Bloom day search indoors while outdoor plants rest in dormancy often yields a surprise here on the Northern Plains. Houseplants receive adequate water; there are few changes for them indoors. One might not expect houseplant blooms.
The trigger to bloom isn’t activated by the consistent daily 70-65-degree F. house temperature range. Our houseplants don’t receive fish fertilizer before outdoor signs of spring, so the cue to bloom isn’t chemical. But daylight hours vary, with plants receiving at least an hour more daylight in February than in December. Increasing day length could be a factor that encourages blooming, sometimes different than in nature. These houseplants are now in bloom.
Croton (Codiaem variegatum) is found in the tropics. It requires bright light for its patterned leaves to take on yellow and orange coloration in summer in this region. Under a grow light in the darkest months, this one appears to have emerging male inflorescence. Male and female flowers grow on the same plant. In nature, it blooms in Autumn.
Camellia (Camellia japonica) likely originated in mainland China in temperate surroundings and likely blooms from January – March there. Here, the shrub is an indoor container plant. Flowers began before Christmas, with the last buds appearing one at a time now. Fragrance from the blossoms, color in winter, and shiny evergreen leaves are welcome.
Begonia (Begonia sp.) is the largest genus of flowering plants. Begonias are found in the tropics and subtropics of nature. These female flowers in the photo have white or pale pink sepals and no petals. The male flower appears as a separate inflorescence (monoecious). It blooms about this time of year as an indoor plant and has more than one bloom cycle a year. While the bloom wasn’t a surprise, its leaves are the main attraction, with flowers a bonus.
Thanks for visiting our Plant Exchange Blog. You’re welcome to look at past bloom day celebrations or other posts. If you want to see our weekly post, our link is: https://brendakjohnsonplantexchange.com/
If you are ready to enjoy more blooms from many regions, go to Carol’s May Dreams Gardens website and find the February 15th post. At the end of it is a list of garden bloggers waiting to show you their flowers in bloom. Here’s Carol’s link: http://www.maydreamsgardens.com
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I wish I could have beautiful houseplants, but I only have one suitable window to winter plants. I enjoyed looking at your beautiful plants so thank you.
Dozens of houseplants are crammed into every corner of our house. We have an orchid blooming now, just after a couple of succulents bloomed. I can’t wait till I can take plants out again and reclaim my house, but those in-house blooms sure help make winter less dull!