30 Sun Loving Indoor Plants | Houseplants That Thrive in Direct Sunlight

Flaming Katy also called Christmas Kalanchoe or Florist Kalanchoe is a succulent bushy plant which bears reddish leaves in bright light and long lasting flowers which can be induced in any season.

Many varieties of Christmas Kalanchoe are available like Bali with red flowers, Mistral with lilac flowers, Fortyniner with yellow flowers, Tarantella with orange flowers and Vesuvius with red flowers among others.

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana thrives in bright light with some direct sunlight, average warmth and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil.

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Bird of Paradise Plant or Crane Flower is a spectacular flowering plant with vivid bright orange and blue flowers borne on top of tall stalks and surrounded by large leaves.

The Crane Flower Plant grows to a height of about 5-7 ft and 3-4 ft wide. The evergreen leaves are arranged in two ranks, making a fan-shaped crown.

Strelitzia reginae grows best in bright light with some direct sunshine, average warmth, humid conditions and consistently moist, fertile, well-drained soil.

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Rubber Plant also called Rubber Tree, Rubber Bush, Rubber Fig, Indian Rubber Tree or Indian Rubber Bush is a low maintenance, air cleaning, tree-like plant that easily adapts to indoor growing conditions.

Some popular varieties of Rubber Plant include 'Decora', 'Robusta', 'Burgundy' or 'Black Prince', 'Tineke', 'Red Ruby', 'Doescheri', 'Melany' among others.

Rubber Fig thrives in bright light with some direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil.

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Bougainvillea Plant or Paper Flower is a popular flowering indoor plant which is grown for the showy blooms as a shrub, as a hanging basket plant, as a bonsai or allowed to climb on a trellis.

There are many hybrids of Bougainvillea where the most popular are the large-leaved, large-flowered Mrs Butt whose flowers are rose-crimson, Magnifica which is purple, Raspberry Ice whose flowers are a ravishing red, Alexendra which is pink among others.

Bougainvillea glabra thrives in very bright light with some direct sunlight, average warmth, average humidity and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil.

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Bloodleaf Plant also called Beef Steak Plant or Red Iresine is a colorful and easy to grow houseplant which requires some sun exposure to bring out its bright colors.

The Red Iresine bears wine red stems and leaves with prominent red veins. The small, greenish-white, inconspicuous flowers need to be removed as soon as they begin to form so that the plant can direct its energy to growth of the beautiful leaves.

Iresine herbstii thrives in bright light with some direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions and consistently moist, rich, well-drained soils.

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Chinese Hibiscus also called Tropical Hibiscus, Rose of China or Shoeblackplant is a popular flowering indoor plant on account of its large, ruffled, trumpet-shaped blooms which come in many vibrant colors.

With proper care, Rose of China will produce a succession of papery flowers in early spring to late fall which come in red, white, yellow , pink, orange, purple, peach and may be single, double or semi-double.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis thrives in bright light with 6-8 hours of direct sunlight, average warmth and humidity and consistently moist, fertile, well-drained soil.

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Burro's Tail Plant or Donkey's Tail Plant is a trailing plant which bears 2-3 ft long stems, completely clothed with blue-green cylindrical succulent leaves and is ideal for a hanging basket.

Donkey's Tail Plant grows well in very good light but not extreme heat. To enhance leaf coloration grow the plant in bright light with at least 8 hours of sunshine.

Sedum morganianum grows best in bright light with some direct sunshine, average warmth and moderately moist, fertile, loose, Cactus and Succulents soil.

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Snake Plants also called Mother in-law's Tongue are popular plants for the home on account of its long beautifully colored foliage and ability to clean indoor air.

The Mother-in-law's Tongue Plants are hard to kill plants which can withstand low light, dry air, draughts and periods without water but are prone to root-rot in soggy soil.

Dracaena trifasciata thrive in bright light with some direct sunlight, average warmth and moderately moist, loose, fertile, Cactus and Succulents soil.

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Bear's Paw Succulent also called Bear Claw Succulent or Cat Paw Succulent is a succulent evergreen shrub which bears large chunky ovate fuzzy light-green leaves.

Bear Claw Succulent leaves have prominent 'teeth' at the tips which turn deep red in bright light and look-like a bears claws and this gives this plant its common name.

Cotyledon tomentosa thrives in bright light with direct sunlight of at least 4-6 hours, average warmth and loose, fast draining soil that is low in organic matter.

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Desert Cactus come in numerous forms and sizes and they form interesting plants which are especially popular with beginners as they can tolerate some level of neglect.

The native habitat of Desert Cactus is subject to drought; many live in extremely dry environments like the Atacama Desert with very bright sunlight.

