15 bathroom plants – these love moisture!

bathroom plants houseplants

Here’s a list of 15 excellent plants that will thrive in your bathroom. This room in the house usually gets high moisture and warm/cold temperature swings. Most plants don’t like it, but these winners will simply love making your bathroom feel like a lush green waterfall oasis!

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1. Zamioculcas zamifolia

Zamioculcas leaf unfurling in a bathroom setting.Famous for its leaf structure that goes well with interior designs, this plant is also known as ZZ, eternity plant or even plant of steel or emerald palm. A plant referred to as immortal and being compared to superman is a lot! The reason behind this is surely because it survives for a long time and is hard to kill. It goes without saying that this is the perfect plant for those who tend to forget watering.

Zamioculcas needs moisture around the plant – thus, the bathroom is its perfect location! Place it besides a window where it doesn’t get direct sunlight and as far away as possible from radiators.

2. Snake plant

Snakeplant on a ledge near a bathroomOther names of this plant include Sansevieria and “mother-in-law’s tongue“. We’ll let your creativity find the reasons why it’s called the latter 😊. Surprisingly, it’s a member of the Dracaena family and named after Sanseviero, an Italian village. Having leaves that are tall, pointed and variegated makes it one of the most bought plant to add style in our homes.

Moreover, experiments proved it can filter impurities in the air that come from toilet paper and cleaning agents. It only requires a little effort from its owner. It can tolerate light shade and isn’t a fan of direct sunlight. With this you might think it hates heat generators like radiators but not at all. Water it only when soil has dried out.

3. Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboo is often found in bathroomsIt is also called Dracaena Sanderiana. Its name lucky bamboo doesn’t guarantee that it’s a bamboo by nature and is not a bamboo at all. Although famous within Chinese tradition (and other Asian countries) and believed to be a bringer of luck, it originates from Africa.

It doesn’t need a very luminous location nor does it need soil. A vase with pebbles and water and it’s good to go! You just need to change water once or twice a month. This plant will surely give an exotic Asian touch to your bathroom.

4. Spider plant

Lush backlit Chlorophytum plant in a bathroomAlso known as Chlorophytum and native to Africa, this plant likes moisture and needs a lot of it but hates too much water. It thrives in a space with enough light but no direct sunlight and its beautiful foliage makes us want to buy it whenever we drop by at garden stores. It’s one of the plants recommended to keep removing air pollution or impurities in the moist environment.

Even when still small, it already produces new buds. They add beauty to the plant and a lot of people just let it hang. You can repot it or give it away if you find it rather crowded and unattractive.

5. Ferns

Green fern on a black backgroundIn the forest where this plant usually grows, there’s filtered light and humidity. The bathroom has the same characteristics. It’s no wonder this plant thrives well in this part of the house! Looking at this frond-bearing plant while you shower or take a bath will surely make you imagine hearing those crickets chirping!

What does it take to care for this plant? Water when the soil has gone dry. However, overwatering doesn’t bother them. Oh, just a little reminder – organic leaf plant fertilizer once or twice… a… year!

Tip: Bird’s nest fern is a variety that does better in lower light.

6. Croton

Red and green leaves on a bathroom Croton plant.This plant has hundreds of species and each has unique lovely foliage. It is native to the tropics specifically to the islands of the Pacific Ocean. It can grow up to 36-40 inches (.8 to 1meter) but the good thing is you can control it by pruning and new shoots will appear not long after.

What it needs the most is moisture. And the bathroom has a lot of that! It requires a large amount of light but not direct sunlight. Remember that the more light it gets, the more beautiful the foliage becomes. Water regularly but with moderation. Ready to get a colorful sight during bathroom time?

  • Warning: It’s poisonous so perhaps you could choose another plant for the bathroom if you have kids.

7. Orchid

Orchid kokedama with mossTheir exotic beauty will surely give a tropical ambience in your bathroom where they get all the moisture they need. It’s a huge family with 20,000 species whose flower shapes can be very unique and can be interpreted in different ways. Some shapes look like animals and others, dancing ladies. If in a pot, needs to be watered often.

On the other hand, another way of presenting orchids is kokedama, a Japanese plant art where you wrap roots with moss to form a ball. Then you can hang them and they’ll stay green for a long time even without watering. When it’s time to water, just soak in a basin of water for 5-15 minutes and when the dripping stops, you can hang them back. Make sure they get enough sunlight but not direct.

  • Tip: You might want to get Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis and Paphiopedilums – all varieties that are easy to manage (less temperamental).

