For today’s post, I’ve put together a top ten of my favourite pink houseplants that I love growing here at HOUSEPLANTHOUSE. As a disclaimer to start though, I must confess that as a colour, pink is not actually one of my favourites. I’ve not used pink to decorate + it’s not a colour that appears too often in my closet either. I don’t mind a plaster sort of pink, something dusky + a bit dirty, or as a bit of a curve ball, I have a jumper that’s a bright fuscia that I like to wear when I need a pick me up. But, for houseplants, I seem to get drawn to all things pink toned! I think it’s something to do with how, as a leaf colour, it can be so transformative in a space — the foliage is lighter than a solid block of green + adds a bit of variation + lightness to my indoor planting. Plus as colours, pink + green always look great together, so these blush-coloured pots sit well with my other houseplants. Some of my choices are of course, more pink than others + there are a few that might be more of a subtle pink reference, but you get the idea. Let’s get into it…
1. Tradescantia fluminensis tricolor
This was the plant that started it all. I got a really small pot of tradescantia fluminensis tricolor quite a few years ago — maybe around 2016 I think. I planted it in one of my favourite pots + positioned it on my work desk, in my south facing bay window. Unlike any of the other surrounding green coloured houseplants, it’s lovely colouring shone when the sun hit the backs of the little leaves. To this day, I always keep a pot of this type of tradescantia on my work desk.
Over the last 5 years with my plant, I’ve had the ups and downs, the leaf crisping over winter, forgetting to water it, moving it somewhere too dark + letting it get gangly — the lot. But what I love about this plant most is its resilience + ability to grow again, even if things look dire for a while. It’s the plant that keeps on giving + I wouldn’t be without one…or three!
Related Tradescantia posts:
- How to make a new Tradescantia plant from cuttings
- How I stop my Tradescantia fluminensis tricolour from looking like a crispy mess
2. Stromanthe thalia triostar
My Stromanthe is another of the older plants here at HPH + it’s grown with me from my academia days. Then, it was a smallish plant that didn’t have much pink to speak of on it’s younger leaves. It’s a slow-ish grower + for a couple of years, I didn’t give it much attention, but it then got extremely pot-bound, which forced me to take notice. This re-pot seemed to be just what my lovely plant needed because it really has flourished over the last 2 years. The leaves are more evenly variegated + pinker now + I propagated by division so that I have two of these here at HPH. If you love the look of Calathea but want something more robust, I’d highly recommend one!
Related Stromanthe posts:
- Stromanthe thalia triostar Care Guide
- Repotting Diaries #9 : Stromanthe, Strelitzia, Dracaena, Marble Queen, Scindapsus + Ficus
- Stromanthe got big — to divide or repot?
3. Tradescantia nanouk
You all love this plant whenever I post it on social media + despite being one of the more recent plant purchases I’ve made (I got it at the start of lockdown 2020), it quickly became one of my stand-out plants. I know some people think Tradescantia are a bit ‘meh‘, but the fluminensis + the nanouk really deserve their positions as my favourites of these. They look all pretty + cute when they are small but do get leggy + can look unkempt after a year or so, which I do think puts some people off. But as a longer-time grower of these types of plants, I am not afraid to chop/prune/propagate as much as is needed with these. That means I always have a pot or two that looks nice. For reference, the leaves are thicker + larger than a fluminensis + this plant has bloomed a couple of times already for me.
Related Tradescantia nanouk posts:
4. Variegated String of Hearts
As much as I love my regular Ceropegia woodii, my variegated pot really does come into it’s own in the Summer months. I am looking forward to giving mine a brighter position in my next place to help bring out the rainbow of pinky tones that develop in more intensely lit positions. I’ve got mine 0.5-1 metre away from a south-east facing window currently + whilst there are hints of pink, I know I can get more saturation in more favourable conditions. Saying that, it’s been so easy going in this spot, I’m happy to see the blush colours emerge after some sunny spells. If you like delicate trailing plants then this is a beautiful option to consider if you have a bright enough position for it to flourish.
Related SOH posts:
5. Caladiums
Ah, Caladiums. They’ve taken the houseplant world by storm over the last 3 years + with foliage that looks this good, it’s unsurprising. They are a great shade loving plant outdoors if you have a milder climate too. I’ve grown a couple of different varieties + I must admit that picking out tubers to order does feel like you are in some sort of plant-y shop of treats! They come in all different colours + patterns, which makes choosing just a few difficult, but I find myself getting drawn towards the pink (or white) cultivars — right now I’m loving Spring Fling, Carolyn Whorton, Miss Muffet + Sizzle. There’s something about the tissue-paper leaves that maintain their translucence in the lighter variegations + if you are intrigued in growing houseplants from tubers, these are my top pick.
