1. Poinsettia

The quintessential holiday plant, poinsettias had to be at the top of our list. These leafy beauties make wonderful holiday decorations and are great to give as gifts. While red and white poinsettias are the most popular, they also come in orange, yellow, pink, salmon, and marbled varieties that can make for a fun and unexpected take on the usual holiday look.

To stay vibrant throughout the season, poinsettias need lots of sunlight and regular watering. They do best when their soil is perpetually moist, but never soggy. Letting a poinsettia sit in standing water will damage its roots and health.

2. Christmas Cactus

One of our favorite cactuses, the Christmas cactus blooms like clockwork when the days become increasingly short close to the winter solstice and Christmas. These cacti have lovely flowers in shades and combinations of pink, purple, red, orange, and white. Plus, they’re completely safe for households with small children and pets because they’re one of the few plants that isn’t poisonous for cats, dogs, or humans.

Christmas cactuses actually fare extremely well in our humid climate. Native to the forests of Brazil, they don’t tolerate drought the same way their desert-dwelling cactus cousins do. Put yours in a sunny location with a pot that drains easily and water it when the top inch of soil becomes dry. Then, get ready to enjoy Christmas flowers for many years to come.

3. Bromeliads

Bromeliads are one of our favorite plants for winter and the holidays. These tropical plants are easy to care for — especially in Port Charlotte’s environment — and with shades of deep red, green, pink, and yellow they’re sure to brighten up your winter season. Provide them with plenty of filtered sunlight and regular watering.

4. Norfolk Island Pine

These pretty pine trees make the perfect indoor accent with a few pretty ribbons or bows during the holidays, and they stay beautiful all year round.

Norfolk Island pine trees aren’t true pines in the sense that they actually grow naturally in tropical environments and won’t tolerate cold weather. Norfolk Island pines are fairly sensitive to their environments. They require lots of sunlight, moist soil, and they don’t like to be moved around the house too abruptly. If you do decide to change the location of your Norfolk Island pine, be sure to do so gradually.

5. Succulents

Succulents are also fun plants to grow during the winter. Flowering varieties, like kalanchoe, tend to flower during the cooler months of the year, but they’re all beautiful.

Succulents are perfect for anyone who wants to keep plants but doesn’t have much time. They fare well in a sunny location and inside a pot that drains easily. The worst thing you can do for a succulent is water it too frequently. Give them a drink when their soil has dried completely and then leave them to grow happily in the sunshine.