We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Culinary

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What are the Best Greenhouse Flowers?

By Cynde Gregory
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 11,358
Share

Greenhouses are wonderful for extending the growing season in areas with long periods of cold for growing flowers that don’t typically flourish in an outdoor environment. The best greenhouse flowers include all types of orchids and lilies, biennials such as foxgloves, perennials such as lupine or delphinium and annuals of all sorts. In general, the best greenhouse flowers are those that appreciate a warm, humid environment.

There are a number of benefits that greenhouses provide to flowers that outdoor gardening does not. The environment is protected, so plants won’t be knocked over or damaged by high winds or scalding sunlight. The heat, even in an unheated greenhouse, is easier to regulate; as long as the greenhouse isn’t allowed to become too hot, the best greenhouse flowers will be those that prefer to set buds at a uniform temperature. Greenhouses also offer some protection again insects and many diseases. Flowers that are especially susceptible to white fly, voracious beetles, June bugs and other garden pests as well as diseases spread by these insects are a good choice to be grown in a greenhouse.

Among orchids, phalaenopsis, cattleya and ontoglossum orchids do especially well in regulated greenhouse environments. Odontoglossum prefer a cooler greenhouse. These beautiful orchids set buds in fragrant sprays and are happiest in a greenhouse where night time temperatures can be held at 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12.8 degrees Celsius) and daytime temperatures don’t rise above 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23.9 degrees Celsius). They thrive in filtered light and even humidity.

Cattleya orchids prefer intermediate temperatures between 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 degrees Celsius) at night and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29.4 degrees Celsius) during the day. Phalaenopsis orchids demand the most heat. They are intolerant of night temperatures below 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius) and will withstand a hot, humid environment of up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degree Celsius).

Calla lilies make excellent greenhouse flowers. Native to South America, their long, tube-like blossoms end in an open flute. They require shaded or filtered light and will become stressed by an overabundance of sunlight. It’s important for gardeners growing calla lilies to maintain even dampness in the soil and not permit it to dry out.

Biennial flowers such as foxgloves that normally require two years from planting to flowering are another excellent greenhouse choice. Gardeners can plant the seeds in the fall so that they have a garden-ready plant by spring for planting out. They might instead choose to keep the flowers in the greenhouse year-round, where they will often continue to set flowers for several years before burning out.

Perennial flowers such as delphiniums or lupines also make terrific greenhouse flowers. Lupines, which are from the pea family, produce blooms on tall stalks that can suffer from wind damage. They grow best in a cool greenhouse. Like lupines, the tall flowering stalks upon which delphinium blossoms grow are susceptible to strong wind and are especially delicious to many garden pests. The greenhouse environment can provide a protective year-round growing season or be used to prepare seedlings for planting out into protected outdoor areas.

All types of annuals get a head start as greenhouse flowers. By planting seeds in mid-winter, gardeners will have plants ready to burst into bloom when the time is right to plant them outdoors. Annuals that begin in greenhouses can range from impatiens to scabiosa.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
By lluviaporos — On Jun 15, 2014

If you aren't going to be growing them commercially, I'd say your best bet for research is to go to the local botanic gardens or big park and take a look at their public greenhouse.

They will usually have a wide range of different kinds of plants and greenhouse structures so you can see what would suit your home and your ability to care for it, as well as what would suit your tastes.

By MrsPramm — On Jun 14, 2014

@pastanaga - They don't really take a huge amount of time to care for once you've got them established. I think they have a reputation for being difficult because they are fussy, but if their needs are catered to they don't really need a lot of tending.

You do need to do a lot of research on them first, though, because they need to have very particular growing conditions and these vary according to the type of orchid. Some of them need to be grown on trees and most of them will need a particular kind of fungi in their roots in order to live.

If you are new to greenhouse gardening, I wouldn't start with orchids as a general rule, although I know people can be very passionate about it. It can be extremely discouraging when they fail to thrive because a single element isn't right.

By pastanaga — On Jun 13, 2014

I have always wanted to grow orchids. I think they are so beautiful and so diverse whenever I see them in a public flower greenhouse. They are always the thing I rush to go and see.

They are supposed to be very difficult to cultivate well, though, apart from a few commercial varieties that aren't particularly interesting (to me, at least). So I've never dared to start a collection, because I don't really have the means and the time right now to make sure that they will survive.

Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-are-the-best-greenhouse-flowers.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.