OUR 5 FAVORITE PLANTS FOR THE COLDEST MONTHS

In sunny Los Angeles, we're lucky because flowers are always in bloom! Our mild climate accommodates plants that thrive in all four seasons, and we especially love to enjoying indoor plants that bloom in the winter. At French Florist, our florists put together a list of our top five favorite plants that bloom naturally during the coldest season.

1. Poinsettia

It wouldn't be the holidays without this quintessential festive plant. For traditional holiday decor, we recommend white and red poinsettia plants, but you can also go for a slightly quirky take on the holiday tradition with poinsettias in hot pink, salmon, yellow, or even orange. Poinsettia flowers, which are actually the small yellow clusters at the center of the plant's brightly colored bracts (leaves), bloom in response to the shortening days in winter.

To keep yours vibrant through the season, be sure to place it in a location where it will receive plenty of sunlight and water it regularly, without ever letting the plant sit in standing water.

2. Kalanchoe

These pretty plants start blooming in autumn and will continue to flower until spring. Their tiny flowers pop out in clusters of bold colors like red, pink, orange, yellow, and white to keep all of winter vibrant.

A member of the succulent family, kalanchoe are fairly simple to cultivate. They need plenty of sun, which is easy to come by in southern California, and they tolerate drought well, which means they won't die if you forget about them. The worst thing you can do for a kalanchoe is water it too frequently.

3. Azalea

Azaleas bloom abundantly with delicate, papery blossoms in a rainbow of colors, which are set against a backdrop of dark green foliage. We especially love them in deep shades of pink and rose. Grown indoors, they're cultivated for blooming in winter, but when planted outside, they usually flower in the late spring or early fall.

Although LA is just on the edge of being too warm for azaleas to thrive, if provided with enough shade and plenty of water, a potted azalea can be planted in an outdoor garden come spring.

4. Orchid

Orchids are extra-sensitive to changes in temperatures, and when the mercury drops in winter, they begin to bloom. Orchids are one of our favorite plants for winter because of their perfectly timed blossoms and due to the sheer variety of orchids to choose from. An estimated 30,000 different orchid species blossom all around the world.

5. Amaryllis

Amaryllis plants are also perfect for winter and the holiday season. Carefully cultivated, their bulbs will bloom about six to eight weeks after they're first planted. This makes it easy to time the emergence of their beautiful, red blossoms for the holidays.

Amaryllis plants are cousins of the lily, which means they're beautiful and also poisonous. Although they're toxins aren't quite as potent as those of a lily, they can harm cats, dogs, and people. Be sure to display yours in a location that curious household pets and small children won't be able to reach.

Winter Wonders in Los Angeles's Growing Zone 10

In Los Angeles, we and our plants benefit from a relatively pleasant growing zone. According to the USDA's hardiness chart, our area's average extreme minimum temperatures are fairly high when compared to the rest of the country. This means we can cultivate a greater variety of plants in our outdoor gardens because they don't have to be quite so hardy to withstand temperatures that fall well below freezing.

Since winter days still grow shorter and the weather cooler, we still get to enjoy the seasonal beauty of plants that bloom in the winter like poinsettias and orchids. For more information about the best plants to grow and gift during the winter months, we welcome you to contact a French Florist location near you for personalized winter plant recommendations and expert advice.