Best Houseplants for a Bathroom
Living plants make spaces more enjoyable places for people, improve the decor and air quality and bring life to a space. And bathrooms can be good environments for plants, too. A bathroom is typically a warm, humid room that provides the perfect environment for plants, and water to irrigate the plants is always close at hand. But you still need to make your choices wisely. The bathroom environment is not perfect all the time, and not all plants are well suited for the conditions found in a bathroom.
Three factors—low light, high humidity, and temperature swings—need to be considered when choosing plants for a bathroom. Here are suggestions for plants that will do in average bathroom conditions.
Asparagus Fern: Airy, lacy asparagus fern loves the humidity of a bathroom. Warning: This plant is highly toxic—keep away from pets and small children.
Bamboo: Bamboo plants can get large, requiring repotting every year or so. The clumping varieties will need repotting less often than those that run.
Begonia: Many types of begonias grow well in containers, and they enjoy the warmth and humidity of a bathroom shelf.
Bromeliads: Bromeliads are unusual specimens, in that they readily produce long-lasting blooms in locations where most house plants do not blossom at all. These are ideally suited to bask in the humidity of a bathroom, but they also need good air circulation, which can be provided by running the bathroom exhaust fan Feed them with an orchid fertilizer.
Cast-Iron Plant: Called the cast-iron plant because it is so hard to kill, Aspidistra elatior makes for an excellent low-maintenance houseplant. It also does not require high humidity, making it good for guest bathrooms that aren't used often.
Chinese Evergreen: These large-leaved, tropical perennials will thrive even if you forget to water and feed it.
Croton: Croton plants need bright, but indirect light, and lots of humidity and moisture, although they do not like to sit in wet soil.
Dumb Cane: Rotate your dumb cane plant every month, so it grows evenly on all sides.
Ferns: Most can handle the temperature fluctuations in a bathroom, and they love the humidity. Some can even be grown right in a shower stall, where they are regularly soaked.
Gardenia: They can work well in the humid conditions of a bathroom, provided they get enough bright light.
Orchids: Many orchids are ideal for bathrooms that do not get too cold. Some species are planted in soil, while others are epiphytes (air plants) that absorb moisture from the air. Orchids can bloom for weeks, and since they are smallish plants, you can cluster several together for quite a show.
Peace Lily: Peace lilies are elegant plants that require minimal care. They do best with regular watering and appreciate the humidity in the bathroom.
Philodendron: Philodendrons are truly tropical plants that love bathroom conditions. If you water this plant too much or too little, the plant will let you know by dropping its leaves.
Pothos: These are almost indestructible plants. Note: All parts of this plant are poisonous if ingested.
Snake Plant: Snake plant is also known as mother-in-law's tongue. These are easy growing plants that make a nice alternative to hanging plants.
Spider Plant: Spider plants like growing in tight quarters, so do not use a container much larger than the root ball.