Plants & Flowers That Grow Under Lights

Fruits And Vegetables

• Give them adequate light and the vast majority of fruits and vegetables will grow, flower and fruit indoors. Select small fruits that are easily manageable such as strawberries, or choose fruit trees that are bred for container culture for the best results. There is a wide variety of temperate and tropical fruit that will do quite well in a container. Growing vegetables indoors under lights is ideal for people who do not have a yard or who wish to grow their own vegetables year-round. Most varieties of vegetables, including tomatoes, are suitable for growing under lights.

Herbs

• Most herbs are grown strictly for their foliage, however they will flower and many of the flowers are edible. Some herbs, such as lavender, are grown for their flowers instead of their foliage. Herbs are easy to grow under lights, making them ideal for people who are new to gardening indoors. Most are fairly small, especially if you keep them trimmed, so they are ideal for growing on a countertop or even on a windowsill; just be sure to provide additional light so the plants stems don't become weak and flop over.

Foliage Plants

• Foliage plants are grown mainly for their unusual, colorful or unique foliage, but they can also flower if they receive adequate light and their other needs are met. The flowers are usually inconspicuous and you may not notice them unless you are looking for them. Some foliage plants flower frequently and others take many years before they ever bloom. High-intensity indoor lights often cause the foliage to show colors you might not see otherwise.

Flowering Plants

• Flowering plants, such as orchids, have long had a place indoors under lights, however it is possible to grow almost any flowering plant indoors. Perennials, which are plants that come back from their own root system year after year, may die off indoors after a while due to a lack of cold temperatures to induce dormancy. Annuals, which grow, flower, set seed and die in one growing season, do quite well indoors, but again will eventually die back. Tropical plants are the best flowering plants to grow indoors under lights because they like warm temperatures and often flower year-round.