How Do I Choose the Best Flowering Houseplants?

Choosing the best flowering houseplants, whether for a house, apartment, office or other setting, depends on many factors that are unique to each situation. Among the more important are light, space, décor and personal taste. Unlike a fresh-cut flower arrangement that can be placed anywhere, indoor plants require an environment where they will be able to flourish and grow. This makes the specific requirements of the plant the primary consideration, because it doesn’t matter how great it fits in that corner space or complements the design of the room if it soon withers and dies.

Many people take great pleasure in choosing the flowering houseplants for their home or office. They might make a hobby of growing or collecting orchids or African violets. The poinsettias that decorate their homes during winter holidays never seem to die and might end up being planted somewhere in their yard. Not everyone has a green thumb or the necessary time or desire to devote to plant care. An option to consider for these people is to contact a horticultural services company that specialize in providing advice and maintenance services for indoor plants.

The first step when choosing the best flowering houseplants is to assess the light in the room where the plants will be. A light meter is fairly inexpensive and will take the guesswork out of determining the amount of light that will be available. In an office setting, especially, the readings should be taken with the blinds or curtains open and closed. This will determine whether they must be left open, even on the weekends.

Most flowering houseplants will require a great deal of light. If there is a windowsill or area near a window on the side of the building closest to the Earth's equator, then there is a wide range of choices. Some of these include hibiscus, begonias and gloxinia as well as the many tropical plants that have become popular. The most common of these are orchids, bromeliads and the vibrant Hawaiian anthuriums.

There will be many areas where a flowering houseplant would look perfect but there is simply not sufficient light. An artificial grow light can be installed, but most people will not want to go this route. Often, the answer for those low-light areas is the ever-popular peace lily, which is actually not a lily at all. It is a member of the Spathiphyllum genus of flowering plants. Also known simply as a Spath, this plant does well in limited light and produces a beautiful, lily-shaped flower.