Gorgeous Low Light Flowering Houseplants for Year-Round Indoor Color

Dreaming of vibrant, flowering plants but stuck with shady rooms and dim corners? You’re not alone. Many of us at theplatformgarden.com think that a lack of bright sunlight means a home condemned to only foliage, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The secret lies in choosing the right plants—gorgeous low light flowering houseplants that are perfectly happy to brighten up your space without needing direct sun. Let’s explore the best options to bring year-round indoor color into your home, no matter the light conditions.

The Quick Answer: Best Low Light Flowering Houseplants

For a splash of color in low-light conditions, the best and most reliable flowering houseplants are the Peace Lily, Phalaenopsis (Moth) Orchid, and Christmas Cactus. These plants are well-adapted to indirect light and are forgiving for beginner gardeners, offering beautiful blooms without demanding a sunny window.

What Does “Low Light” Actually Mean for a Houseplant?

Before we dive into our list of blooming beauties, let’s clarify what “low light” means in the gardening world. It’s a term that gets thrown around a lot, and it’s often misunderstood. It certainly doesn’t mean a windowless closet or a dark basement! A low-light area is typically a room with north-facing windows, a spot that is more than 6-8 feet away from a bright east-, west-, or south-facing window, or a space where the light is significantly filtered through sheer curtains or obstructed by outdoor trees and buildings.

Most low light flowering indoor plants still need some source of indirect natural light to gather the energy to produce blooms. Think of it as “filtered sun” rather than “no sun.” They can often thrive under fluorescent office lighting as well, making them perfect for brightening up your workspace.

What You’ll Need: Tools & Supplies for Success

Setting up your low light blooming houseplants for success is easy with the right gear. You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to get started. Here at Gardening Tips with Emilie Sprout, we believe in keeping things simple. Here’s a basic list to get you started on your indoor gardening journey:

• Well-draining potting mix: This is crucial. Some plants, like orchids or cacti, will need a specific mix, so always check the plant’s requirements.
• Pots with drainage holes: Non-negotiable! Proper drainage prevents root rot, the most common killer of houseplants.
• A watering can with a long spout: This allows you to deliver water directly to the soil without splashing the leaves.
• Balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer: A little food during the growing season will encourage more vibrant blooms.
• A small trowel: Helpful for potting and repotting.
• Pruning snips or sharp scissors: To trim away any dead leaves or spent flowers, keeping your plant healthy.
• Optional: A simple LED grow lamp: For those truly dark corners, a supplemental light source can make all the difference in helping your plant not just survive, but thrive and flower.

10 Gorgeous Houseplants That Bloom With Little Light

Ready to find the perfect plant for your space? Here are ten of the best low light flowering houseplants that we’ve found to be reliable, beautiful, and forgiving for even the most novice indoor plant enthusiasts.

1. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

Why It’s Great: The Peace Lily is the undisputed queen of low light flowering plants. It’s incredibly resilient, a fantastic air purifier, and produces elegant white spathes (the modified leaf that we call a “flower”) almost year-round. It even droops dramatically to tell you when it’s thirsty, taking all the guesswork out of watering. This makes it one of the absolute best indoor plants for dark rooms.

Care Tip: While it tolerates very low light, it will flower most prolifically in a spot with medium to bright, indirect light. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.

2. Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis)

Why It’s Great: Don’t let its exotic, delicate appearance fool you; the Moth Orchid is one of the easiest orchids to grow indoors. Its stunning, long-lasting sprays of flowers come in a rainbow of colors and thrive in the same light we find comfortable. This makes it an ideal choice for desktops, bookshelves, and living rooms away from direct sun.

Care Tip: Orchids are epiphytes, meaning they grow on other trees in nature. They need a chunky bark mix, not regular soil. Water thoroughly only when the potting medium is dry and the roots look silvery-green. Overwatering is its biggest enemy.

3. Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera)

Why It’s Great: This beautiful trailing plant is a holiday favorite for a reason. It produces a stunning display of tubular flowers in shades of pink, red, white, or orange right in the middle of winter when little else is blooming. It’s a type of rainforest cactus, so unlike its desert cousins, it prefers shadier spots and a bit more humidity, making it one of the best houseplants that flower in shade.

Care Tip: To encourage its spectacular bloom cycle, provide it with cooler nighttime temperatures (around 50-55°F) and longer periods of darkness in the fall.

4. African Violet (Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia)

Why It’s Great: African Violets are classic low light flowering houseplants with charming, velvety leaves and sweet clusters of purple, pink, or white flowers. They are small low light indoor plants, making them perfect for windowsills that don’t get direct sun, or clustered together on a shelf under a grow lamp.

Care Tip: These plants are a bit particular about their watering. It’s best to water from the bottom by placing the pot in a saucer of water for about 30 minutes. Avoid getting cold water on the fuzzy leaves, as this can cause unsightly brown spots.

5. Anthurium (Flamingo Flower)

Why It’s Great: Known for its glossy, heart-shaped “flowers,” which are actually colorful waxy leaves called spathes, the Anthurium brings a vibrant, tropical feel to any room. The actual flowers are on the central spike, or spadix. These colorful spathes are incredibly long-lasting, often for several months.

Care Tip: The Flamingo Flower loves high humidity, so it’s a fantastic choice for a bathroom or kitchen with a window. It thrives in bright, indirect light but can tolerate lower light levels, though it may produce fewer blooms.

