3 Flowering Christmas Houseplants

Yes, I know, only 3 Flowering Christmas Houseplants?!

There are more, of course, and I’ve written about some of them in their own blogs. This is more of a whirlwind tour to inspire you if you need colour in your own house over the Festive Season. Or if you’re looking for a change from giving a bunch of flowers as a thank you when you go visiting over Christmas.

The first of our 3 flowering Christmas houseplants is the appropriately named Christmas cactus.

Although it is also known as Easter Cactus, as some members of the species bloom at that time of year. A native of Brazil, the Christmas cactus is a tropical cactus rather than a desert cactus. That is to say, it grows in a humid rather than an arid climate.

Botanically known now as Schlumbergera truncata, it has also been called Zygocactus truncates and was originally named Epiphyllum truncatum. These cacti are epiphytes, ie, plants that grow on other plants, usually trees, or on rocks. It will form quite a spreading plant when mature.

Flowers may be red, bright pink, pale pink, orange or white. And they are delightfully showy blooms. But I almost think it’s the foliage that attracts me more. The segmented stems are like a crab’s claw with pointed toothed margins.

The second of our 3 flowering Christmas houseplants is the Kalanchoe.

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a native of Madagascar, off the southeast coast of Africa. Unlike the Schlumbergera, Kalanchoe is a succulent that is happiest in dry conditions with lots of light. But not too much strong, direct sunlight, or the leaves may scorch.
Available flower colours are red, a popular Christmas choice, but also orange, cream, pink, yellow. The dark green, waxy leaves make a vivid counterpoint to the colourful flowers.

The third of our 3 flowering Christmas houseplants is the African Violet.

Unlike the previous two choices which come under the ‘cacti and succulents’ category of houseplant, Saintpaulia are herbaceous perennials. Native to Tanzania and Kenya in tropical eastern Africa, several of the species are endangered due to a reduction of their cloud forest habitats.

Despite their common name, African Violets are not related to the true violets (Viola). Their nearest relation is Streptocarpus. There is a wide range of flower colours, from white, pink, yellow, through all shades of lilac and purple. As African violets are day-neutral plants the flower colour is important. It is possible to have them flowering for 9 -10 months of the year.

Looking after Your 3 Flowering Christmas Houseplants

The tropical Christmas cactus would naturally be growing in the shade of jungle trees, so aim to replicate this to keep them healthy and flowering. For example, place in a cool, bright position, away from both radiators and direct sunlight.
They like a humid atmosphere too. Place their pot on a saucer filled with gravel and top up the water to the level of the gravel. Being epiphytes, they do not like to have their roots sitting in water.

One of the most common issues with both Kalanchoes and African Violets is overwatering, which can cause the leaves to rot. So make sure your plant is in a well-drained soil and only water when the soil has dried out. Both prefer to take up the water from their roots rather than being watered onto the soil.

To finish on a positive note: All of the above 3 flowering Christmas houseplants are non-toxic. So whether you have small children, hungry dogs or small kittens, they’ll be fine. Probably not good for the plants though, so I’m not encouraging my new kittens to eat them!

And for those of you who like Christmas – why not download our eBook “Christmas and Yule in Your Garden“?

Or if you’re looking for a Christmas gift with a difference, why not ask about our bespoke Gardening Lessons, where your classroom is actually your own garden? We can help with both gardening basics and more ‘expert tasks’, carry out worm and other experiments and for example, also show you how to plan a wildlife friendly ornamental border.

For further gardening advice and inspiration, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below and our monthly Tipsheet – You could come and find us on Instagram Pinterest and Facebook too.