Desert Cacti thrive in bright light to full sunlight with at least 2-3 hours of sunshine per day, average warmth and humidity and moderately moist, well drained soil.

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Bush Lily also called Natal Lily is an easy to grow flowering plant which bears large clusters of flowers and easily adapts to indoor growing conditions.

Natal Lily is a sensitive plant which does not like to be disturbed therefore, don't move the plant when in bud or flower and don't repot unless the plant is pushing out of the container.

Clivia miniata thrives in bright light with 4-6 hours of direct sunlight, warm conditions and moderately moist, rich, well-drained soils.

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Geraniums are popular plants due to their ease of care, large colourful blooms and a long flowering period; will bloom almost all year-round if kept on a sunny window at average room temperature.

Some Geraniums have small insignificant flowers and are grown for their colourful foliage but majority bear large flowers which may be single, semi-double or double.

Pelargonium x hortorum thrive in bright light with some direct sunlight, cool to average warmth, average room humidity and consistently moist, fertile, well-drained soil.

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Wax Begonia is a small leafy bush which blooms almost the year round and is the easiest to grow of the flowering Begonias which easily adapts to indoor growing conditions.

There are many Wax Begonia hybrids with a wide range of flower types in red, white, orange and pink. Newer hybrids are regularly developed which are more compact and have bigger blooms.

Begonia semperflorens thrives in bright, indirect light with some direct sunshine, average warmth, humid conditions and moderately moist, rich, well-drained soil.

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Jade Plant is a popular succulent plant that can withstand a great deal of neglect and mismanagement and is easy to grow even for a beginner.

The leaves and stems in Jade Plant are fleshy as they store water which allow the plant to go for a considerably long period without being watered.

Crassula ovata grows best in bright light with some direct sunlight, average warmth and moderately moist, rich, well-drained soil.

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String of Beads Plant or String of Pearls Plant is one of the popular string of plants that is easy to grow and can survive a considerably long period without water.

The cascading thread-like stems in String of Pearls Plant make it perfect for a hanging basket, a table-top, a plant shelf or a pedestal where the stems can hang downwards beautifully.

Senecio rowleyanus thrives in bright light with some direct sunlight, moderate warmth and moderately moist, fertile, succulents soil.

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Haworthia Plants have firm, tough, fleshy leaves, usually dark-green in color while others are softer and contain leaf windows with translucent panels through which sunlight can reach internal photosynthetic tissues.

The Haworthia Plants form a rosette of leaves and the flowers are white and small. When the plants are stressed like when deprived of water, their color can change to reds and purple.

Haworthia grow best in bright light with 4-6 hours of direct sunlight, average to above average warmth and slightly moist, fertile, succulent's soil.

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Aeoniums commonly called Tree Houseleeks bear succulent, glossy, spoon-shaped leaves which are typically arranged on a basal stem in a dense spreading rosette and can be low-growing plants or can be large trees.

Tree Houseleeks are monocarpic plants which means they flower only once after which they die. However, they leave behind many offsets or offshoots from which they can be reproduced.

Aeoniums thrive in bright light with some direct sunlight, average warmth and moderately moist, fertile, sandy loam soil.

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Spineless Yucca also called Blue-stem Yucca, Giant Yucca or Yucca Cane bears a crown of long, leathery, strap-like, spineless leaves and white bell-shaped flowers may appear on mature plants.

The Blue-stem Yucca requires a deep, well-drained container and a well-lit spot with some sunshine inorder to thrive. It can grow in a variety of soils and is drought-tolerant.

Yucca gigantea thrives in very bright light with 4-6 hours of direct sunlight, average warmth and humidity and moderately moist, fertile succulent soil.

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Croton Plant also called Joseph's Coat is a popular plant on account of its vivid foliage colors and varied leaf shapes.

Most Croton varieties have Laurel-like foliage, but there are also forked leaves, long ribbons, lobed leaves, twisted and curled types. Their identification is not easy.

Crotons require bright light with some direct morning or evening sunlight, warm and humid conditions and consistently moist, rich, well-drained soil to thrive.

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Houseleeks also called Liveforever or Hens and Chicks are popular, low-growing, succulent plants which form mats composed of tufted leaves in rosettes.

Each Sempervivum grows for several years before flowering afterwhich the Liveforever dies, leaving many offsets it has produced during its life and hence the common name, 'Liveforever'. These offsets have also given Houseleeks the common name, 'Hens and Chicks'.

Sempervivums thrive in bright light with 6-8 hours of direct sunlight, average warmth and moderately moist, fertile, succulents soil.

