18 Of The Best Plants For Your Bathroom
Bathrooms, by design, can feel like very sterile places. Those glass, tiles, and bare surfaces are easy to clean but can look cold. If you want to warm the space without making it harder to wipe down those surfaces, there is an easy solution: plants! Adding a little greenery transforms a room from clinical to homey. They can also help with air quality, which can never hurt in a washroom. Not every plant will thrive in a bathroom's hot-cold environment, on-off humidity, and varying light levels, but if you pick the right variety, it will thrive. Here are the 18 best plants to add a little green to your bathroom:
Aloe Vera
Botanical Name: Aloe barbadensis miller
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Sandy, Loamy, Well-drained
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (6.0)
This plant is known as the "plant of immortality" because it's nearly impossible to kill, which makes it ideal for people who love plants but don't have time for careful tending. Plus, the aloe needs such little water that the bathroom humidity alone may meet most of its water needs.
Lucky Bamboo
Botanical Name: Dracaena sanderiana
Sun Exposure: Partial, Shade
Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (6.0-6.5)
This fast-growing plant needs very little light, making it ideal for bathrooms with small windows. It also doesn't need any soil. Just put the stalks into a container filled with pebbles and water—changing the water every two to four weeks—and let it grow.
Air Plant
Botanical Name: Tillandsia
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: None
Soil pH: None
As their name implies, these magic-seeming plants don't need soil to survive. Instead, they pull the water they need from humidity, meaning you can keep them right next to the shower. They need lots of bright, indirect light to thrive, but otherwise, this industrious tillandsia will take care of itself.
Snake Plant
Botanical Name: Dracaena trifasciata
Sun Exposure: Partial, Shade
Soil Type: Sandy, Well-drained
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (5.5-7.0)
While some people may find the name unsettling, these adaptable plants can flourish in various heat and water levels, adding a refreshing pop of green to any room. These plants are excellent air filters, making them ideal for bathrooms.
Bird's Nest Fern
Botanical Name: Asplenium nidus
Sun Exposure: Partial, Shade
Soil Type: Loamy, Moist, Well-drained
Soil pH: Acidic (5.0-6.0)
This lush plant brings a bit of the tropics to any bathroom. They love low to medium light and do well with a bit of extra humidity, making them an excellent choice for a bathroom with a window.
Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (6.1-6.9)
These ubiquitous plants have gorgeous cascading vines that can brighten any space. They are versatile growers that can thrive in various environments, including low-light areas and downright neglect. Pothos love humidity, making them an excellent choice for a washroom.
Peace Lily
Botanical Name: Spathiphyllum spp.
Sun Exposure: Partial
Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained
Soil pH: Acidic (5.0-6.5)
This plant is one of the most beautiful, air-purifying houseplants, with its white bloom surrounded by deep green leaves. They do well in low, indirect light and can grow into substantial shrubs that would quickly fill a corner in a larger bathroom. When its leaves droop, water it, but otherwise, leave it be.
Philodendron
Botanical Name: Philodendron spp.
Sun Exposure: Partial
Soil Type: Well-drained, Rich
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (5.0-6.0)
This plant is known for its heart-shaped leaves and trailing vines. It looks like miniature plants sprout trailing vines that extend for feet, making them ideal for trailing down a wall from a bathroom window sill. They need moderate to low light and water just twice a month.
Cast Iron Plant
Botanical Name: Philodendron spp.
Sun Exposure: Partial, Shade
Soil Type: Well-drained
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (5.5-6.5)
You know we love our cast iron, and this love extends to these hardy plants. These tough little greens can survive in low light and tolerate infrequent watering and extreme heat. That said, they do best in low to moderate light with regular watering with a bit of time to dry out before re-watering. Honestly, we have skillets that need more attention!
Begonia
Botanical Name: Begonia
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Well-drained
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (5.5-6.5)
While begonias are beautiful additions to a deck or patio, they need to move indoors for winter, and there is no better spot than the bathroom. They can live there year-round because they love humidity and bright, indirect light. Plus, begonias do well in fluorescent light, making them ideal for bathrooms without windows.
Orchid
Botanical Name: Orchidaceae
Sun Exposure: Partial
Soil Type: Well-drained
Soil pH: Acidic (5.5-6.0)
While orchids are notoriously fussy blooms, bathrooms give them the moist air and indirect light they need to flourish. They do particularly well in bathrooms with a window as the light can encourage blooming and if you're lucky, reblooming.
Split-Leaf Philodendron
Botanical Name: Monstera deliciosa
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained, Rich
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (5.5-7.0)
Generally pest-free, these plants are relatively low maintenance, making them great additions to your washroom. Native to tropical environments, the "Swiss Cheese" plant will thrive in the humidity created in a bathroom. Watering is only necessary every one to two weeks.
Elephant Bush
Botanical Name: Portulacaria afra
Sun Exposure: Partial
Soil Type: Well-drained, Sandy
Soil pH: Acidic (4.0-6.5)
This plant is beautiful because of its foliage resembling jade and small pink flowers blooming in clusters. Native to Africa, this plant thrives in sunny locations and is simple to care for because it does not require watering during its dormancy in winter.
Majesty Palm
Botanical Name: Ravenea rivularis
Sun Exposure: Partial
Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist
Soil pH: Acidic (5.0-6.0)
Consider this palm if you need to fill ample space in your powder room, as it will spread wide and tall. Used in landscaping for tropical regions, this plant is accustomed to humidity and will thrive near the shower. If your bathroom is very sunny, this might not be the plant for you as it will overgrow to fill the space. A proper balance of water, fertilization, and sun is needed.
Maidenhair Fern
Botanical Name: Adiantum raddianum
Sun Exposure: Partial, Shade
Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist, Loamy
Soil pH: Neutral to Alkaline (7.0-8.0)
The leaves on these delicate fan-shaped ferns will complement any powder room decor since it can take up to three years for this hardy fern to mature. These plants are great for smaller washrooms as they prefer steamy conditions with ample moisture.
Walking Iris
Botanical Name: Neomarica northiana
Sun Exposure: Partial, Shade
Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist, Clay, Sandy
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (6.5-6.8)
This iris variety blooms in late winter or early spring. Despite having a short bloom time, sometimes only one day, the petals of this flower have beautifully intricate detailing as they curl around their horizontal counterparts. They fair well in a range of soil and light conditions.
Calathea Rattlesnake
Botanical Name: Goeppertia insignis
Sun Exposure: Partial
Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (6.5-7.0)
This evergreen perennial plant love humidity, so it is an excellent choice for a washroom or place near a shower. The heavily marked leaves will add an exciting design and pop of color to your space. You'll know you need to water this plant when the top of the soil is dry.
Croton
Botanical Name: Codiaeum variegatum
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained, Rich, Organic
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (4.5-6.5)
Croton is ideal for a bathroom environment because it insists on humidity and high temperatures to survive. If the temperatures drop too low, this plant will lose its leaves. Protect this air-purifying plant from drafty windows and ensure it receives enough sunlight.
