10 Best Houseplants for Your Bathroom

One of the easiest ways to elevate your space is with greenery. Houseplants are a wonderful accent piece that is not only beautiful but can also bring life into your home. Plants actually add more oxygen to the air in your house, which is a great way to create vibrant energy in your surroundings. But one area of the house that sometimes does not get as much live energy as others is the bathroom. It can be hard to keep a live plant alive if you do not have a window for sunlight. Bathrooms also have varying temperatures. This is why strong and low-maintenance plants are needed for bathroom settings. To give some advice on bathroom foliage, a few experts weigh in on the topics. One general rule suggested is to find plants that thrive in a warm environment, which is characteristic of bathrooms. “Think of the plant’s native environment: Pick plants that call tropical places home,” says Erin Marino, director of marketing at The Sill. Check out these 10 best houseplants for your bathroom.

Bird’s Nest Fern

The bird’s nest fern will help you add some nature to your bathroom. “Native to areas of Southeast Asia and Polynesia, the bird’s nest fern loves the extra moisture a bathroom can provide,” Marino says. “Its large wavy leaves can create instant jungle vibes in any space.” The bird’s nest fern is supposedly one of the easiest ferns to keep thriving inside.

Pothos

Pothos is a great option for indoor, bathroom plants because it does well in low, indirect light.

“Although pothos doesn’t necessarily need the extra humidity, it’s a great pick for a bathroom because it’s tolerant of lower light levels and irregular watering,” Marino says. “Also it’s a super quick grower that loves to hang and trail — it’s perfect for hanging off your shower curtain rod.”

Tillandsia or Air Plant

What better plant to use in the bathroom than one that can soak up the humidity of your shower? These plants do just that, and also don’t need planters, which lets you be more creative with placement. “Instead of using roots to absorb water and nutrients, air plants absorb both from the air,” Marino says. “They will tolerate a wide range of conditions but are happiest in a spot with bright, indirect light and high humidity. If you have a bathroom with a big sunny window, then these fellas are for you.”

Aloe Vera

A perfect bathroom plant is one that can also contribute to your beauty, which is the aloe vera. “The gooey insides of the Aloe plant’s leaves can be used to help soothe skin, heal minor burns, reduce itch, and more. “Simply slice off a mature leaf at the base of the plant, squeeze out the interior ‘gel’, and apply directly to your skin,” Marino says. These plants like a little more sunlight than others, so aloe vera is best for a bathroom with a view.

Staghorn Fern

This plant also loves humidity, and thrives in indirect sunlight. “We can envision it potted on your bathroom’s windowsill or even mounted on a piece of wood and hung on the bathroom wall,” says Marino. They look great on wood mounting, since they do not need dirt.

Calathea “Freddie”

This plant is also great for humidity, in which it thrives, as well as in indirect light. “The calathea ‘Freddie’ is one of our favorites because it’s more tolerant of low light than other varieties,” Marino says.

Chinese Evergreen

Chinese Evergreen is a wonderful bathroom plant, because it can live even if you have to travel or forget to water it for a while. It loves low, indirect light, but not drastic temperature changes.

Gardenia

This plant is tropical, so the humid bathroom is perfect weather. “Gardenias are a beautiful plant that needs a little bit more sun to thrive and flower,” says Joyce Mast, the “Plant Mom” from Bloomscape. “If you have a window in your bathroom that gets at least four hours of sun, for example, south or west-facing, this would be a perfect spot to add a gardenia.”

Snake Plant

Snake plants can live through anything it seems, which makes them great bathroom plants. It can thrive in low light if necessary. “Snake plants need very little water and thrive on neglect, so they are a perfect addition for someone who is new to plants or needs a plant that doesn’t mind being forgotten from time to time,” Mast says.

Spider Plant

The spider plant is also a low-maintenance option. They prefer low light or bright, but not full sun. They can also yield more plants by propagating, so they are a cost-effective option.