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Aloe Plants are popular, succulent plants which come in all shapes and sizes. There are numerous species of Aloes but only a few are popular as houseplants.

Popular Aloe Plants include Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis), Aloe aristata (Lace Aloe), Aloe variegata (Partridge-breasted Aloe), Aloe jucunda, Aloe humilis (Hedgehog Aloe) and Aloe mitriformis among many others.

Aloe Plants grow best in bright light with 4-6 hours of direct sunlight, average warmth away from drafts and moderately moist, rich, succulents soil.

Learn how to grow and care for Aloe Plants

Echeveria Plants are low maintenance, easy to grow and propagate plants which form a rosette of short, beautiful and tightly packed leaves on short stems.

Some popular Echeveria Varieties include Plush Plant (Echeveria harmsii), Echeveria amoena, Echeveria carnicolor, Peacock Echeveria (Echeveria desmetiana) and Painted Lady Echeveria (Echeveria derenbergii) among others.

Echeveria Plants thrive bright light with 4-6 hours of direct sunlight, average warmth and moderately moist, well-drained soil.

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String of Nickels Plant also called Button Orchid is a popular, trailing succulent plant which forms a dense mass of greenish-yellow foliage.

The leaves in Button Orchid are opposite and round and look like numerous coins, hence the common name. The young leaves often have a powdery bloom. The flowers are white to yellowish-white.

Dischidia nummularia thrives in bright light with some morning sunshine, average warmth, moderately moist, rich, well-drained soil.

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Thread Agave also called Thread-leaf Agave is an evergreen perennial plant and is one of the popular Agave plants grown indoors for its compact size which forms a beautiful, stemless rosette of long, blade-like, dark-green to a bronzish-green colored leaves.

The Thread-leaf Agave is a slow growing plant which may take a long time to out grow its pot and therefore it does not require frequent repotting.

Agave filifera requires bright light with 6-8 hours of direct sunlight and moderately moist, well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter.

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Teddy Bear Vine is a succulent vine which bears oval-shaped, hairy (velvet-like) leaves with purple undersides and is ideal for a hanging basket or a groundcover.

The Teddy Bear Vine is a slow growing plant whose stems cascade downwards which makes it is ideal for a hanging basket. The flowers are mauve colored, blue-violet or pinkish-purple.

Cyanotis kewensis thrives in bright, indirect light with some morning sunshine, moderate warmth and humidity, moderately moist, rich, well-drained soils.

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Sunglow Plant or Red Crassula is a neat succulent plant whose stems are clothed with leathery triangular leaves which look like they are stacked on top of each other.

There are two main varieties of Red Crassula that are popular as houseplants. These are alba which bears red flowers and bicolor which bears red and white flowers.

Crassula coccinea thrives in bright light with some direct sunlight, average warmth and moderately moist, fertile, cactus and succulents soil.

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String of Rubies Plant also called String of Pickles, Little Pickles or Ruby Necklace bears reddish-purple stems and bean-shaped leaves which turn a bright ruby red when the plant is grown under bright sunshine.

The String of Pickles Plant grows as a trailer, with stems trailing which are spectacular when they cascade downwards beautifully in a hanging basket or on a pedestal.

Othonna capensis thrives in very bright light, average warmth and moderately moist, fertile, succulents soil.

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String of Buttons Plant is an easy-care, shrubby, succulent plant which bears triangle-shaped, gray-green leaves with a rosy pink hue along the edges in bright light.

The String of Buttons succulent stems start off upright but begin to trail on the ground due to the weight of the leaves as they age which makes this plant perfect for a hanging basket.

Crassula perforata thrives in bright light with 4-6 hours of direct sunlight, average warmth and loose, succulents soil.

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Fiddle Leaf Fig is a popular indoor plant due to its large, striking, violin-like leaves with a leathery texture, prominent veins and a wavy margin which is perfect for large spaces.

The Fiddle Leaf Fig is relatively tough and can grow to a height of 6-10 ft when grown indoors. The leaves are about 1.5 ft long.

Ficus lyrata grows best in bright light with 4-6 hours of direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil.

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Gasteria Plants are recognizable from their thick, hard, succulent 'tongue-shaped' leaves and hence their common names Ox-tongue, Cow-tongue, Lawyer's Tongue and occasionally Mother-in-law's Tongue.

The inflorescence in Gasteria is unique with a curved, stomach-shaped flowers hanging from inclined racemes which has given this genus its name Gasteria. 'Gaster' is Latin for stomach.

Gasteria Plants thrive in bright light with some direct sunlight, average warmth and moderately moist, fertile, succulents soil.

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