There's a common assumption that flowering houseplants are a one-and-done affair: they bloom beautifully on the shop shelf, you enjoy them for a few weeks at home, and then, once the flowers fade, they head for the compost. It feels like a waste of a lovely plant, because it is.

The good news is that most flowering houseplants can be coaxed into blooming year after year. The secret usually comes down to a few key things: the right light, a rest period, a change in temperature, and a little patience. Below are our tips for some of your favourite flowering plants, so you can enjoy them again and again.

Understanding temperature: the hidden trigger

Before we get into individual plants, it's worth knowing that temperature is one of the biggest triggers for reflowering. Some plants need a distinct drop in temperature to be nudged into producing new blooms, while others prefer things kept warm and stable.

Plants that like a temperature drop to reflower: Moth orchids, Clivia, and Chrysanthemums. The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera), Cyclamen persicum, and the Money plant / Jade plant (Crassula ovata) also respond well to cooler conditions.

Plants that prefer stable, warm temperatures: Anthurium, Aeschynanthus (lipstick plant), and Bromeliads. African Violets (Saintpaulia) and the Fake Shamrock (Oxalis triangularis) are happier with consistency too.

Keep this distinction in mind as you read on; it explains a lot about why certain plants need to "rest" over winter.

Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis spp.)

Moth orchids are one of the most rewarding plants to rebloom once you understand what they need.

1. After flowering, trim the flower stalk back to just above a node. This is where your new flower stalk will grow from.
2. To mimic its natural habitat and stimulate flowering, place your orchid somewhere the temperature drops overnight. A drop of around 5°C is perfect.

For happy orchids more generally: give them bright indirect light, water only when the roots turn silvery, and feed lightly with an orchid fertiliser.

Natal Lily (Clivia miniata)

With its striking clusters of orange blooms, the Clivia is well worth the effort of coaxing it back into flower.

1. After flowering, cut the flower stem right down to the base.
2. In winter, move it to a cooler, bright spot and reduce watering. Your Clivia needs a rest and a period of colder temperatures (around 10°C) before it will reflower.
3. In spring, move it back to a warmer place and gradually increase watering.
4. Feed with a balanced houseplant food until you see flowers forming.

Flamingo Flower (Anthurium andraeanum)

Anthuriums are generous bloomers and will flower all year round if the conditions are right.

1. Bright, indirect light is key.
2. Keep the soil lightly moist, but never soggy.
3. Increase humidity if you can. Anthuriums are rainforest plants and like it warm and steamy.
4. Wipe the leaves clean so they can photosynthesise efficiently.
5. Feed consistently during active growth to encourage more of those glossy blooms.

A fun fact: the red "flowers" on an Anthurium are actually spathes, or modified leaves. They're brightly coloured to attract pollinators and guide them to the true flowers, which are tiny and sit on the spadix "spike."

Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus radicans)

This trailing beauty gets its name from its bright red, tube-like flowers that emerge from dark buds, rather like a lipstick.

1. Lipstick plants need bright, consistent indirect light, as low light reduces their ability to bloom.
2. A period of slightly cooler temperatures after flowering will help produce new flower buds.
3. Encourage new growth by pruning the stems. After a stem has flowered, cut it back to around 15–20cm.
4. Keep your lipstick plant slightly root-bound to encourage flowering.
5. Feed monthly during spring and summer with a diluted, balanced houseplant food.

Chrysanthemums (indoor species)

Chrysanthemums sold as houseplants aren't hardy enough to survive UK winters outside. They're typically sold on the assumption that they'll bloom once and then be binned. If, like us, you think that's a waste of a lovely plant, here's how to try to get yours to bloom again the following year:

1. After flowering, deadhead the plant and retire it to a cool place for winter. This change in temperature is key to success.
2. Keep it pot-bound, as the stress helps encourage new flowers.
3. Reduce water, temperature, and feeding. 

Bromeliads (including Guzmania)

Bromeliads work a little differently from the other plants on this list, so don't think you've killed yours when the flower fades.

Each bromeliad plant will only ever produce one flower. But that's not the end of the story: the production of that flower triggers the plant to grow a whole new plant alongside the existing one. These baby plants, or "pups," can be repotted and will eventually produce a flower stalk of their own.

So while the parent plant won't rebloom, it lives on through its offsets, and with a little patience you'll have a whole new generation of flowering bromeliads.

A final word

Getting flowering houseplants to rebloom is rarely about doing more, and often about doing less: a cooler rest, a little restraint with the watering can, and the patience to wait for the right season. Save these tips for later, and give your favourite plants a second (and third, and fourth) chance to shine.

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