8. Peperomia

Peperomia with long pointy leaves in a pot.This tropical plant from South America is highly ornamental thanks to its foliage. Like orchids, its species and varieties are composed of a large number with colors and leafage that are amusingly different. You can find green ones, purple ones or those whose leaf textures are like waffles and many more.

It hates darkness but it loathes direct sunlight just as much, so just put it in a luminous corner in your bathroom and near a window. Unlike other tropical plants, it tolerates heated indoor apartments if there’s high relative moisture. There is no need to water it often.

  • Note: Peperomia’s life span isn’t long and it takes time growing. Therefore, plant several or take cuttings often to multiply them.

9. Peace Lily

In a bathroom, a peace lily will bloom for a long timeWith this plant in your bathroom, you’ll enjoy lush green color through its foliage and serenity through its abundant white fragrant flowers. It’s an ideal sight when taking your bath with a book in one hand. Native to tropical Columbia, it needs a lot of moisture. Evaporation from steamy showers is the perfect source.

Although it needs high amounts of light, it doesn’t like too much exposure to direct sunlight. Best location is beside a window. Peace lilies can live for a long time and doesn’t require a lot of care.

Don’t get this confused with flamingo flower, shown below. They are different despite immense resemblance.

10. Monstera

Monstera leaf shaped like a heartAnother favorite indoor decoration which is also a great plant for your bathroom is monstera. It’s considered one of the plants which are very easy to care for, as shown through its high demand at garden stores. Its unique and abundant green foliage looks so refreshing!

Consider putting it near a window with no direct sunlight as this causes dryness to the plant. Heat sources near to it is a big no-no. Water when the soil has dried up. You can check by sticking your finger in it. When it’s still moist, no need to water yet. Roots hate too much water so just provide a moderate amount.

11. Anthurium

Anthurium, an excellent bathroom plant, here with red flower.This plant is also native to Columbia, in addition to peace lily. Also called flamingo flower, its flowers are heart-shaped like its leaves ranging from white, pink, red, to black colors. You can marvel its beauty at least up to a month because the flowers don’t wither quickly. Plus, blooming continues each year.

Anthurium simply requires a moist environment to thrive and bear flowers. Voilà! It’s perfect for the bathroom again.

12. Pothos

Pothos in blue potIt’s famous for its variegated leaves that make it highly ornamental. It’s a hanging vine which is perfect to cover over parts of your bathroom wall or sink. You don’t have a green thumb? Not a problem! Little care is needed when you adopt this plant even if it originally came from the tropics. It is also capable of fighting well against diseases. A luminous and near-a-window space in the bathroom that has no direct sunlight is the best place for this leafy plant. A large pot won’t be necessary because it likes to be in a tight container.

13. Philodendron

Philodendron has large leaves and is best suited for large bathrooms.Philodendron is a good addition to the plants suited for bathrooms. There’s quite a confusion with Monstera but Philodendron is a different plant as obviously presented through its leaves. Leaves and flowers are both ornamental. It’s also known to purify air.

It cannot tolerate to be near hot sources like radiators. It needs light but not direct sunlight. Putting it near a window is a worthwhile consideration. Neither pruning nor fertilizer is needed as maintenance for this plant. Aerial roots are important to its growth and should be left as they are.

14. Aglaonema

Aglaonema leaves, shiny and lushIt originally came from the tropical and subtropical parts of Asia and New Guinea. It is usually referred as Chinese evergreens. Belonging to the arum family, it flourishes well with high level of humidity.

Leaves are variegated and can be white and green, pink and green, yellow and green and the list continues! Why keep a boring bathroom when you can design it with colors? The choice is yours!

15. Air plants

Air plants in a bowl, three of them.The name itself suggests they only need air to survive but no. They still need water. They get nutrients from water directly so they thrive even without soil.

You can even just hang them with a string, or weave them into a macramé net. It’s ok for it to be showing roots nakedly exposed. Like the other plants mentioned above, they love moisture and the bathroom is the perfect place to call home. Isn’t it amazing to have plants with roots swaying in the air?

  • You just have to soak them for at least 5 minutes every week.

Smart tip about bathroom plants

The key is to have high humidity levels in the room. Here are a few tips to increase humidity around your favorite plants.


Image credits (edits Gaspard Lorthiois): ArchiVIZ/AdobeStock
CC BY-NC-SA 2.0: Jens Pletsch
CC BY 2.0: Scott Akerman, Gergely Hideg