Flowering Plants

Flowering plants keep blooming long after a bouquet would fade. Send a phalaenopsis orchid, a fall mum, an Easter lily, a pink calla lily or a tulip bulb garden, each picked out and delivered by a local florist near the recipient.

Some of these blooming plants live indoors and some belong on a porch, so the guide below sorts them by light and season.

Choosing flowering plants

Indoor bloomers and porch plants

The three phalaenopsis orchids are the easiest indoor choice. The Double White Orchid Plant grows two tall stems in bark rather than soil, and it and the Purple Phalaenopsis Orchid in a glass cube both want bright, indirect light. The Pink Calla Lily in Natural Wrap arrives in a woven wrap instead of a pot, and the Easter Blessing Lily comes budded in a whitewashed planter, so it opens after delivery. The two mums are different: the Autumn Outdoor Mum and the Fall Mum Plant 6 are made for full sun on a step or porch, not a windowsill.

Matching the plant to the season

Mums are the fall pick, with orange blooms that hold their color into cool weather; see more in fall plants. In spring, the Sweet Spring Tulip Bulb Garden shows pink, purple and yellow tulips within days, while the Sweet Serenity Bulb Garden pairs tulips with muscari that are a few weeks from bloom. The Easter Blessing Lily fills a room with fragrance for the holiday table, and more are in our Easter plants. Orchids bloom for weeks at any time of year, which makes them the steady choice for a birthday, a thank you or a new office.

Flowering plant questions

What is the best flowering plant to give as a gift?

A phalaenopsis orchid is hard to beat. It blooms for weeks, needs water only about once a week and suits almost any room or occasion. For someone with a porch in fall, a mum adds instant color. Our orchids include white and purple options.

Which flowering plants are safe for homes with cats?

Skip the Easter Blessing Lily if there's a cat at home, since true lilies are highly toxic to cats, even in small amounts. Mums and tulips can also upset a pet's stomach, and calla lilies can irritate the mouth. Phalaenopsis, or moth orchids, are widely listed as non-toxic to both cats and dogs.

How long do blooming plants last?

It depends on the plant. Orchid flowers often last a month or more and can rebloom on the same stem, while potted mums usually give several weeks of fall color. Bulb gardens bloom for a couple of weeks, longer in a cool room, and the plants keep growing after the flowers finish.

Can I get flowering plant delivery today?

Often, yes. These plants are delivered by a local florist, so same-day delivery is possible on orders placed by 2:00 PM ET Monday to Friday or 1:30 PM ET on Saturday, when today is open for the recipient's ZIP code. There are no Sunday deliveries.