The festive season has arrived! While you’re ticking off your Christmas shopping list, don’t forget to add a few stunning flowering houseplants. They bring warmth, colour, and natural beauty into your home — the perfect finishing touch to your Christmas décor. Flowering plants make wonderful seasonal decorations, filling your home with cheer and reminding us that spring is just around the corner. Here’s how to care for five of our favourite Christmas plants.
1. Poinsettia
A true Christmas classic, the poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is loved for its deep green leaves and striking crimson bracts. To keep your poinsettia healthy, protect it from the cold — they dislike draughts and sudden temperature changes. Keep the plant wrapped until you get it home, then place it somewhere bright but out of direct sunlight, at a minimum of 15°C. Water sparingly, mist regularly, and wear gloves when handling, as the sap can irritate skin.
2. Christmas Cactus
The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) is a long-lived favourite that rewards you each winter with cascades of brightly coloured flowers. It enjoys a warm, bright spot out of direct sunlight. Being a succulent, it doesn’t need much water — let the compost dry out between waterings. After flowering, give your plant a two-month rest in a cool room with very little water, then move it back to warmth. Repeating this routine in autumn helps it bloom beautifully for Christmas.
3. Kalanchoe
Compact and cheerful, kalanchoe plants produce clusters of tiny, vivid flowers above glossy dark green leaves. These easy-care succulents thrive in bright, indirect light and prefer temperatures between 15°C and 20°C. Use a free-draining compost and allow the soil to dry out between waterings to prevent root rot. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage new growth.
4. Hyacinths
Few plants announce Christmas quite like hyacinths, with their fragrant, colourful blooms. Choose pre-prepared bulbs for indoor growing. After planting and watering, place them in a cool, dark space for around six weeks, watering only when the compost feels dry. Once shoots appear, move them into the light and enjoy their early-spring beauty indoors throughout the festive season.
5. Cyclamen
With their elegant pink, red, or white flowers and marbled leaves, cyclamens make striking Christmas houseplants. They prefer cool, shaded conditions and should be kept out of direct sunlight. Water from below by standing the pot in a saucer of water until the compost is damp, then drain well. Feed several times a year with houseplant fertiliser. When the foliage dies back, move the plant somewhere cool and dry until it begins to regrow.
Bring festive colour and life into your home this Christmas with beautiful flowering houseplants. Visit our garden centre in St. Albans our full range and find the perfect plant to brighten your home this season.
