Light is an important environmental factor that affects plant growth and development. Flowering is the most important event in higher plants. Plants perceive accurately changes in the surrounding light environments by photoreceptors, thus activating a series of signaling transduction processes and initiating flowering. Here, we summarized the current understanding of the structural characteristics and physiological functions of various photoreceptors in higher plants. We reviewed the molecular mechanisms of phytochromes, cryptochromes, and FKF1/ZTL/LKP2 in mediating signaling transduction and flowering time, including transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of CO and FT. Finally, we described the advances in photoreceptor-mediated-integration of light, temperature, and gibberellin signals in regulating flowering. Future directions in this area were also proposed.