7 Red Houseplants to Add Color to Your Home


Red houseplants can be dramatic accents within the home. Which ones should you consider growing?
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Any home’s décor can benefit from adding dramatic color to its interior. Plants with brilliant scarlet, burgundy, maroon, and deep pink flowers and foliage make rooms seem warmer and brighter. 

Check out these 7 houseplants that can add color and warmth to your home!

1. Caladium ‘Red Flash’

Caladiums are heat-loving tropical perennials that produce heart-shaped foliage with beautiful red veining and pink speckles. This plant also produces flowers that bloom throughout the summer, but they are small and often obscured by the leaves.

Caladium plants grow best in warm and humid locations that get lots of indirect sunlight. Plant them in a garden that has rich, organic soil or in a planter with potting soil composed of moist soil and peat. 

Even under the best circumstances, the caladium plant only retains its foliage for a few short months; the leaves will begin to wither and fall off when the plant goes dormant.

caladium red flash in a white pot

2. Polka Dot Plant

The polka dot plant is eye-catching thanks to its brightly variegated leaves that include small red polka dots. 

This plant doesn’t grow very large or fast indoors. Place it where it can get bright, indirect sunlight. Polka dot plants grow best in organically rich soil that drains well. 

For optimal health, balance the amount of moisture in the soil; the plant’s leaves can wilt if the soil becomes completely dry, and too much moisture could lead to root rot, which can ultimately destroy the plant.

growing polka dot plant in a small pot

3. Red Aglaonema

The vibrant red aglaonema is one of the simplest houseplants to grow while adding red tones to your home’s interior. The leaves of this broadleaf plant vary in color from green, scarlet, or pink. 

When growing it indoors, ensure your red aglaonema is kept in a room that’s consistently 60 degrees or more, and keep them away from air vents or drafty windows.

This makes an excellent in-home ornamental plant. It looks stunning on any surface and in any room.

red aglaonema plant in the balcony

4. Red Star Dracaena

The red star dracaena is another eye-catching plant that can add a touch of red to your home. It has rich, red sword-shaped leaves that look amazing when planted in the landscape or a large planter. 

These plants tolerate some shade, but they grow best when placed in full sun. When growing it indoors, place it near a window that lets in lots of indirect sunlight.

red sword shaped leaves of star dracaena

5. Poinsettias

When in bloom, the poinsettia has red bracts that look like leaves. These bracts surround small red flowers. 

Poinsettias thrive when grown in bright, diffused sunshine. To help your plant get the optimal amount of sunlight, position it next to a window that lets in at least 6 – 8 hours of sunlight each day. 

For best results, place them in a space that is between 65 – 75 degrees at all times. Only add water if the top of the soil feels dry.

Poinsettias are popular holiday plants and they look stunning when displayed indoors. 

beautiful red leaves of poinsettia on the window

6. Crown of Thorns

This succulent, which is also called the Christ plant, grows bright red, pink, or white bracts from stems covered in thorns that resemble those on the thorny crown Christ wore before the Crucifixion. 

This houseplant is low-maintenance and thrives in areas that get full sunlight. It also grows best when planted in sandy, rocky, or gritty soil. 

Only water the plant’s root balls when the top 1 – 2 inches of soil are dry. 

beautiful bright red plant in the garden

7. Coleus

Coleus is a petite houseplant that grows leaves in a wide range of colors, including green, red, maroon, and reddish-purple.

For best results, place this plant on a windowsill or room that receives direct sunshine in the mornings and strong filtered light in the afternoons. Be careful, though — too much or too little light will cause the plant’s bright leaves to fade. 

Keep the plant’s soil moist. Only add water when the top 1 – 2 inches of the soil feels dry. Coleus plants love humidity, so place them in a bathroom or kitchen where humidity levels are highest. You can also invest in a small humidifier or softly spritz them a few times each week.

a growing coleus plant with red green leaves
Alaine Connolly
Alaine has been working way too hard in horticulture since 1992, beautifying golf courses, resorts, and hotels. She is a part time landscape designer who works full time caring for a 28,000 square foot public garden. At home, she maintains her own 400 square feet plot. Alaine lives in northern Illinois - zone 5b.
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