6. Pink syngonium
My pink syngonium was a plant that I just got used to having around. It was a slow-ish grower, but as the leaves matured + became more distinctive in shape, it became one of the staple plants on my living space bookshelf. It’s slow growing, compact nature makes it a good choice for a small space + unlike those plants that take over a bookcase a bit, this one was right at home for years in this spot. When I moved, I gave mine to a friend who I knew would enjoy it as I’d run out of room on the plant-moving-van…yes, I did need to get another van at the last minute for all the plants that wouldn’t fit on the removals truck! But when I get a bit more settled I’ll certainly be repurchasing another of these (often underrated) houseplants.
7. Fittonia
This is one of those ‘instagram loves to hate’ plants in that they can be very diva-ish at times. But if you get yourself a good, healthy specimen + pay close attention to it, it can be a very colourful + rewarding plant to grow. As with the nanouk, after a few years, the plant can get outgrown + lose it’s appeal, particularly in low-light conditions. But I’ve had this plant for 5+ years + it’s only just starting to look a little tired. It’s been a firm workdesk favourite of mine + in a well-lit position, it turned from an orangey tone to a deep coral! Up close the leaves are beautiful to study + even if it faints when you might forget to water it, it generally bounces back. These can be more resilient than you think — just don’t leave them dry out consistently.
Related Fittonia post:
8. Hoya carnosa tricolor
I’ve really been getting into Hoyas of late. I’ve still only got three, but I am certainly going to add to my collection if I have the space in my next place. I’ve found them to be so forgiving + their slow-growing nature suits small-space living well. This little carnosa tricolour has been with me since it was a baby plant with just a couple of leaves + it’s been very resilient in testing conditions. Most recently (yesterday) I was packing some boxes ready for moving + knocked the plant off it’s shelf… as you can see in the photo below, it lost half of its leaf! But other than that, it came away unscathed. This one has lovely pink variegation, which means it needs more light than the less variegated types, but I’m looking forward to seeing how this one develops over the next few years. As small plants, they are a good candidate for styling on a plant shelf too!
Related Hoya post:
9. Begonia Rex ‘Inca Fire’
This is another of my older plants + when I bought it, I was very unsure about the flamboyant coloration + partly got it to challenge myself as it was my first Begonia. But I’m happy to say that it is still alive + well, despite my occasional neglect. It’s a Begonia Rex ‘Inca Fire’ + has the most incredible iridescent leaves that can be hard to fully capture in a photo. One of those plants that you need to see in real life to appreciate. I’ve since got a few more Begonias in my plant gang + I think it opened up my appreciation to number 10…
10. Saxifraga stolonifera
Like Begonias, Saxifraga stolonifera is one of those plants that took me a while to ‘get‘. I just wasn’t fussed about plants with fuzzy leaves at all, though over time my tastes have shape-shifted somewhat — I love that aspect of growing plants, as there’s always something that seems interesting + new to me! This plant has been a slow grower + it’s one that started off in my care as a tiny cutting that I propagated. It only truly got my attention when it started producing bright pink rhubarb-coloured runners, on which grew the smallest of leaves. They hang down from the pot like delicate earrings + are far more fragile looking than say, a spider plant, which grows in a similar way when it produces plantlets. I had a few large plants at work that were absolutely gorgeous too + all the older plant lovers that visited would exclaim things like ‘oh my gosh I haven’t seen this plant for YEARS! We had one at home when I was growing up!’ If you like Begonias or African Violets I think you’ll enjoy a Saxifraga stolonifera. This one might be more a subtle pink as it’s mainly the backs of the leaves + the runners that are this colour, but I felt it deserved a spot at number ten on my list.
Saxifraga related posts:
- Propagating Saxifraga stolonifera
- Plant style: 5 houseplants I’ve grown to love (that I didn’t like last year)
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed seeing ten of my favourite pink plants today + that it’s offered some houseplant inspiration for you. I’ve also got a wish list of pink plants that I’d like to find over time to add to my collection, there’s a beautiful pink Aglaonema that’s next on my list… I’ll put that together for a future post! I love my green houseplants of course + the pink plants you’ve seen here are only a small portion of my plant collection, but it’s been nice to amalgamate them together in one post + celebrate them a little!
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