15 Perfect Indoor Plants for the Bathroom Humidity
While sprucing up our indoor spaces with plants, we often overlook bathrooms. But their high humidity level is perfect for many leafy buddies. In this article, I will explore 15 perfect indoor plants for the bathroom, that’ll transform this often-neglected space into a lush, spa-like retreat.
Quick Summary
- Bathroom plants can transform an often-overlooked space into a lush, spa-like retreat while adding natural beauty.
- Plants that thrive in low light and high humidity, such as ferns, succulents, flowering perennials, and vines, are ideal choices.
- Popular options include Snake Plants, Boston Ferns, Peace Lilies, Spider Plants, Aloe Vera, and Lucky Bamboo, each offering different sizes and care requirements.
- When choosing bathroom plants, consider the available space, natural light, humidity, temperature, and ventilation to ensure they thrive.
What Type of Plants Are Best for the Bathroom?
Indoor plants that thrive in low light and high humidity are ideal choice for bathrooms, such as
flowering perennials,
succulents,
ferns,
shrubs, and
vines.
If you have a small bathroom, go for smaller variants or prune monthly to keep them in shape.
Advantages of Keeping Plants in the Bathroom
Beauty isn't the only thing bathroom plants offer! They purify air, absorb extra humidity, prevent mold, boost physical and mental health, and create a refreshing atmosphere even when you're in their doing your business.
Best Indoor Plants for Bathrooms
1. Cast-Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)
Size: 2 to 3 feet tall.
Most suited for: Guest bathrooms that aren’t used often.
Starting with an indestructible houseplant. The Cast-Iron Plant is a beautiful flowering plant that is known for its resilient and adaptive nature. This plant can handle dry spells like a champ and only needs water when the soil is completely dry.
Plus, it thrives in low light and around 40% humidity, making it an ideal pick for guest bathrooms with typical dry conditions.
2. Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata)
Size: Up to 4 feet.
Most suited for: Small bathrooms.
If you’re looking for a low-maintenance bathroom plant, the Snake Plant won’t disappoint you. Also known as the mother-in-law's tongue, this hardy succulent thrives with 2-6 hours of daily sunlight but can also handle low light. Water it every 1 to 2 weeks in summer, less in winter. It does well in 30-50% humidity, which small bathrooms can provide easily.
3. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
Size: 2 to 3 feet tall.
Most suited for: Damp bathrooms that get indirect sunlight.
The Boston Fern is admired for its elegant, lush fronds and air-purifying qualities. It’s also known as the Sword Fern thanks to its sword-like feathery fronds. This lovely fern is easy to care for, needing water a few times a week in spring and summer, and less often in winter. It also likes indirect light and thrives in 80% humidity, making it perfect for damp bathrooms.
4. Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)
Size: 3-6 feet tall indoors.
Most suited for: Sunny bathrooms.
People don't usually consider broadleaf evergreens when looking for the best plants for a bathroom, but this one is perfect. Also called the Benjamin fig or ficus tree, the Weeping fig thrives in bathrooms with high humidity levels, around 50 to 70%. It needs lots of bright indirect sunlight and a little morning sun, so a sunny bathroom is a good place for it. And, just mist it once or twice a week to keep it healthy.
5. Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)
Size: 1-2 feet.
Most suited for: Bathrooms with plenty of indirect sunlight.
This famous succulent not only adds beauty to your bathroom but helps with skin issues like sunburn and dryness, improves air quality, and eases digestive problems. It’s quite easy to grow too. Just water every 2-3 weeks and keep it by a bathroom window where it can get 6-8 hours of indirect or filtered sunlight. It prefers low to moderate humidity, but it can handle high humidity too.
6. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Size: About 2 feet.
Most suited for: Small, poorly ventilated bathrooms.
If you share your bathroom with your pets, this nontoxic perennial will be perfect for you. This is also a good choice if you're new to taking care of plants. It thrives in bright, indirect light and needs watering only when the soil is dry.
And, It grows best in humidity levels between 50% and 60%. Its small size and dislike for drafts make it perfect for a small, poorly ventilated-bathroom. Plus, its arched leaves add style to your bathroom.
7. Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
Size: 1-3 feet.
Most suited for: Small windowed powder rooms.
