower bud, which inspired its name. This plant may only bloom occasionally when grown as a tropical houseplant. However, during the warmer months, you can take your lipstick plant outside, where it'll get some extra sun to encourage more flowers. Size: Up to 20 inches tall Light: Medium light Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist 10 of 11 Moth Orchid Peter Krumhardt The moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) is better known for its striking flowers than its leathery leaves. It's one of the easier orchids to grow indoors and comes in many flower colors. It blooms once or twice a year, usually in the cooler winter months. Size: Up to 1 foot indoors Light: Low to bright light Watering: Water once a week or so, just before it feels completely dry to the touch 11 of 11 Peace Lily Blaine Moats The distinctive peace lily flower is a pure white bract that forms a softly curved backdrop for the central column of tiny, closely set flowers, known as a spadix. It's a favorite indoor tropical plant for its attractive deep green foliage and long-lasting blooms. Size: Up to 3 feet Light: Bright to low, indirect light Watering: Let the soil dry out between waterings. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit