After the bright colors of your holiday décor have been packed away for another season, brighten your home with blooming plants and cut flowers. Blooming plants quickly bring color and warmth to a home during the cool months of the year.

Brilliant reds

Nature has produced an amazing amount of vibrant flowering plants in rich reds, perfect for adding a warm splash of color to any room. While cyclamen can be found with blooms of purple, dark pink and even white, it’s the red cyclamen that adds a dramatic color to homes during winter. With its heart-shaped leaves and candy-apple red blooms, the red cyclamen not only looks great but also produces a sweet aroma.

The crimson hue of the Gerbera daisy’s red flowers provides a cheerful pop of color amid the cooler tones of a winter backdrop. With its thick stems and sturdy blooms, the Gerbera daisy also makes a great cut flower, looking fresh and gorgeous in a crystal vase and often lasting more than a week.

Rich purples

From African violets to the purple leaves of the oxalis triangularis, potted plants can be a great way to bring rich purples into your home décor. African violets can be found in an array of purple shades, including deep amethyst, lavender and lovely two-toned varieties. African violets love temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so keep the blooming plant away from drafts. The oxalis triangularis bears white blooms but has shamrock-shaped purple leaves. Consider this unique plant as focal piece or the as the centerpiece for a special dinner table setting.

Related to the African violet, the gloxinia blooms in purple as well. When in bloom (it also blooms in reds and patterns), gloxinia bursts with deeply-colored, bell-shaped flowers. It’s an ideal addition to any home needing exciting color and texture, states Matt Kostelnick, U of I Extension horticulture educator.

Cheerful oranges and yellows

The Gerbera daisy also blooms in orange and yellow, making it a great choice for adding vibrant color to room. The kalanchoe (kalanchoe blossfeldiana), a flowering plant, can be found at your florist during mid-to late-winter. Its leaves are a dark green and you can find kalanchoe that bloom in orange and yellow as well as red, magenta, pink and white. The orange kalanchoe often looks stunning on a kitchen windowsill or the desk next to your computer. Typically, the kalanchoe begin flowering by January.