Perennials are plants that last year after year, and many houseplants will do this, rewarding you with flowers and foliage for a long time, provided you care for them properly.
However, some perennials are easier to care for than others, and what if you want some less obvious choices?
Let’s find out more about the top options, here are the very best perennial indoor plants and how to care for them:
1. African Violet (Saintpaulia)
This beautiful plant has dark, velvety leaves and rich flowers, so it’s a stunning option to add to your home. The flowers are usually violet, but they can also come in white, blue, red, pink, and mauve.
The plant is compact, so it’s ideal for growing in small spaces where you want a little extra color.
A little known fact is that the African violet is the houseplant with the most varieties in the world today, making it one of the most popular houseplants in the world.
The African violet is also famous because it has a long flowering season and as long as it is happy with its conditions, you will enjoy its bright blooms month after month.
Flowers: Flowers readily at any time of year.
Light: Medium bright light to encourage flowering.
Water: Water from the base using tepid rainwater when the soil is dry. Do not get the plant itself wet.
Temperature: Between 65 and 80 degrees F (18 – 27°C).
Soil: Loose and airy with perlite or sand.
2. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
If you love glossy foliage and white, delicate flowers, the peace lily will appeal to you. This houseplant has become very popular for its unfussy nature and waxy leaves, as well as its striking white, tubular flowers.
It will grow readily in almost any home, and it may help to improve the quality of the air, which is another great reason to choose it for your perennial collection.
Flowers: Blooms in spring or summer, but it must have good conditions or it will not flower.
Light: Bright, indirect light.
Water: Water about once a week or when the leaves begin to droop.
Temperature: Between 68 and 85 degrees F (20 – 29°C).
Soil: Well-draining with good moisture retention. Peat moss and coconut coir are good options.
3. Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera)
These beautiful flowers look almost cartoon-like, and come in a variety of colors that will light up your home.
The plants are also lovely when they are in leaf, and they are easy to grow, unfussy houseplants that will come back year after year.
If you want simple color, gerbera daisies are the perfect perennials to grow.
Flowers: Usually in summer and fall.
Light: Bright, indirect light or some sunlight.
Water: Water when the top inch of the soil is dry.
Temperature: Between 40 and 70 degrees F, but closer to 70 is preferable (4 – 21°C).
Soil: Peat moss and perlite mixed with vermiculite for good drainage.
4. Flamingo Flower (Anthurium)
If you love bright plants with waxy leaves, the flamingo flower is ideal for you. It produces bright flowers in red, pink, white, or even yellow, lilac, burgundy, or green.
Its heart-shaped leaves look particularly exotic and it is reasonably easy to grow, but does need warmth and humidity if it is to thrive.
They can get reasonably large, at half a meter tall and wide, but are compact enough to grow well in most homes and will look beautiful on a windowsill or coffee table.
Flowers: Can bloom all year round if you fertilize and provide enough light.
Light: Bright but indirect sunlight.
Water: Water approximately once a week, once the soil has started to dry out. Occasional misting is also appreciated.
Temperature: Between 65 and 80 degrees F (18 – 27°C).
Soil: Well-draining, coarse potting mix.
5. Purple Shamrock (Oxalis Triangularis)
If you’re happy to be slightly more hands-on, the purple shamrock is a gorgeous plant with triangular leaves that look like butterflies.
The flowers are delicate and pale pink, and it can flower from the fall to the spring if you care for it well.
It is vulnerable to aphids, but otherwise fairly unfussy, and is highly attractive. Another bonus about the purple shamrock is that it’s not so common, so it will stand out amongst a crowd.
Flowers: Blooms from fall until mid spring when well cared for.
Light: Indirect sun; direct light will burn the delicate leaves.
Water: Allow the soil to dry to an inch down before watering. This plant is reasonably drought tolerant.
Temperature: Between 60 and 75 degrees F (15 – 24°C).
Soil: Light, well-draining, loamy soil.
6. Bromeliad (Bromeliaceae)
These plants are famous for their colorful blooms and their glossy, rich foliage. They produce long, shiny tendrils and their flowers are often shaped like stars.
Bromeliads are great perennials because their colors are bright and showy, making them stand out well in any space, and they are also low maintenance.
The flowers vary enormously between the different kinds of bromeliad, but they all make for a gorgeous show.
Flowers: Most kinds of Bromeliad only flower once, usually when exposed to ethylene gas.
Light: 5 or more hours of bright, indirect light per day.
Water: About once per week or when soil is starting to dry.
Temperature: Between 60 and 85 degrees F (15 – 29°C).
Soil: Fast-draining potting mix with some moisture retention, such as vermiculite. Orchid bark is a good option.
7. Poinsettia (Euphorbia Pulcherrima)
This plant is often seen around Christmas, but it is a gorgeous houseplant to grow at any time of year.
It has brilliant scarlet and green foliage, which makes it extremely festive and attractive. It’s great for adding color to your home year-round, because you don’t have to wait for the flowers in order to enjoy it.
