These Indoor Plants from the Amazon Jungle are enough to turn your home into a beautiful work of living tropical art filled with pretty colors!
Looking to build an indoor rainforest? The mighty Amazon jungle, home to over 80,000 plant species, offers a treasure trove of flora perfect for your home. We’ve handpicked a selection that doubles as houseplants with exquisite blooms and glossy tropical foliage!
Indoor Plants from the Amazon
1. Passion Flower
Botanical Name: Passiflora spp.
USDA Zones: 7-10
Passion flowers stand out with their complex, delicate white, purple, yellow and red blooms. Using tendrils to climb larger rainforest flora, passiflora vines thrive in dappled shade and are found in the understory and lower canopy layers of tropical forests.
When grown as houseplants, they will need frequent pruning. To manage their growth, you could also train them around wire supports. Place the pot in a spot that gets as much sunlight as possible, and keep the soil dry between watering spells.
2. Orchids
Botanical Name: Orchidaceae
USDA Zones: 5-11
There are over 25,000 species of orchids, nearly 10,000 of which can be found in tropical jungles and rainforests, some of the common ones from Amazon are Cattleya and Oncidium.
When grown indoors, orchids thrive in an east—or south-facing window. However, they must be grown in a lightweight, airy growing medium instead of regular potting soil. Here’s more about indoor orchid care.
3. Bromeliads
Botanical Name: Bromeliaceae
USDA Zones: 10-11
Bromeliads are among the most fascinating plants in the Amazon jungles! They have stunning, sword-shaped leaves with flowers in bright colors like orange, blue, red, and purple and grow on branches and trunks of trees beneath the thick forest canopies.
Their leaves can hold up to two gallons of water. When grown as houseplants, they need a minimum of 50% humidity, and the ideal temperature range is 60-90 F (15-32 C).
4. Christmas Cactus
Botanical Name: Schlumbergera truncata
USDA Zones: 10-12
One more tropical plant from South America’s rainforests! It grows on trees in the wild, so it doesn’t need heavy soil and blooms with colorful flowers around December.
The best part is the segmented, flat green stems that make it stand out even when it’s not flowering.
To grow one indoors, place it in bright but indirect light, like near a window with a sheer curtain. Use a light, well-draining soil mix—something like a cactus mix with a bit of extra compost. Here’s why you should grow your own!
5. Zebra Plant
Botanical Name: Aphelandra squarrosa
USDA Zones: 10-12
The Zebra plant is a loveliness from the Amazon, known for its dark green leaves with bold white stripes. It’s a little showy and can sometimes grow yellow flower bracts. When young, it’s a smaller plant that fits nicely on shelves or countertops indoors.
Naturally, it likes warm, humid conditions, so misting or placing it near a humidifier works well. Water it when the top layer of soil feels dry, but don’t let the pot sit in water.
6. Pitcher Plant
Botanical Name: Nepenthes spp.
USDA Zones: 10-11
These carnivorous plants are tricky to grow indoors, but when you manage to, they add great intrigue and character to your home. Pitcher plants need high humidity and bright, indirect light, and throw in a few insects now and then for a juicy treat—just kidding!
Its pitcher-shaped colorful blooms contain digestive enzymes that can quickly gobble up pests like wasps, flies, bugs, and even frogs. For the potting medium, you will need an aroid or orchid potting mix that is moist yet well-draining.
7. Monkey Brush Vine
Botanical Name: Combretum rotundifolium
USDA Zones: 9-11
Native to the Amazon rainforest, this striking vine is parasitic and grows on other plants and trees in its natural habitat. Its unique spiky flowers in yellow and orange resemble a bright flaming brush. Pollinators like bees, insects, and birds rely on its flowers and fruits.
The monkey brush vine needs full sun exposure and well-draining soil, as it is prone to root rot. Reduce watering during the winter months and prune it regularly for bushier growth and prolific flowering.
8. Lobster Claw
Botanical Name: Heliconia spp.
USDA Zones: 10-13
Heliconias have paddle-shaped leaves in vibrant colors such as pink, red, orange, yellow, and a combination of these shades. Hummingbirds are one of the primary pollinators for the Lobster claw and often nest in the clump of these plants.
Grown as an ornamental plant, these plants grow up to 15 feet. However, only a few species are suited for growing indoors. Pick a dwarf variety like the parrot heliconia and plant it near a south- or west-facing window. It tops out at 2-3 feet in height at maturity.
9. Acai Palm
Botanical Name: Euterpe oleracea
USDA Zones: 9-11
The acai palm grows abundantly in the Amazon rainforest, scaling up to 65 feet. The berries feed a wide range of animals in the jungle, including parrots, monkeys, and toucans.
While harvesting the core of the palm is common, it is an unsustainable practice that is ruining forests. When growing acai indoors, get a dwarf specimen and keep temperatures above 70 F (21 C). With adequate care, your palm may blossom within 3-5 years!
10. Anthurium
Botanical Name: Anthurium spp.
USDA Zones: 10-12
Anthuriums are also native to the rainforests of Central and South America, including the Amazon. They are known for their glossy green leaves and vibrant “flowers,” which are actually colored leaf bracts that come in shades of red, pink, white, or purple.
Anthurium plants thrive in warm, humid conditions, making them great for indoor growing with a little extra care. They prefer a loose, well-draining potting mix rich in organic material, and they aren’t too fussy about other things.
So, which one of these tropical beauties are you planning to grow next? Let us know in the comments below!
