1. Poinsettia

We couldn’t have a list of favorite winter plants without putting the poinsettia at the top of the list. This quintessential holiday plant makes a beautiful decoration and a great gift. While red and white varieties of poinsettias are definitely the most popular choices, they also come in orange, yellow, salmon, pink, and marbled varieties. We especially love these for a fun, unexpected take on a classic holiday decor look.

Many people think that a poinsettia’s flowers are its brightly colored bracts (leaf-like structures), but its true flowers are the small, yellow clusters found in the middle of the bracts. To keep your poinsettia’s bracts vibrant all season, be sure to put your plant in a sunny location and water it regularly. While poinsettias need moist soil, they should never be left sitting in a pool of water, so make sure yours drains completely.

2. Christmas Cactus

Another holiday favorite is the Christmas cactus. These beauties bloom in response to the shorter days, which means they’ll begin flowering close to the winter solstice and Christmas. Their tube-shaped flowers have an exotic allure and bloom in pink, purple, red, orange, and white.

One of the best aspects of the Christmas cactus is that it’s one of few plants that is safe and non-toxic for humans, cats, and dogs. They’re completely safe to have in a home with small children and pets.

Christmas cactuses are originally from the humid forests of Brazil. Unlike cacti from the desert, Christmas cactus doesn’t tolerate drought very well. As a result, they thrive in Miami’s humid climate. Christmas cacti like to receive plenty of sunshine and to be watered frequently. Be sure yours has a pot that drains easily so that your cactus never sits in standing water.

3. Orchids

Orchids are another winter favorite. Orchids are temperature-sensitive and bloom in response to the cooler winter weather. Their exotic-looking blooms are the perfect accent to a dark winter day. Plus, with an estimated 30,000 different orchid species bloom all around the world, orchids come in an endless choice of sizes, shapes, and colors.

4. Bromeliads

These tropical wonders are perfect for Miami’s climate, as they love filtered sun, heat, and humidity. They’re pretty easy to grow, too! When in bloom, these lush green plants grow vibrantly colored tops of red, yellow, and orange. The red varieties look lovely with holiday decor and the others are bright and beautiful on a winter day.

5. Cyclamen

Cyclamens are one of the most cheerful, winter-blooming flowers out there. These beauties have swept-back petals that look like shooting stars and they bloom in just about every shade between pink, red, and violet, plus white!

Native to the Mediterranean, cyclamens are perfectly happy in our weather. They require lots of direct sunlight and soil that’s always kept moist in a pot that drains easily. Cyclamens go dormant in the spring, which makes them appear as if they’ve died. Store yours in a cool, dry location and resume watering in the fall.