Which Flower Plants to Grow Indoors?

[Hijaab]

Asalamualiqum...

I know I am being very inquisitive. Actually, I would be moving to Pakistan this June and I want to take this time to do some gardening.

1. What flower plants can I grow indoors?
2. How to plant them?
3. How to care for them?

Thank you,

[Farhan Ahmed]

Indoor flowering plant choices are limited especially in Pakistan. What you have to look for is that which plants flower in full shade.....Keep this in mind that room conditions should be quite bright & not dark and gloomy for all indoor plants to thrive.

Some suggestions(current season and permanent):-
Abutilon(Difficult plant for beginners)
Christmas cactus(not easily available)
Gardenia(again difficult plant)
Some geraniums
Hoyas(tropical plant. Available in Karachi)
Impatiens
Kalonche(easy plant/easily available)
Orchids(Bulb plant, available in Karachi mostly)
Purple Oxalis(easy plant/available in nurseries)
Anthurium
Crown of thorn/Euphorbia Milli
Primroses(treated as annual)
Ladyslipper(tread as annual)
Shrimp Plant(Very easy/available locally)
Duranta(Easy plant)
Ixora
Begonia

As you are new to gardening, i would recommend buying kalonche, Crown of thorn, Shrimp plant and few impatiens. Just ensure good light and regular watering(do not over-water).

[M Farooq]

Asalamualiqum...

I know I am being very inquisitive. Actually, I would be moving to Pakistan this June and I want to take this time to do some gardening.

1. What flower plants can I grow indoors?
2. How to plant them?
3. How to care for them?

Thank you,

In rather had an unpleasant experience with growing flowering plants indoor. They don't do well because of artificial light and its variable duration (you won't keep the lights on in the room for 5-6 hours). The main reason for failure is quantity of light of the right energy for the right amount of time.

Flowering plants need a certain duration and certain amount of light...one cannot easily control that until and unless your plant is sitting next to a very clear window sill.

For example I purchased motia for indoor growing, but it only flowered once in a year with one or two flowers, again because of light "duration" and indoor temperature.

However foliage plants do quite well. I have grown spider plants, pothos/ philodendron (known as money plant in Pakistan), peace lily, among others.
You can try the following among others listed by Farhan. Use Google images to see how they look like

1) Anthuriums
2) Peace lily
3) Hibiscus (gul-har in Urdu)
4) Colourful grafted cacti (away from people!)

[Tahir Khan]

The plant that you can grow indoors without special care and watering needs and my personal favourite is 'Sansevieria' or commonly called snake plant...It can live in total neglect, it tolerates low light levels and it also does not mind if not watered, it can live on only 2 waterings per month and it also produces a spire of white night fragrant blooms occasionally.

[Hijaab]

Thank you so very much.

If Light is the main reason for not having successful experience. Then I'll make sure they get enough light. Rooms are very bright with large windows and I can put them directly in light whenever needed. So light is not a problem in my case. I searched some plants and planning to get the seeds from here (Canada).
I'll just list them down, so can you please tell me if they can grow in Pakistan or not?

African Violet
Hibiscus
Flowering Maple
Oxalis
Peace Lily
Anthurium
Jasmine
Kaffir Lily
Streptocarpus
Calamondin Orange
Christmas Cactus
Brazilian Fireworks
Crown-of-Thorns
Gloxinia
Guppy Plant
Lipstick Plant
Shrimp Plant
Ixora
Cactus
Begonia
Marigold
Geranium
Angel-wing Begonia
Riegar Begonia
Wax Begonia
Guzmania
Silver Vase Plant

[Hijaab]

The plant that you can grow indoors without special care and watering needs and my personal favourite is 'Sansevieria' or commonly called snake plant...It can live in total neglect, it tolerates low light levels and it also does not mind if not watered, it can live on only 2 waterings per month and it also produces a spire of white night fragrant blooms occasionally.

Thank you. Looks nice. Will try INSHA'ALLAH.

