Choosing small windowsill plants to cultivate in winter is one of the easiest ways to keep you connected with the outdoors when the yard is mostly off-limits. Even better if the plants have flowers or colored foliage to add a joyful lift to your interior aesthetic.
Guaranteed to get your attention, find out how to turn your windowsill into an indoor garden by choosing the right plants. You'll be rewarded with small moments of daily pleasure as you enjoy their blooms.
The trick is to choose plenty of small plants that look good together and line them up to make a focal point. Our expert suggestions cover the best selection of small windowsill plants that offer color, fragrance, and, in some cases, amazing leaves to add joy to your home all winter.
1. Kalanchoe 'Flaming Katy'
"The Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, also known as 'Flaming Katy', is a stunning and compact-growing plant that is characterized by its brightly-colored flowers,' says houseplant expert Lotte Berendsen. "They bloom in winter and spring, and for even longer if you're lucky, with flowers lasting up to eight weeks."
As a succulent for indoors, Flaming Katy is easy and low-maintenance. "They require minimal water but plenty of light," says Lotte. "They’re not worried about cold drafts either. This makes them one of the best small windowsill plants you can find for winter."
This bloom comes in various bright colors, such as red, orange, and pink, or white if preferred. Try combining different ones to create a beautiful color scheme on your windowsill.
2. Begonia rex
As houseplants with colorful leaves, the begonia rex makes the perfect addition to your plant collection. This one is all about the foliage adding bold color, as begonias don't tend to flower in winter. With hundreds of different varieties to choose from, begonia rex is a good place to start. The dazzling colorful leaf patterns will really liven up your windowsill.
The leaves come in a painterly mix of dark purple hearts, borders, or ribs, with splashes of green, pink, or cream in the mix, which is why they're also known as "painted leaf" begonia. "Begonias have been a longtime favorite of plant collectors because there are always new ones being created," says houseplant expert Darryl Cheng. "They are readily hybridized to produce new cultivars." The good news is they fit easily on a windowsill, too.
Though begonias do not often bloom during the winter months (their blooming period is spring and summer), they more than make up for it with their stunning leaves. Begonias do not like being cold, so make sure your windowsill is draft-free.
3. Hoya carnosa 'Compacta'
Featuring clusters of waxy, star-shaped cream or pink flowers, and dark green leaves on twining stems, trailing Hoya carnosa is easy to grow and take care of. They will look good cascading down over the edge of your windowsill, making them a great choice for small apartments. They're sweetly scented too. Ensure you understand the fundamentals of hoya plant care before bringing this beauty into your home.
"Once you add any single plant from the Hoya genus, you will be hooked," says planterior designer Kamili Bell Hill. "You will not be able to stop at one, because they are just delightful. Of all the plant discoveries I have made, this is probably my favorite. You’ll add them for their foliage and obsess over them because of their otherworldly blooms."
Start small hoya plants on a windowsill that gets bright, indirect light and humidity (they are tropical types), such as your bathroom or kitchen. Give them the right conditions, and they will quickly develop into statement plants. Keep them on your windowsill until they get too big, or alternatively, choose the 'Compacta' variety, which can stay there as its forever home.
4. Cyclamen
Known as one of the best winter indoor plants, add the cyclamen to your windowsill, and watch it give you blooms right through winter. With the right plant care and growing conditions, they have even been known to last into spring.
Their beautiful blooms and attractive foliage make them one of the prettiest houseplants around. They come in a range of colors including every shade of pink possible from pale blush to dark magenta, as well as jewel-bright red tones and crisp luminous white.
They do best in a cool spot, so a windowsill is ideal as long as it doesn't get direct sunlight. Rooms with east or north-facing windows are ideal. Keep the soil constantly moist but not waterlogged.
5. African violets
The houseplant experts at the National Garden Bureau know a thing or two about brilliant winter-blooming houseplants. So we were all ears to find out more about African violets, one of their favorites. And ours, too — we can't think of a more colorful collection of indoor plants that flowers all year round to line up on the windowsill in winter.
There is plenty of choice. "From the classic blue blooms we typically associate with African violets to white, pink, maroon, lavender, violet, and deep purple flowers, today’s African violets create a brilliant rainbow as winter-blooming houseplants in your home," according to the NGB team. "You’ll also find bi-colored, two-tone, chimera, thumbprint, Geneva edge, speckled edge, colored edge, white center, and raised edge flowers to add interest to your collection."
A collection it will become, because who can resist lining up these stunning plants on your windowsill? They prefer filtered light, not full sun, and moist but not soggy soil. Never let the plant sit in water, as it can develop root rot, which is one of the most common reasons African violets die.
6. Bromeliad
Bromeliad plants have stunning sculptural foliage and unique exotic blooms. These tropical plants come in a range of colors and sizes including small, making them a versatile choice for the windowsill
The flowers tend to be small and delicate, carried on neon-bright colored bracts that persist long after the blooms fade. These plants are from the rainforest, so they thrive in high humidity and like year-round warmth. They need minimal watering, as the leaves funnel water into the plant's cup-shaped "reservoir" below.
They love a bright, sunny windowsill in the kitchen or bathroom where they will flower for months. They're easy-care, super resilient plants, and highly recommended to add to your collection.
7. Echeveria
For windowsills offering limited space choose a small indoor plant — like the more vibrant varieties of echeveria, which come in compact but perfectly formed packages. As well as muted shades of green and gray they are available in more zingy colors, from lime and palest pink to red and deepest claret. The must-have plant accessory for a modern urban space.
Choose a pink or purple variety of echeveria if you're looking for a pop of color to brighten your windowsill space right through winter. You won't tire of looking at their delicate rosettes of leaves.
Like most succulents, echeveria prefers full sun, isn't keen on being in a draft, and enjoys being watered thoroughly and then letting the soil dry out completely. Give the pink or purple ones the sunny spot they crave and the color will brighten significantly, taking your plant to the next level.
FAQs
What plants can go in a windowless room?
If you have a windowless room and are looking to fill it up with an indoor jungle, there are a couple of things to consider before heading to the plant shop to stock up.
"The first important thing to know is that there are no plants that can survive long-term in a room without any light," says Lotte Berendsen. "Plants need light to produce energy through photosynthesis, so no plant can survive in a windowless room. However, that light does not necessarily need to come from a window. You can easily grow indoor plants in a windowless room with an artificial grow light."
According to Lotte plants that can be grown in low-light conditions include snake plants, peace lily, and spider plants. Keep in mind that although these plants can handle low light, they won’t grow as fast or be as vibrant without sufficient light.
