On Marco Island, we have the pleasure of enjoying beautiful weather year-round, which means we’re also treated to a great variety of blooming and non-blooming plants that can survive indoors or outdoors all year long. Our winter flower experts at Marco Island Florist compiled a list of our top five favorite plants to enjoy inside your home this winter.

1. Poinsettia

A floral classic for winter, poinsettia plants make wonderful holiday decorations and gifts. The red and white varieties of the poinsettia are the most popular, but we also love their yellow, orange, and pink varieties. They’re fun and provide a slightly different take on the classic holiday look. Poinsettias respond to the length of daylight and naturally bloom in the winter when the days are shorter. When in bloom, a poinsettia produces small clusters of yellow flowers at the center of its brightly colored leaf-life bracts.

Originally from Mexico, poinsettias like to have lots of sunshine. To keep yours healthy, water it regularly, but be sure to let its soil drain completely.

2. Orchid

There are an estimated 30,000 species of orchid that bloom in different places around the world, giving each one its own unique charm. Orchids are especially sensitive to temperature, and they bloom in response to the cooler weather in winter.

In nature, orchids grow within the bark of trees in humid forests. As a result, they like an environment with similar resources. Provide your orchid a pot that drains easily and plant it in a porous substrate. Place your orchid in a location where it will receive lots of indirect or filtered sunlight. Water it regularly, allowing the water to drain completely. Mist your orchid, if the air in your home becomes dry.

3. Christmas Cactus

Another holiday season staple, the Christmas cactus will always bloom near Christmastime, as it responds to the amount of sunlight it receives each day. These cacti produce exquisite, tube-shaped flowers in shades of red, pink, purple, orange, and white. Christmas cactuses are the perfect choice for a home with small children or household pets because they are one of the few types of plants that aren’t poisonous for people, cats, or dogs. Ingesting any part of the plant will likely cause a stomach ache, but it won’t do any real damage.

Native to the humid forests of Brazil these cacti cannot tolerate drought as well as their desert-dwelling cousins. To make sure you get to enjoy your Christmas cactus for years to come, water it when its top inch of soil becomes dry and allow the water to drain completely from its pot. Place it in a sunny location and replenish its soil with a mixture specially formulated for cacti and succulents.

4. Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe is a wonderfully cheerful plant to cultivate indoors in the winter. They bloom in bright clusters of small red, orange, pink, yellow, or white flowers. Blooming usually begins in late fall and will continue until early spring.

Native to the desert, these succulents thrive inside in the winter because they love the warm, dry air of a heated house. The worst thing you can do for a succulent is giving it too much water. Be sure to let your kalanchoe’s soil dry completely before watering and put it in a place where it will receive plenty of direct sunlight.

5. Amaryllis

The amaryllis is a perfect flowering plant to give as a gift or to grow in your own home, as a holiday accent. Amaryllis plants bloom in large clusters of bright-red flowers. They’re a bulb plant, so they can be re-grown every year. After your amaryllis flowers wilt away, store the bulbs in a cool, dry location and plant again in late fall to enjoy winter flowers next year.

Amaryllis plants are poisonous for cats, dogs, and people. Be sure to place yours in a location that’s out of the reach of small children and household pets.

Outdoor Plants to Enjoy in the Winter

Located in the USDA hardiness zone 10, Marco Island residents are treated to mild winters and can enjoy outdoor flowers that bloom throughout the year. Since our summers are hot, there are several blooming plants that grow and flower in the cooler season. We especially love alyssum, pink dianthus, winter jasmine, and winter honeysuckle.

For more information about the best flowers for winter and indoor and outdoor growing tips, we welcome you to stop by Marco Island Florist any time this winter!