The Best Plants for Sunrooms
Whether you're enjoying a cup of tea, getting lost in a book, or just enjoying nature without the bugs, a sunroom is the perfect place to relax and unwind. Why not add to the ambiance by adding a bit of greenery? Plants have been shown to reduce stress, help clean the air, and improve your mood – as long as they are thriving. So, choosing the right plants for your sunroom will set you up for successfully upgrading your space.
Ten Popular Solarium Plants
These plants are commonly found in sunrooms because they're easy to care for and add life to the space – some even add lovely bursts of colorful blooms.
African Violet – Originating from Tanzania, African violets are small plants with fuzzy leaves and violet-like flowers. With several varieties to choose from, it should be easy to find colorful blooms to fit your décor. Hues include white, pink, mauve, lavender, blue, purple, and red. They like moderate light, high humidity, and warmth.
Begonia – Begonias are typically grown as outdoor plants, but they can be brought inside if the conditions are right. Plus, a sunroom provides the perfect spot to overwinter them in cooler climates. Like African violets, their blooms can add beautiful color to your space. Begonias need bright, indirect light and plenty of humidity. Be careful not to overwater them.
Boston Fern – Boston ferns are medium-sized plants that provide lush greenery in a space. They're often hung from the ceiling to bring life to the upper portion of a room. Native to the West Indies, they prefer high humidity and moderate, but indirect light. Make sure to keep this fern's soil lightly damp and with good drainage.
Christmas Cactus – The name "Christmas cactus" was given to this plant because it tends to bloom around the holidays. They come in a range of flower colors, including pink, red, lavender, orange, and yellow. Getting them to bloom every year may prove a bit tricky as they need about a month's worth of 12-hour-long nights to trigger, so they may need to be moved to and from a darker room like a closet daily. Otherwise, they enjoy bright light and high humidity, and they are easy to propagate.
Hibiscus – Hibiscus are tropical plants that are often grown outside but can do well as indoor plants as long as they have a sunny place to thrive – perfect for a solarium! These plants boast large, vibrant blooms in shades of pink, coral, yellow, and more. They enjoy warmer temperatures in the summer and can handle some coolness in winter. Keep the relative humidity of this plant's environment above 50% by misting as necessary.
Orchid – Orchids have a bad rap for being difficult plants to keep healthy, but they don't have to be. Just keep in mind that they like sunlight and humidity, and you'll enjoy their lovely blooms for years to come. However, if you're concerned that your thumb just isn't green enough for their reputation, consult with an orchid specialist for tips and tricks.
Passion Flower – Your sunroom is the perfect place to overwinter a passion flower, and many people choose to keep them in their sunroom garden year-round, especially in northern climates. Passion flowers sport complex-looking flowers, usually in shades of blue or purple. They need warmth in the summer, but cooler temperatures (to around 50 degrees Fahrenheit) during the winter help to improve their blooming season. Like other plants in this list, they appreciate higher humidity and bright light.
Peace Lily – Peace lilies grow one to three feet tall and are generally easy to care for because they aren't picky about temperature or humidity. They're known for their ability to clean the air, so adding them to your sunroom has benefits beyond beauty. Unlike many other plants listed here, they prefer filtered, lower to moderate light, so you may want to place them closer to your interior wall for best results. Peace lily flowers are usually white, so they'll fit with any color palette.
Spider Plant – Spider plants are popular for their easy propagation. They are fine with normal household humidity and temperature and can handle full or filtered sun. You'll often find spider plants in hanging baskets. This plant is one of the simplest to care for, so if you don't have a green thumb, it's a good starter plant for your sunroom.
Succulent – Succulent refers to a group of plants that have developed a way of storing water in their leaves, stems, and/or roots. Like desert cacti, they can handle drier conditions, so they tend to be easier to care for. They don't mind dry air, don't need a lot of water, and tend to like full or filtered sunlight.
If you choose to add any of these plants to your sunroom garden, be sure to learn the full details of what each plant needs to thrive and plan accordingly. If your sunroom tends to get cool in the winter, you may want to consider adding a heat source during those months for some of the warmth-loving plants. Others may be okay without it.
Now that you know the best plants for your sunroom, which will you choose to liven up your space?