Bring good luck and more positive vibes to your bathroom with this bamboo look-alike. You don't have to worry about soil for this bathroom plant. Just put it in a vase with 5 cm of water and change the water every two weeks. It thrives in 50-60% humidity. It likes high to moderate indirect light but can also survive in low light, so it's great for dimly lit powder rooms. Here are some more houseplants that love low light conditions.
8. Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)
Size: 4 -10 feet.
Most suited for: Guest bathrooms.
Wow your guests with this leafy perennial. Heartleaf Philodendron’s heart-shaped dark green leaves are sure to leave a lasting impression. You don't even have to think about this bathroom plant much. Just water it every 1-2 weeks, keep the humidity between 40-60%, and give it some low to bright indirect light. These make it great for guest bathrooms that aren't used often.
9. Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides)
Size: Up to 12 inches.
Most suited for: Steamy, well-lit bathrooms.
Famously known as the UFO plant and pancake plant, this flowering plant is the best plant for bathrooms that get lots of indirect light. Its shiny, dark green, round leaves will make your bathroom look beautiful, no doubt.
Just give it a good drink of water every week, but make sure the soil dries out completely between waterings. And keep the humidity between 50-75%.
Chinese Money Plants’ small size makes them ideal for shelves, or you can hang these plants in the bath area.
10. Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus)
Size: 1-2 feet.
Most suited for: Frequently used family bathrooms.
How about some plants for the shower area? You can put this tropical fern near your shower because it likes more than 50% humidity, making it one of the best shower plants for family bathrooms. Just remember to make a hole in the pot for drainage, and you're all set! It also loves indirect light and should be watered every one to two weeks.
11. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum spp.)
Size: 1-4 feet tall indoors.
Most suited for: Bathrooms with low light.
If you're looking for the absolute best plants for a bathroom, this herbaceous perennial with lovely white flowers will steal your heart. But it's not just pretty; it prevents mildew and removes mold spores, making it great for humid, bright indirect light bathrooms. It's also easy to care for. Just water it once a week and maintain 50-60% humidity.
Explore other air purifying houseplants.
12. Delta Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum raddianum)
Size: 1-2 feet.
Most suited for: Steamy bathrooms.
Want to add some plants in the bath area, get this elegant beauty. The Delta Maidenhair Fern is well-known for its vivid fronds and many health benefits. It thrives in low light and needs misting every days. However, in a steamy bathroom, it can go without misting for days. Plus, it's happiest when the humidity is above 60%.
13. Watermelon Peperomia (Peperomia argyreia)
Size: 6 to 12 inches.
Most suited for: Tiny bathrooms that get some sunlight.
If you’re looking for tiny plants for the bathroom, this tropical evergreen shrub will surely please you. Its name comes from its lovely green oval-shaped leaves that have eye-catching silver streaks, similar to a watermelon's skin.
Despite its small size, Watermelon Peperomia is tough and can handle dry spells and low light. But it grows well with indirect sunlight and humidity levels above 50%. Plus it only requires watering every 1 to 2 weeks.
14. Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia spp.)
Size: 3 to 5 feet.
Most suited for: Large bathrooms without any cold drafts.
This tropical perennial is special among shower plants because it has unique dark green leaves with silver and creamy white spots. These pretty leaves can also soak up CO2 from your bathroom.
This leafy plant needs watering weekly and prefers bright, indirect light, but it can also handle low light. It also thrives in 60% humidity. Dieffenbachia grows fast and needs lots of space, so it's best for big bathrooms. However, it doesn't like cold drafts, so avoid putting it near air vents.
15. Air Plant (Tillandsia spp.)
Size: 2 inches to 7 feet.
Most suited for: Bathrooms with good air ventilation.
Surely this list wouldn't be complete without including the Air plant. This unique plant can grow without soil—just glue its roots to stones, shells, or wood. And, it needs only a few hours of indirect sunlight daily and a weekly 30-minute soak in water to grow. But don’t forget to shake off excess water.
It also likes 40-60% humidity and good airflow, making it perfect for well-ventilated bathrooms.
How to Select Plants for Your Bathroom
When picking plants for the bathroom, consider your bathroom's features: size, shape, temperature, light, and humidity level.
Some, like the family bathroom, are always humid, while others, like guest bathrooms, can be dry and dim. So, choose plants that match your bathroom's conditions.
Conclusion
Don't underestimate your bathroom's potential for indoor plants. These humidity-loving options prove that greenery can thrive there, all while improvng both aesthetics and your well-being.
