Best houseplants for sunny rooms

If you have a baking hot, south-facing windowsill, maybe in your lounge, dining room, or a sunny conservatory—lucky you. While some plants might struggle with the intense light, others will thrive. Here’s a quick guide to some of the best houseplants that will flourish in those bright, sunny spots.

Houseplants that love full sun

Houseplants such as cacti and

A group of plants that have thick, fleshy leaves or stems that are able to store water. This allows them to survive in arid habitats with low moisture.

Cycads

Make use of these lush palm plants during the summer months

Cycads (Cycas revoluta) – these palm-like plants are tough customers from a very ancient plant family. They tolerate harsh conditions, remaining green and lush looking. You can use them in outdoor displays during the summer months.

Echeverias

Subtle tones help create a delicate display

Fiery spikes of orange flowers add height

Add a striking showstopper to your collection

Echeverias are a beautiful, very variable group of succulents. They come in a range of shades, from purple through powdery blues and greys to striking green-and-yellow

Variegated means having leaves or other plant parts with streaks, blotches or patches of different colours. Typically, these would be a combination of two colours, such as green and gold or green and white.

A method of growing new plants from parts of an existing plant, such as sections of root, stem, leaf or bud. When prepared correctly and planted in the right conditions, they can produce roots and eventually become independent plants. There is a wide range of different methods for taking cuttings, depending on the plant and time of year.

cuttings

• Glaucous echeveria (Echeveria secunda var. glauca)
• Moulded wax succulent (Echeveria agavoides AGM)
• Painted lady (Echeveria derenbergii AGM)
• Red echeveria (Echeveria harmsii)

Aloe vera

Great for kitchens, aloe vera is a useful burn remedy

Aloe is a succulent plant with striking, spotty leaves. It’s a traditional remedy for the occasional minor burn; simply snap off a leaf and squeeze the cooling gel directly onto the wound. This makes it a useful plant to grow on the kitchen windowsill. Plants will often produce offsets which are easy to pot up and share with gardening friends. If your plant turns a reddish colour it’s a sign it needs more water.

Cacti

Combine different shapes of cacti for maximum impact

Some species such as Rebutia have attractive flowers

Many cacti show striking patterns

As they mostly originate in scorching deserts, many cacti are well adapted to the hot, dry conditions of a south-facing windowsill. There are hundreds of varieties available, often un-named. Be kind to them and they’ll often reward you with pretty flowers, and some can grow surprisingly quickly. Water from above once a week during the growing season. Let the water run through the pot; never leave them standing in water. Feed fortnightly with a high-potash plant food from May to August.

Kalanchoe

With their bright flowers in a range of colours, kalanchoes are one of the showiest succulents

Flaming Katy (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) is a plant known for its brilliant flower colours. These come in shades of red, pink, yellow, orange and cream and can last for many months. Panda plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa) is known as the panda plant and is grown for its attractive soft, velvety grey leaves. It makes a lovely contrast to other succulent plants and cacti.

Why not also try also:

• Feltbush (Kalanchoe beharensis AGM)
• Chandelier plant (Kalanchoe delagoensis)
• Mexican hat plant (Kalanchoe daigremontiana)

Amaryllis

These dramatic flowers make a strong statement

Hippeastrums come in a wide range of colours

Also known as amaryllis (hippeastrums) are some of the most dramatic flowering plants you can grow indoors. With their huge blooms in shades of pink, red, green or white, they’re a popular Christmas gift. Bear in mind that they’re bulbs, so will naturally die back over the summer and begin re-growing again in autumn. Feed with high potash liquid feed such as tomato food when in growth to encourage abundant flowering.

Houseplants for bright spots (but not all-day sun)

Plants are rather like people in certain respects. While some can’t get enough of the sunshine, others will always prefer to be sheltered from the harsh light of the midday sun. It’s a select group of houseplants that will be totally at home in south-facing windows, all year round.

East or west-facing windowsills are ideal houseplant territory as they’ll have lots of light but plants won’t get baked by day-long sunlight. As a rule of thumb, west-facing windowsills are a bit warmer and better suited to plants that like stronger sunlight. Frosted glass in bathrooms (houseplants for bathrooms) helps diffuse light, making it less harsh. Here are some plants that should thrive in these conditions:

Flamingo flowers

Add a splash of tropical colour to any bright, warm room

Flamingo flowers (Anthurium) are tropical looking plants that are actually quite difficult to kill. They can live a long time and reward your care with displays of waxy, lipstick-coloured blooms and smart, shiny leaves.

Swiss cheese plants

Think big and impressive when adding these plants to your collection

Swiss cheese plants are famed for their holey leaves

Swiss cheese plant (Monstera) – the quintessential 1970s houseplant: now firmly back in fashion. Give it room to spread its luxuriant dark green leaves – if you’re really nice to it you may get it to flower and produce edible fruits.

Fig trees

Diverse, beautiful and adds lush foliage to any space

Fig trees (Ficus) – various tropical relatives of the edible fig you can buy in the shops make superb foliage houseplants. Don’t worry if they drop a few leaves after you get them, sometimes they do this as they become accustomed to a new set of conditions. They can be fussy when moved around. Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) is perhaps the best known.

Orchids

Likes it to be warm and bright but not strong light

Create spectacular displays that last for months

Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) and Zygopetalum are ideal houseplants for bright spaces with indirect light, where they thrive without the risk of sun damage. Their vibrant, long-lasting blooms add elegance to any room, making them perfect for brightening indoor environments.