There is a common myth that Poinsettias are annual plants. They are in fact perennials, and if you care for them properly you can be one of the few people that enjoys their Poinsettia year after year.
Flowers: The plant flowers in December and January, but its blooms are small and not particularly noticeable.
Light: About 6 hours of indirect sunlight per day. Too much light could affect the red leaves, however.
Water: Water when the top of the soil is dry.
Temperature: Between 65 and 70 degrees F (18 – 21°C).
Soil: Loose soil with peat moss.
8. Cape Primrose (Streptocarpus)
The cape primrose, as the name suggests, resembles primulas, even though it is not related to them. It’s a beautiful perennial to grow in your home, and it can produce its lovely blooms for months.
It has dark green, crinkly leaves, and in warm weather, you can also put it outdoors.
However, keep it out of direct sun.
Flowers: Flowers readily and can keep blooming from spring to fall.
Light: Several hours of indirect sunlight per day.
Water: Water when the top 2 inches of the soil have dried.
Temperature: Between 55 – 70 degrees F (13 – 21°C).
Soil: Rich, well-drained soil.
9. Purple Heart (Tradescantia Pallida)
This beautiful trailing perennial is easy to grow and can also be grown outside in some parts of the world. It works wonderfully in hanging baskets, or trailing down the edge of a pretty container.
Its foliage is, as the name suggests, a rich, deep purple that looks very lovely against bright colors. The flowers are small but vibrant, and lend an additional pop to the plant, although most people grow it for its foliage.
Flowers: Blooms can be pink or purple and can last from midsummer to fall, or may appear at other times of the year.
Light: Will tolerate some direct sun and needs plenty of bright, indirect light.
Water: Allow the top inch of the soil to dry between waterings.
Temperature: Between 65 and 80 degrees F (18 – 27°C).
Soil: Peat moss with plenty of nutrients.
10. Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis)
Lots of people think of orchids as delicate, but they make wonderful perennial houseplants.
You need to keep them indoors, as they won’t thrive outside in most climates, but otherwise, they are relatively easy to care for as long as you don’t water them too heavily or expose them to too much sunlight.
They produce beautiful flowers, and they are a wonderful way to bring elegance and an exotic aesthetic to your home.
Flowers: Usually between fall and spring.
Light: Bright, indirect light; avoid direct sun, as this will burn the plant’s leaves.
Water: Keep the roots damp at all times, but not soggy.
Temperature: Between 66 and 86 degrees F during the day, and not less than 61 degrees F at night (16 – 30°C).
Soil: Orchid bark or other well-draining potting mixes.
11. Kaffir Lily (Clivia)
This plant is much loved in the home, but can also be grown outside if you have the right conditions. It produces bright flowers, but it needs cool, dry air to prompt flowering.
Allow it to dry out a little in the winter if you want it to bloom.
The kaffir lily is a great perennial because it is very easy to grow and has highly attractive leaves, as well as blooms. It’s also not that obvious of a choice.
Flowers: Between late winter and spring.
Light: No direct sun, but put it somewhere that it can get plenty of indirect light.
Water: Keep the soil slightly damp but do not overwater.
Temperature: Preferably over 50 degrees F (10°C). Clivias will die in a hard frost.
Soil: Well-draining, very rich growing medium is best.
12. Shrimp Plant (Justicia Brandegeeana)
This plant’s names can be pretty confusing and more than one plant is known as the shrimp plant. However, the Justicia Brandegeeana is a very popular perennial houseplant and it brings an unusual aesthetic.
It has amazing flower bracts that are the color of shrimps and that sprout from its green stems. It is easy to care for and makes a great perennial plant, but it does like to be kept humid, so be prepared to mist it frequently.
Flowers: Usually flowers in the winter and needs to be kept moist while in flower.
Light: Will tolerate some direct sunlight as long as it isn’t too strong. It mostly prefers indirect light.
Water: Don’t let the plant dry out; water it when the surface of the soil is dry.
Temperature: Between 65 and 75 degrees F (18 – 24°C).
Soil: Well-drained, loamy soil.
13. Alpine Violet (Cyclamen)
If you want to enjoy beautiful foliage and beautiful flowers, the cyclamen is the perennial houseplant for you.
Its leaves have pale green, delicate variegation on them, and are arrow-shaped. Its flowers can be bright red or pink, but also come in paler shades.
It will grow outdoors and although it dies back in the summer, it will return to full glory next winter – so don’t throw it away.
Flowers: May start flowering in mid or late summer, and into fall.
Light: Bright, indirect light.
Water: Stand in a saucer of water for an hour until the compost is damp but not sodden, and then allow to mostly dry.
Temperature: Between 50 and 60 degrees F (10 – 15°C).
Soil: Poor, well-drained soil.
Final Thoughts
There are lots of beautiful flowering perennials you can bring into your home each year, and hopefully, this list will have supplied you with some that you can fall in love with!