1. Poinsettia

Of course, we had to put poinsettia at the top of our list of winter plants! It’s stunningly beautiful and a classic tradition of the holiday season. Poinsettias make lovely seasonal decorations and gifts. The red and white varieties are undoubtedly the most popular, but poinsettias also come in orange, yellow, salmon, and bright pink. These unexpected colors can create a fun and quirky take on the classic look.

Poinsettia plants bloom naturally in the winter in response to the shorter days. Their flowers are actually the small yellow clusters found at the center of the brightly colored bracts (leaf-like structures) that most people mistake for poinsettia blooms. To keep yours healthy and bright all season, be sure to put it in a place where it will receive lots of sunshine. Water it regularly so the soil stays moist, but don’t let it sit in a pool of water.

2. Christmas Cactus

The Christmas cactus is also a notable winter beauty. This plant also blooms in response to the length of daylight, and the days grow short enough to prompt flowering just in time for Christmas. There two other similar varieties of this cactus that bloom close to the holidays for which they’re named, Easter and Thanksgiving. Christmas cactus flowers are alluring tube-shaped blooms of various shades of red, pink, purple, orange, and white.

In addition to its beauty, another perk of the Christmas cactus is that it isn’t poisonous for humans, cats, or dogs. It’s one of the few plants that won’t do any real harm — other than a likely stomach ache — if accidentally ingested.

Although the Christmas cactus is a cactus, it won’t tolerate drought as well as other cacti and succulents because it doesn’t actually come from the desert. Christmas cacti grow in the humid forests of Brazil. As a result, they need plenty of sunlight and need to be watered regularly. Be careful not to let them sit in standing water, as they prefer soil that drains completely.

3. Azalea

Azaleas are a lovely, cheerful, and elegant plant to grow in your house in the winter. Outdoors, they usually bloom in spring or early fall, but florist varieties are cultivated to bloom any time of the year. They have dark green foliage and bloom in a whole rainbow of colors, but we especially love the pink, rose, and fuchsia varieties.

Azaleas fare well when they receive plenty of filtered sunlight, planted in a pot that drains well, and kept moist, but never soggy.

4. Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe plants begin blooming in fall and don’t stop until spring. They feature clusters of dainty flowers in bright colors like pink, orange, yellow, red, and white, making them a cheerful addition to any home in the winter.

Since they are succulents that grow naturally in the desert, kalanchoe plants thrive in the dry air of a home that’s being heated for the winter. They need lots of direct sunlight and prefer to be watered only when their soil has dried completely.

5. Orchids

Orchids another plant that blooms naturally in the winter. They respond to temperature and bloom when it gets colder. We absolutely love orchids because of their exotic, tropical looks and their sheer variety. It’s estimated that there are 30,000 orchid species in the world!

Although they might look intimidating and delicate, orchids are actually quite easy to care for. They require filtered sunlight. Orchids also need pots that drain completely and porous soil. They like to be watered regularly and also do better in a more humid environment. If the air inside your house is dry, we recommend occasionally misting your orchid with water or a specially formulated plant spray.