We adore using plants in the home — they look ah-MAZING and offer a loads of health benefits — but finding plants that will not only tolerate but like living in your bathroom can be tricky. Fear not! We’ve come up with a list of 10 plants that thrive in the bathroom.
Related article: Top 20 hard to kill indoor plants
Related article: Top 7 stylish bathroom accessories
1. Peace lily
A gorgeous, easy to care for plant, the Peace lily has glossy green leaves and produces a stunning tall-stemmed white flower. This beauty originates from the steamy tropics so will feel right at home in your bathroom. An added bonus is that it’s also great at helping to purify the air.
We don’t like to play favourites but the Peace lily is one of our personal plant heroes, because it actually shows you when it needs water by drooping its leaves. Check out more plant care tips here.
2. Devil’s ivy (aka Pothos)
Devil’s ivy will grow pretty much anywhere. And trust us when we say if we can keep one alive then anyone can! This trailing plant will grow best up high near light so a hanging planter or window sill is an ideal home for your Devil’s ivy.
And once you’ve got it thriving, you can try your hand at propagating with our easy step-by-step guide. You’ll have a tropical jungle in your bathroom in no time!
3. Aloe vera
Aloe vera is another excellent, easy to grow choice for plants that thrive in the bathroom.
As a notorious plant killer, Style Curator team member Dan (who recently sent another plant baby to plant heaven — whoopsie) has had great success growing Aloe vera in her main bathroom. So if she says it’s easy to keep alive… then it is!
Water sparingly, especially over winter. Aloe vera looks wonderful in a hanging planter, or in a small pot on the vanity.
4. Zanzibar gem (aka ZZ plant)
The Zanzibar gem, also known simply as ZZ plant, is one of the best plants for the bathroom as it tolerates very low light. This is great news if your bathroom is a little on the darker side and means you don’t need to place it near a window like other bathroom-loving plants.
This guy doesn’t need much water and is often said to be drought tolerant, which is perfect if you forget to water your plants (guilty as charged over here!).
5. Dumb cane (aka Dieffenbachia)
Loving life in a bright, indirect spot, Dumb cane is a tropical beauty who will enjoy living in your bathroom. Be sure to give this plant well-draining soil as too much water will cause root rot. It adores high humidity spaces making the bathroom its ideal home.
Also, interesting fact — Dumb cane gets its name because it has the potential to cause speaking and breathing difficulties if ingested. So while we’re sure you wouldn’t go for a taste of any of your house plants, definitely don’t snack on this one! It’s toxic to your furry friends too, so best to keep it up high.
6. Moth orchid (aka Phalaenopsis orchid)
The Moth orchid is not only stunning to look at, but adores the high humid climate in the bathroom. They tolerate quite low light areas and are super low-maintenance, producing gorgeous flowers for up to 3 months.
They appreciate their own special orchid soil mix, but apart from that, what’s not to love?!
7. Boston fern
Look… ferns can have the reputation for being pretty temperamental, BUT the good old Boston fern is a pretty laidback plant.
They look fab in a hanging pot, draping down in all their green glory, and don’t take a lot of effort to care for. Perfect for a humid bathroom, give this one a drink and its leaves a spritz of water every so often and it should love you back for years to come.
8. Mother-in-laws tongue (aka snake plant)
Known for it’s love of high-humidity, low-light conditions, the Mother-in-laws tongue plant is a great choice for your bathroom.
Keep in mind, they’re slow growing but are very hardy and require minimal maintenance (love that for us). They’re also known to help improve air quality.
9. Rubber plant
If you’re lucky enough to have a bathroom that gets bathed in light, perhaps your plant of choice could be the rubber plant. This beauty likes bright but indirect sunlight. This means, no sunlight beaming directly onto the leaves — otherwise it may become sunburned.
And if you need any more reasons to pop a rubber plant in your bathroom, just check out how gorgeous it looks in Anna’s bathroom here.
10. Spider plant
Spider plants are a terrific plant for the bathroom, especially if yours gets a fair amount of light. They thrive in bright light, but will happily live in low light too — they’re a versatile and forgiving plant (our favourite kind!).
Give them a moderately humid environment and they will love you for it.
Has our list of plants that thrive in the bathroom made you want to rush out and buy a newbie for your place?! Which one is your fave? Or maybe we’ve missed a bathroom loving plant you think we should add to the list. Tell us in the comment section below.
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Disclaimer: This article was first published in February 2021 and has been updated with new information and images.