[Farhan Ahmed]

Flowering Maple/abutilon
Oxalis
Anthurium
Christmas Cactus
Crown-of-Thorns
Gloxinia
Shrimp Plant
Ixora
Begonia
Geranium
Angel-wing Begonia
Riegar Begonia
Wax Begonia

These might grow...but i already have told that some of these are difficult plants. Not easy for a beginner to start and grow.

Sansevieria is a foliage plant.

[M Farooq]

Thank you so very much.

If Light is the main reason for not having successful experience. Then I'll make sure they get enough light. Rooms are very bright with large windows and I can put them directly in light whenever needed. So light is not a problem in my case. I searched some plants and planning to get the seeds from here (Canada). I'll just list them down, so can you please tell me if they can grow in Pakistan or not?

African Violet, Hibiscus, Flowering Maple, Oxalis, Peace Lily, Anthurium, Jasmine, Kaffir Lily, Streptocarpus, Calamondin Orange, Christmas Cactus
Brazilian Fireworks, Crown-of-Thorns, Gloxinia, Guppy Plant, Lipstick Plant, Shrimp Plant, Ixora, Cactus, Begonia, Marigold, Geranium, Angel-wing Begonia, Riegar Begonia, Wax Begonia, Guzmania, Silver Vase Plant

Not sure which part of Pakistan you wish to know and whether this list is for indoor flowers or not :-)...

Anyway, Violets, Hibiscus, Oxalis, Peace Lily, Anthurium, ALL common Jasmines, oranges (for colder climates), Shrimp Plant, crown of thorns (Euphorbia- very common), Geranium, Guzmania (or Bromeliads), Ixora, Cactus, Marigold, Geraniums, Begonias can easily grow outdoor in Pakistan (assuming Karachi and Lahore type weather).

Not all of the above grow from seeds. I would suggest that you buy live plants from local nurseries after arriving in Pk.

[Hijaab]

Thank you so very much.

If Light is the main reason for not having successful experience. Then I'll make sure they get enough light. Rooms are very bright with large windows and I can put them directly in light whenever needed. So light is not a problem in my case. I searched some plants and planning to get the seeds from here (Canada). I'll just list them down, so can you please tell me if they can grow in Pakistan or not?

African Violet, Hibiscus, Flowering Maple, Oxalis, Peace Lily, Anthurium, Jasmine, Kaffir Lily, Streptocarpus, Calamondin Orange, Christmas Cactus
Brazilian Fireworks, Crown-of-Thorns, Gloxinia, Guppy Plant, Lipstick Plant, Shrimp Plant, Ixora, Cactus, Begonia, Marigold, Geranium, Angel-wing Begonia, Riegar Begonia, Wax Begonia, Guzmania, Silver Vase Plant

Not sure which part of Pakistan you wish to know and whether this list is for indoor flowers or not ...

Anyway, Violets, Hibiscus, Oxalis, Peace Lily, Anthurium, ALL common Jasmines, oranges (for colder climates), Shrimp Plant, crown of thorns (Euphorbia- very common), Geranium, Guzmania (or Bromeliads), Ixora, Cactus, Marigold, Geraniums, Begonias can easily grow outdoor in Pakistan (assuming Karachi and Lahore type weather).

Not all of the above grow from seeds. I would suggest that you buy live plants from local nurseries after arriving in Pk.

I live in Mandi Bahauddin in Pakistan. The ones' you listed in this post, are they easily available from local nurseries?

[M Farooq]

Anyway, Violets, Hibiscus, Oxalis, Peace Lily, Anthurium, ALL common Jasmines, oranges (for colder climates), Shrimp Plant, crown of thorns (Euphorbia- very common), Geranium, Guzmania (or Bromeliads), Ixora, Cactus, Marigold, Geraniums, Begonias can easily grow outdoor in Pakistan (assuming Karachi and Lahore type weather).

Not all of the above grow from seeds. I would suggest that you buy live plants from local nurseries after arriving in Pk.

I live in Mandi Bahauddin in Pakistan. The ones' you listed in this post, are they easily available from local nurseries?

Yes indeed. Most large local nurseries in Pakistan should have them.

By any means you will have issues in international travel with so many live plants on international flights, since most of them will not be easy to grow from seeds. Where do you plan to buy seeds from?