Start these beautiful Christmas houseplants in summer to enjoy festive blooms, lush foliage and festive hues indoors well into winter!
Most people shop for Christmas houseplants in December, but the best time to start growing many of them is actually in the summer. Warm temperatures and longer days help young plants establish healthy roots and develop plenty of growth before winter arrives. With a little planning now, you’ll have fuller, healthier plants ready to brighten up your home during the holiday season.
Christmas indoor plants you can plant in summer
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1. Poinsettias
Botanical name: The most beautiful Euphorbia
No Christmas houseplant is more recognizable than the poinsettia. Starting with a young plant or rooted cutting in the summer gives it plenty of time to grow into a full, healthy plant before the holidays.
Just keep it in bright, indirect light and water when the top of the soil is dry. As fall arrives, the longer nights help activate the colorful bracts that make this plant a holiday favorite!
Pro tip: Turn off nearby lamps and avoid exposure to street light at night during autumn. Even small amounts of light can interrupt the plant’s color change process.
2. Christmas Cactus
Botanical name: Schlumbergera × buckleyi
Summer is the perfect time to propagate or plant a Christmas cactus. The extra growing time allows it to produce more stems, giving you a fuller display of flowers in winter.
Unlike desert cacti, it prefers bright, indirect light and evenly moist soil. And as the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, it naturally begins to bud for the holiday bloom. Behold a complete care guide for a young Christmas cactus.
A well-drained one cactus and succulent pot mix is your best option to prevent excessive moisture around the roots of the Christmas cactus.
3. Norfolk Island Pine
Botanical name: Araucaria heterophylla
If you want a living Christmas tree that you can enjoy year after year, the Norfolk Island Pine is an excellent choice. Bringing one home in the summer gives it time to adjust to indoor conditions before the holiday season.
You should place it in a bright spot away from heat vents, keep the soil slightly moist, and you’ll have a healthy evergreen that will be ready for lights and miniature ornaments by December. Cool, right?
Pro tip: Rotate the container every week or two so that all sides receive equal light. This helps the tree maintain its naturally symmetrical shape. Depart this care guide for more details.
Also, buying a rolling stand it will make it much easier to rotate larger plant pots.
4. Rosemary
Botanical name: Salvia rosmarinus
Rosemary does double duty as both a useful kitchen herb and a great tabletop Christmas tree. And planting it in summer allows the roots to establish before winter, making it less likely to struggle indoors.
All you have to do is give it plenty of sunlight, good drainage and moderate watering to keep the aromatic foliage healthy throughout the season.
One of the best pots for a rosemary plant is a terracottaas it lets excess moisture escape, resulting in a happy and healthy plant.
5. Christmas pepper
Botanical name: Potatoes
The Christmas pepper is grown for the clumps of colorful ornamental peppers that brighten up indoor spaces during the holiday season. Just like others, starting it in the summer helps it develop glossy peppers in shades of red, orange and yellow before winter arrives.
Place it in a sunny window and water whenever the topsoil starts to dry out. Even after the peppers ripen, they remain on the plant for weeks. Here are more like that herbs you can plant for christmas!
Although technically edible, ornamental peppers are usually much hotter than the culinary variety and are grown primarily for decoration.
6. Kalanchoe
Botanical name: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
Kalanchoe is one of the easier flowering succulents to grow indoors and a reliable choice for winter color. Prefers bright and well-drained soil, with watering only after the soil dries slightly.
Its long-lasting flower clusters can remain colorful for several weeks, making it a great addition to your Christmas decor long after other seasonal plants have faded.
7. Anthurium
Botanical name: Anthurium andraeanum
With glossy leaves and long-lasting red or white flowers, Anthurium brings holiday sparkle indoors during the holiday season. Although it can bloom year-round, healthy plants started in summer often produce stronger growth before winter.
In addition, its heart-shaped flowers combine beautifully with Christmas decorations. You won’t know if you don’t try!
Pro tip: Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth every few weeks. Clear foliage absorbs more light and keeps the plant shiny.
Also, use a soft microfiber cloth for cleaning the plant. It’s a great way to remove dust and keep sheets shiny.
8. Cyclamino Florist
Botanical name: Peach cyclamen
Florist’s cyclamen is prized for its colorful flowers and beautifully patterned foliage. Planting or buying one in late summer gives it time to acclimate before cooler temperatures encourage flowering.
You should keep it in a bright place out of direct afternoon sun and water carefully around the edge of the pot to avoid soaking the crown.
9. Bush Lily
Botanical name: Clivia minata
Clivia is a slow growing houseplant that is worth the wait. Starting it in summer gives the roots time to establish and allows the strap-like evergreen leaves to fill out before winter.
It prefers bright, indirect light and doesn’t mind drying out slightly between waterings. Although it is bright orange flowers usually appearing after a cool period of rest, the lush green foliage alone adds a stunning display to the festivities.
Fun fact: Clivia usually blooms best after a cool, dry rest period in the fall, making patience part of its annual care routine.
10. Moth orchid
Botanical name: Lovely Phalaenopsis
Moth orchids are among them longest flowering indoor plants you can grow, with flower spikes that often stay beautiful for two to three months.
Bringing home a healthy plant in the summer gives it time to adjust to your indoor environment and produce strong roots before its winter flowering cycle. Place in bright, indirect light and water only when the growing medium starts to dry out.
Also, after the flowers fade, don’t throw the plant away. Many Phalaenopsis orchids rebloom each year with proper care.
Get yourself the best mix for orchid from the market right here. It will help rejuvenate your orchid and fill it up.
Getting a summer start gives these festive houseplants the time they need to get stronger, fuller and healthier before the holidays arrive. With a little planning now, you’ll have beautiful blooms and lush vegetation ready to brighten up your home this winter!
Show your love for all things houseplants with this guide that contains all the steps you need to grow a healthy plant. Buy yours now.
