When looking at livening up a space, house plants are always an inexpensive go-to for many. That’s because bringing in all those beautiful bold colors really bring a breath of fresh air – both figuratively and literally!
However, there’s one room of the house that is a little tricky for plants: the bathroom.
Between the extra humidity, the usual lack of natural light, and fluctuating temperatures, it’s not the ideal environment for many plants.
Luckily, there are house plants that not only tolerate, but thrive, in the typical bathroom environment. You just need to know which ones to get! Below are some of the best indoor plants to liven up your bathroom.
English Ivy
If you’ve ever had English ivy try to take over your yard, trees, and even house, you know that this stuff is extremely resilient and will grow pretty much anywhere. It prefers medium light and humidity, but again, it’s not all that picky!
This plant brings whimsical, countryside charm in droves! As a potted indoor plant, it looks stunning hanging in a basket for that vining effect. It will add plenty of visual interest to a small bathroom space, without even needing to take up counter space.
Prayer Plant
The Maranta leuconeura, also known as a prayer plant, are native to the tropical Americas – in particular, they come from Brazilian tropical forests. That’s how you know they will absolutely love the humidity of a bathroom!
These luscious plants will definitely bring a tropical vibe to your bathroom. Just make sure that your prayer plant gets at least some moderate indirect light. Its leaves fold together at night and unfold again in the morning, which I’ve always found really neat!
Pothos
Pothos are the perfect indoor plants to add to bathroom because they grow quickly and love to trail and hang. You’ll find that they’re pretty resilient and tough, surviving in low to moderate indirect light, which means that even those with a black thumb can keep these alive!
As for humidity, the many varieties of pothos love it. In fact, the tips of its leaves will turn brown if the air is too dry!
Zebrina Plant
Not all foliage is green, and the zebrina plant will add stunning shades of purple to your space. Like English ivy, his trailing plant looks amazing in a hanging pot. That frees up extra counter or shelf space, while adding plenty of visual interest.
In nature, Tradescantia zebrina is native to Mexico Central America, and Colombia, but you can also find it in the Caribbean. You’ll find this plant growing in wetlands and rainforests, so you can imagine that it likes humidity just fine. All the higher humidity levels commonly found in bathrooms will certainly keep it happy and thriving.
Snake Plant
I’ve never met a person who managed to kill a snake plant, because these interesting beauties actually thrive on neglect and very little water. These are the best indoor plants for anyone who has a hard time remembering to take care of plants.
As for hanging around a bathroom, the snake plant does well because it doesn’t need much! It can tolerate low light, but it will grow faster in a bright spot, like a window sill.
Air Plant
I’m fascinated by air plants. There’s no dirt! That means you can get extra creative with them. There are so many unique holders and hangers for these little guys.
Even though they don’t need soil, they do still need water, but how do they get it? Air plants will get their moisture by just soaking up the humidity right from the air, so you likely won’t need to water them much at all. If they do get a little dry, just give them a good soak once in a while. These tiny air purifying plants will be happiest in a spot with bright but indirect light.
Lucky Bamboo
First of all, lucky bamboo is just a name. This stuff may look like bamboo, but it’s actually Dracaena sanderiana, a species in the Asparagaceae family.
Lucky bamboo will tolerate just about anything. Anything. I have one that I once forgot to water for a few months, and that plant didn’t care one bit. It was still happy as a clam. And, it will grow with just water – no soil needed. Lucky bamboo does best with bright light, but again, it tolerates just about anything. Lower light levels will keep lucky bamboo satisfied, it just won’t grow much.
Gardenia
Although gardenias are used in certain regions as shrubbery in outdoor landscaping, they can also be kept indoors as a house plant. When these plants thrive, they bloom with white flowers that have the most amazing smell.
These tropical beauties do great in the humidity of a bathroom. Make sure to sit it in a bright spot, like on a window sill that gets a lot of morning sun. They need to get at least half a day of direct sun if you want them to bloom.
Bird’s Nest Fern
I love the interesting, crinkly texture of the bird’s nest fern. They certainly bring a lush, tropical vibe to a room.
This plant loves the extra moisture of a bathroom. That’s because in the wild, it grows in several tropical locations, such as southeastern Asia, east Africa, and Polynesia. And if your bathroom doesn’t get much natural light, that’s just fine with the bird’s nest fern. It thrives on moderate, indirect light, so it’s pretty easy to keep alive, even in a dim bathroom.
Spider Plant
A spider plant is another great no-fuss option that can be pretty easy to keep happy. And for anyone who loves a plant that keeps giving, mature spider plants are notorious for giving you tons of babies to propagate!
They will tolerate any level of indirect light, from low to bright. However, direct sun can scorch the leaves, which makes them an even better option for bathrooms, which are notoriously low on light! They are native to tropical areas in Africa, so they certainly don’t mind the humid bathroom air.
Chinese Evergreen
If you’re looking to add a pop of color to your bathroom, look no further than the Chinese Evergreen. Most varieties feature green leaves patterned with silver, and if it gets enough light, will also bloom with unique, white flowers.
They are often deemed perfect for beginners and busy folks, because they are easy to care for. It will love the humidity, and is hearty enough that it will survive if you accidentally forget to water it sometimes. They prefer to grow in bright spots,, but they can also tolerate low, indirect light.
Pilea Peperomioides
I love these fun little plants. Sometimes called a Chinese money plant, a UFO plant, or a pancake plant, they will add a cute splash of green in your bathroom, without adding a lot of extra responsibility. They are easy to care for, as long as you have enough light in your bathroom. Too little light will cause this plant to get leggy.
This plant does just fine with average household temperature and humidity, but it thrives in tropical environments, which makes it a great candidate for the bathroom.
Rattlesnake Plant
The calathea lancifolia, also called the rattlesnake plant, is certainly a stunning plant. It will add plenty of interesting color to liven up your bathroom space. The purple undersides and heavy blotches almost make it look like a work of art. As an added bonus, its leaves fold together at night and unfold again in the morning, just like its relative, the prayer plant.
The rattlesnake plant prefers moist soil and moderate to a more humid environment, so it’s an excellent choice for the bathroom. It favors a medium amount of indirect sunlight.
Majesty Palm
A majesty palm would love to move into your bathroom, provided you have enough space! These large plants will really liven up the room, and add a cool, tropical vibe. They are also known for being relatively easy to care for, as long as you can remember to keep them watered.
These plants hate being dried out. That’s because they grow naturally in humid habitats on the edges of riverbanks or in shallow swamps. Provided they get enough light, they will flourish in a bathroom’s humidity. In fact, they could probably stand an occasional misting, too!
Aloe Vera
Aloe plants are notoriously easy to care for, and sometimes it feels like they prefer to be completely ignored. In the wild, they grow in tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates, so as you can imagine, they do just fine with bathroom humidity.
I have a lot of aloe plants all over my house, but the one sitting in my bathroom window is doing so well! That’s because it has access to plenty of light in there, and I otherwise just leave it alone. Aloe vera does best with bright light, but it is also fine with indirect light, too.