6. Bromeliad

Why It’s Great: For a true pop of exotic color, look no further than the Bromeliad. These tropical plants are incredibly easy to care for. The central “flower” is actually a collection of colorful leaf bracts that can last for many months. While the mother plant will only bloom once, it will produce “pups” or offshoots that will grow and bloom in the future.

Care Tip: Bromeliads have a unique way of taking in water. Keep a small amount of distilled or filtered water in the central “cup” or “tank” formed by the leaves, and flush it out every week or so to prevent stagnation.

7. Hoya (Wax Plant)

Why It’s Great: Hoyas are beautiful trailing plants with waxy leaves and unique, star-shaped clusters of incredibly fragrant flowers. They are very low-maintenance and can tolerate lower light levels, though they generally need bright, indirect light to bloom prolifically. Their vining nature makes them perfect for hanging baskets.

Care Tip: Hoyas prefer to be slightly root-bound in their planter, so don’t be too quick to repot them. Let the soil dry out between waterings, as they are sensitive to overwatering. Never cut off the long tendrils, as this is where new leaves and flower spurs will form.

8. Kalanchoe

Why It’s Great: This cheerful succulent produces dense clusters of tiny, colorful flowers that last for weeks on end. While it does need a period of bright light to set its buds, it can be moved to and enjoyed in a lower light area once it’s in full bloom, adding long-lasting color to a desktop or coffee table.

Care Tip: As a succulent, it’s absolutely crucial to let the soil dry out completely between waterings. It is highly susceptible to root rot if kept too wet.

9. Begonia

Why It’s Great: Many varieties of Begonia, particularly Rex Begonias, are grown for their stunningly patterned and colorful foliage, but they also produce delicate flowers. They thrive in the filtered, indirect light of a shady window where direct sun would scorch their leaves. They offer a double-whammy of beautiful leaves and pretty flowers.

Care Tip: Begonias appreciate consistent soil moisture but are very prone to root rot if overwatered. Let the top inch of soil dry out before watering again, and provide good air circulation.

10. Clivia (Bush Lily)

Why It’s Great: Clivia is a tough, long-lived plant that produces stunning, large clusters of trumpet-shaped orange or yellow flowers in the late winter and early spring. It has beautiful, dark green strap-like leaves and thrives on neglect, preferring to be in a shady spot year-round. It’s one of the best large low light indoor plants for filling a corner.

Care Tip: This plant absolutely needs a cool, dry rest period during the fall and winter to encourage blooming. Reduce watering significantly and keep it in a cooler spot (around 50°F) from November to January.

3 Common Mistakes to Avoid (And How to Fix Them)

Growing low light flowering houseplants is rewarding, but we’ve all made mistakes. Here at theplatformgarden.com, we want to help you avoid the common pitfalls.

1. Overwatering: This is the #1 killer of almost all houseplants, especially those in low light. In lower light, plants use water much more slowly. How to Fix: Always check the soil moisture an inch or two down with your finger before watering again. If it feels damp, wait.
2. Expecting Constant Blooms: Most plants have a natural blooming season or cycle. A lack of flowers doesn’t always mean you’re doing something wrong. How to Fix: Be patient. Research your specific plant to understand its natural rhythm and provide the right conditions to encourage its next bloom.
3. Not Providing Any Light: Remember, low light is not no light. A plant in a windowless room or a dark hallway will not survive, let alone bloom, without a supplemental grow light. How to Fix: Ensure every plant has access to some form of natural or artificial light for several hours a day.

How to Make Low Light Plants Bloom

Feeling frustrated that your plant won’t flower? It happens to the best of us! Sometimes, even the most easy to care for low light flowering plants need a little nudge. Try these tips from our experience.

First, ensure it’s getting the best possible light for its type. Move it a little closer to a north or east-facing window. Even just a couple of hours of weak morning sun can provide the energy boost needed for bud formation.

Second, use a fertilizer higher in phosphorus (the middle number on the N-P-K ratio, like 10-30-10) during the growing season. Phosphorus is the key nutrient for flower production.

Finally, respect the plant’s dormancy period. Plants like Christmas Cactus and Clivia absolutely require a “rest” in cooler, drier conditions to set buds for the next season. Skipping this step is a common reason for a lack of flowers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which houseplants do well in low light and flower?

Peace Lilies, Moth Orchids, Christmas Cacti, Bromeliads, and African Violets are some of the best and most common good houseplants with flowers for low light. They will reliably flower in typical indoor low to indirect light conditions.

Can a flowering plant survive in a room with no windows?

No, not without help. All plants require light for photosynthesis, the process they use to create energy. In a windowless room, you must provide a full-spectrum grow lamp for at least 8-10 hours a day for the plant to survive and have any chance of blooming.

Why are my low-light plant’s leaves turning yellow?

Yellowing leaves on low-light plants are most often a classic sign of overwatering. The soil is staying wet for too long, which suffocates the roots and prevents them from absorbing nutrients. Reduce your watering frequency and ensure your planter has excellent drainage.

You don’t need a sun-drenched home to enjoy the beauty and satisfaction of low light flowering houseplants. By choosing from resilient and adaptable plants like the steadfast Peace Lily, the elegant Moth Orchid, or the cheerful Christmas Cactus, you can add a touch of living color to even the dimmest corners of your space. Remember that “low light” is a spectrum, and providing the best possible indirect light you can will always reward you with more vibrant and consistent blooms, bringing year-round indoor color to your home.

What are your favorite low light flowering houseplants? Do you have any tips for getting them to bloom? Share your experiences in the comments below! For more tips on keeping your indoor garden thriving, check out our complete guide to Houseplant Care for Beginners.