11 of the Best Plants for Your Bathroom

If you can have plants in the kitchen, bedroom, and balcony, why not in the bathroom? Contrary to what you may believe, there are a lot of plants that thrive in the moist and relatively dark environment of a bathroom.

Best Plants for Bathroom

They provide a host of benefits like clean, fragrant air for you to breathe in. The greenery also helps in reducing stress and keep you relaxed as you rejuvenate yourself in the shower.

Plants Good for the ‘Not So Ideal’ Conditions of Your Bathroom

8 Low-Light Plants for Bathroom

1. Air Plant

The rainforest plant does well in a highly humid environment that is low-moderately lit. Most bathrooms fit the bill. Not requiring any soil, the compact plants absorb moisture from the air to survive. The silvery varieties are more drought-resistant than the greener ones. Smaller versions of the plants can be placed in wall-mounted frames or open, hanging terrariums.

Basic Care Requirement: A basic rule of the thumb to follow is watering it once every 10 days. Tweak the rule depending on the conditions of your home. If it’s dry, water it every 7 days and do it every 12 days if it’s humid.

2. Lucky Bamboo

It doesn’t require any soil and is suited for any light setting, excepting direct sunlight. You can plant it in a pot of pebbles and filtered water. Feng Shui exponents would swear by the bamboo plant for infusing positive energy in the otherwise damp and dull bathroom environment. Though this plant can grow 7-8 feet outdoors, it typically stays within 3 feet when grown indoors. You can keep it from getting too tall by placing it under a shelf or similar obstacle.

Basic Care Requirement: Change the water weekly to keep mold growth in check. You can also trim it every few months to keep it in shape.

3. Spider Plant

This tropical easy-to-grow plant purifies the air of your bathroom, absorbs foul odor and keeps it fresh. It requires medium light. So place it on the bathroom window avoiding direct sunlight as it can burn its leaves.

Basic Care Requirement: Allow the top 1-inch of the soil to dry before watering the plant. The soil should be evenly wet but not soggy or the roots may rot. Use filtered water and not tap water as it contains fluorine that harms the plant. Grow it in soil that is well-drained. Since it loves growing in a smaller space, don’t use a pot that is bigger than the root ball.

4. English Ivy

You can place this plant in the bathroom and have a pleasant experience watching it scale the walls or the metal pipes of the bathtub as it grows. Another great idea would be to place it in a basket hanging from the ceiling and let the sunlight filter through its leaves. It requires moderate light and high humidity. It purifies the ambient air freeing it from bacteria and mold.

Basic Care Requirement: You should allow the soil surface to dry before watering it again. Ensure that the soil has good drainage as the ivy doesn’t like overly wet soil.

5. ZZ Plant

Also known as eternity plant, this one doesn’t like too much or too little sunlight. It does best in indirect light.

Basic Care Requirement: Water it sparingly when the top inch of the soil becomes dry. Do not overwater or the stem or rhizome may rot. Keep it in well-drained soil.

6. Peace Lily

The favorable conditions for peace lily are low light and damp soil. Its leaves purify the air keeping it fresh. It basks in the limited light and ample humidity of the bathroom. Keep the large plant in floor planters for an aesthetic appeal. If your bathroom is dark, you can place it on an East facing window where it gets the warmth of the morning sun but not any direct light.

Basic Care Requirement: Put it in indirect sunlight once a while for healthy growth. You need to water it moderately whenever the soil is dry. It can tolerate short periods of dry soil but not overwatering.

7. Pothos

Pothos grow as long vines and can get tall quickly. You can trim this tropical plant to a shorter length. It survives in low or bright indirect light and ample humidity. It has air purifying properties and can easily overcome a dry spell, poor lighting, and bad air circulation.

Basic Care Requirement: Allow the soil to dry between watering. It shouldn’t be left too wet for long periods or the plant may rot.

8. Snake Plant

Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, this air-purifying plant is easy to maintain. It prefers bright indirect light but can live in low light conditions as well. Any level of humidity is ideal for it.

Basic Care Requirement: If your bathroom is amply humid, you might never have to water this hardy plant. Otherwise, let the soil dry out a bit between waterings. Water only a little when the soil is dry; too much water may cause it to rot.

3 Plants That Will Do Well in Bathrooms With More Light

1. Aloe Vera

Aloe is a succulent plant that thrives in bright, indirect light. However, too much sunlight dries it up. Placing it close to a Western or Southern bathroom window is ideal. Its capacity to retain a lot of water lessens the need to water it often. The humidity of the bathroom is enough to keep it alive as it has moisture-absorbing properties.

Basic Care Requirement: You need to water the plant deeply only when the top two inches of the soil is dry. During winter, water it even less. Overwatering kills the plant.

2. Prayer Plant

This needs medium-bright indirect light and ample humidity. Too much sun can dry out its leaves. Its leaves won’t open all the way in the morning if it doesn’t get enough light. So you can watch out for this signal for its light needs. Since it branches out, it would look good in a hanging arrangement or on a shelf where there is enough room.

Basic Care Requirement: It should be watered before the surface level of the soil gets too dry. You should keep the well-drained soil evenly moist but not soggy. Slow down watering during the dormant winter months.

3. Jade Plant

The succulent plant needs bright indirect light and grows slowly. You can place it on the window sill.

Basic Care Requirement: Being a hardy succulent plant, its water requirement is minimal. You need to water it only when the leaves feel limp. Moisten the soil around the plant moderately without flooding the container.

Using hanging planters can help you save some space, and since all the above plants can grow in hanging arrangements, your options remain the same.

Can Dark Bathrooms with No Windows be Suitable for Keeping Plants

Windowless bathrooms are not ideal for plant growth, as we need to remember that all plants will need some light and air to survive. You can, however, install artificial full spectrum grow lights or overhead fluorescent lights to make your dark bathroom more habitable for greenery.

If your bathroom at least has a small window to provide some light and air circulation, you may go for the low-light plants. And if you are lucky enough to have a large window, you are free to choose plants that will need more light.

In case you don’t have the required space in your bathroom, you can use suction cup window shelves to display your greenery in full splendor.

Bathroom Plants on Suction Cup Window Shelves

If you want a nice fragrance in your bathroom, you can buy a bunch of freshly cut eucalyptus stems and hang them from the showerhead. The hot water from the shower activates and releases the fragrant essential oils from the plant that gives you an invigorating, aromatic bathing experience. You can also attach lavender, lemongrass and rosemary stems to your shower head to absorb foul odor.