These 5 Houseplants Should Be Blooming Right Now – Fix This for Fast Spring Flowers
It's not too late to encourage your houseplants to produce flowers
Spring isn't just an exciting time in the yard; our indoor gardens are also waking up. Many flowering houseplants, like peace lilies and African violets, are showing off their bright blooms this season. But, don't panic if yours aren't flowering just yet – there's usually a logical explanation behind why and a quick fix.
There are lots of indoor flowering plants that will start to bloom in spring, but there are other indoor plants that flower all year round in periodic cycles. This means they may be in a non-flowering stage during spring, which is perfectly normal. Other causes of a lack of blooms involve improper growing conditions, such as too little light or a lack of nutrients. Luckily, these are easy to resolve.
Article continues below1. Peace Lily
If you grow a peace lily, you'll know it can take some time between blooming cycles for a new flower spike to emerge.
They can flower at any point in the year, but typically bloom in spring and again in late summer-early fall. But if the conditions aren't quite right in early spring, it can result in a lack of a flower spike for the season.
'Peace lilies bud up in medium light. Sometimes the light will get brighter in spring, which will cause peace lilies not to flower,' explains Julie Bawden-Davis, indoor plant expert at Healthy Houseplants.
If placed in direct sun, peace lilies can become stressed, experience leaf scorch, and stunt growth. At the same time, too little light will also produce a lack of blooms.
'Peace lilies are famous for tolerating low light, but they won’t flower if there isn’t enough light. If you want it to produce a bloom, put the plant near a bright window, but not in harsh direct sun,' says plant expert and interior plant designer Shane Pliska.
Other causes can be a lack of essential plant nutrients in your peace lily's soil, especially if you've had it for a few years and haven't repotted it, as nutrients deplete over time.
To resolve this, you can use a specific peace lily fertilizer (available on Amazon) to give it a boost.
Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden author and University of California Certified Master Gardener, who has written several gardening books, including Indoor Gardening The Organic Way. In addition to running HealthyHouseplants.com, she shares indoor gardening advice on her YouTube channel @HealthyHouseplants.
2. Moth Orchid
Moth orchids are some of the longest-lasting indoor blooms, with flower spikes sticking around for 3-6 months at a time.
To achieve this exotic display in the home, they follow a yearly cycle, developing flower spikes and buds over winter and blooming in spring.
If your orchid isn't flowering now, it's likely due to a lack of winter conditions:
'Orchids need a trigger to rebloom, which is an increase in light and cooler temperatures at night,' explains Shane.
'A reliable technique to trigger a bloom is to place your orchid in a sunny window in February or March and crack the window. The longer days can trigger a bloom along with a 10-degree drop in temperature at night.'
You can also fertilize your orchid in spring to support new growth (this liquid orchid fertilizer on Amazon is a good choice), and prune your orchid to remove old stems from last year – this will redirect the plant's energy into growing new flower spikes.
Our guide to what to do with an orchid in April has more tips for caring for this plant in spring.
Shane Pliska is the president and CEO of Planterra - a national leader in interior landscaping. Shane's team include Feng Shui specialists who use ancient principles to enhance interiors with living plants.
3. African Violet
African violets are some of the most reliable indoor blooms you can grow, loved for their long lifespan of 20-50 years.
'African violets are an heirloom legacy plant, and I respectfully defer to the advice from your grandmother or the elder who gifted it to you,' Shane says.
'But generally, if it’s not blooming, the issue is almost always light and care consistency. These plants need moderate light and a stable care routine to keep flowering,' he explains.
There are a few things African violets need in March and April to encourage spring blooms. As Shane notes, this includes consistent bright light, though direct sun can discolor their sensitive leaves.
These plants also need a rest period in winter to regain energy for blooming in spring. If you continued fertilizing it, watering frequently, and didn't remove spent blooms during winter, it might not have gotten a sufficient dormancy period.
Once they do start to actively grow in spring, you can give them a boost with this African violet fertilizer from Amazon.
4. Lipstick Plant
Lipstick plant is one of the most unusual houseplants, with long vines of succulent-like foliage and bright red tubular flowers that come out in spring and commonly last until fall.
If this indoor hanging plant has a lack of blooms in spring, it's likely down to a few crucial care tasks being skipped.
'Lipstick plants bloom exclusively on new growth,' says Anup Mutalik, founder of Houseplants Nook.
'An unpruned plant that's been growing the same old stems for two years is structurally incapable of producing many flowers, regardless of how well you care for it.
'A hard prune in late winter is the best thing you can do with this plant. Fresh stems push out afterward, and that's where every flower will come from,' he explains.
You can use these houseplant snips from Amazon to give this plant a trim. Focus on removing the oldest, leggiest stems, and always cut above a leaf node to encourage new growth.
Anup is the founder of HouseplantsNook.com, a Brooklyn-based community home. He specializes in indoor plant care, low-light gardening, and integrating plants into home wellness and décor. Anup is passionate about making plant care accessible, stylish, and sustainable for everyone.
5. Oxalis
Oxalis is a compact shrub that is commonly grown indoors for its unique movement and dainty pink blooms.
'Oxalis is not a common houseplant. It is a seasonal novelty and more commonly used as a temporary display around St. Patrick's Day, due to its common name, purple shamrock,' explains Shane.
'It’s actually a perennial plant with natural dormancy cycles. If it’s not flowering, it may need brighter light. These plants grow and rest in rhythms. Longer days and strong light will encourage blooming during active growth periods,' he adds.
You can expect its pink flowers to emerge in the spring months, and moving it closer to a window can encourage blooming. And don't assume it's dead as it enters dormancy:
'Many people think it is dying, but it may just be cycling. If the bulbs are firm and do not smell off, it is usually just resting. Bright light, light feeding during active growth, and letting it rest when it wants to rest can help it come back stronger,' says houseplant expert Rosalin Ortega.
Don't forget to also divide these plants every 2-3 years to prevent overcrowding. This will help double your plants and encourage stronger growth and more blooms.
Rosalin Ortega is the founder of All About Planties, an online houseplant shop helping beginners choose plants they can actually keep alive. She shares practical, real-world guidance on indoor plant care
What to Shop
A grow light can aid seed germination, especially during winter and early spring when daylight is limited.
This beautiful planter has a vintage feel with its floral design. Its ceramic and measures 10x9.5x9.5", ideal for small and medium plants.
Use these pebble humidity trays to boost humidity levels for your moisture-loving houseplants.
FAQs
Do Monsteras Flower?
Yes, monsteras actually do flower with cream-colored spathes. But, flowering usually only happens when these plants reach maturity, between 3 and 10 years old. Bright, filtered light and high humidity (60-80%) are required to get a monstera to flower, which is why it's quite rare in typical home environments.
As well as finding out why indoor flowering plants aren't blooming in spring, there are plenty of jobs to get done on your spring houseplant care checklist this month.
Love inspiring garden ideas, outdoor advice, and the latest news? Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest features delivered straight to your inbox.
