25 of the Best Bathroom Plants That Thrive in Humid Spaces

Finding perfect bathroom plants can be tricky. As the most humid room in many homes, a bathroom can skyrockets to extremely warm temperatures when you bathe or shower. This is especially true if you use a space heater as well.

That kind of warm, moist environment isn’t ideal for most plants, especially since many bathrooms have low light. That said, there’s a plethora of plants that will adore your washroom and won’t wilt from the humidity—no matter how much (or how little) sunlight your bathroom offers.

How to Select the Perfect Bathroom Plants

Select bathroom plants based on your needs. Because the environment is an optimal breeding ground for mold or bacteria, you may want to introduce plants to reduce the bathroom’s humidity levels. Some plants absorb the moisture to reduce odors or the likelihood of mold from growing in your home, while others help purify the air. In addition, bathrooms vary in the amount of light offered.

Choosing the best bathroom plants will come down to your space. Think about your room and consider the following questions:

• What type of light does your bathroom offer? If you have a window, which direction does it face? Some plants prefer bright full-sun from an east-facing window, while others can survive with minimal light.
• How hot does your bathroom become? If you enjoy hot, steamy showers and using a space heater in the room, choose a tropical plant to thrive in that space.
• Do you have pets? Some plants are toxic to cats and dogs, so make sure to choose pet-safe plants. Otherwise, keep common poisonous plants away from areas where your pets could access them.
• Is better air quality important to you? Some plants filter toxins from the air using their leaves.

Use the following list of plants to help you find the right one to add a pop of nature to your bathroom. Because your results with each plant will often come down to sunlight, these 25 bathroom plants all thrive in humid spaces, and they’re broken up based on how sunny your bathroom is.

8 Plants for Sunny Bathrooms

Lucky you! Your bathroom offers full sun and probably has a window or two. This is the perfect place to keep your plants so they receive plenty of light during the day. Some of these plants enjoy direct morning light and some shade in the afternoon, while others do well in bright settings without needing direct sunlight.

Choose the following plants for areas with bright sun and humidity:

1. Spider Plant

A gift that keeps on giving, the spider plant grows in a variety of conditions. Furthermore, it will reward you with babies you can repot to make more houseplants. Entirely low-maintenance, it requires full sun or shade and will even remove odors and toxins like formaldehyde from the air.

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is difficult to kill, especially if placed on a bathroom windowsill that gets bright, indirect sunlight. The humidity is usually enough to provide most of the plant’s low water requirements. As a bonus, you can use its inner gel to treat bites, sunburns, and scrapes at home.

3. Weeping Fig

If you have enough space for a small tree and your bathroom remains roughly the same temperature all day, consider a weeping fig (Ficus benjamina). They grow best indoors in bright light, enjoy humidity, and they dislike quick temperature changes or cold drafts. Install your weeping fig permanently in a bright bathroom, as they may be temperamental when relocated.

4. Philodendron

Tropical philodendrons require a moderate amount of light and tolerate humidity well. Ideal temperatures range from 75 to 85 degrees F, which makes hot and sunny bathrooms the best locations. However,its leaves the leaves may turn yellow if it receives too much light. You may also need a large amount of space, as philodendrons can grow several feet tall.

5. Asparagus Fern

Asparagus ferns appear airy and soft to the touch, but beware their thorns’ sting. Find a home for your fern on a high shelf near a window with moderate light, and watch as it thrives in the humidity. Just keep your pets and small children from touching the plant. Water it only when the soil becomes dry.

6. Cyclamen

Cyclamen can be difficult to grow indoors, and requires bright, sunny locations all year round—including the winter months. They prefer if you water them from the bottom rather than from above.

7. Reed Palm

This plant thrives in humid locations, like most tropical palms. It absorbs moisture through the leaves and can survive in lower light settings, although sunny rooms are ideal. As such, this an easy-to-care-for option for your bathroom. You’ll need a larger, well-lit bathroom for this parlor palm, as it grow quite large.

8. Tillandsia

Also known as air plants, these South American natives come in over 730 varieties and don’t require. Basically, they’re one of the easiest houseplants to keep, since they receive all their water needs from the air. You may need to mist your Tillandsia two to three time each week if it’s not mounted or set in a planter. Otherwise, you can submerge the entire plant in the sink for a few minutes avery couple of weeks, and place it in a sunny south, east, or west-facing window.

11 Indirect Sunlight Bathroom Plants

Indirect sunlight bathrooms tend to offer weak light due to small, north-facing windows, or obstructions. These rooms may be partially shady, but not entirely dark. As such, they require different plant varieties for their low-light environments.

Note that many of the plants listed below may also be placed in a sunny bathroom. They just need at least three feet of space away from the window to avoid scorching from direct light.

1. Boston Fern

Native to tropical rainforests and sub-tropical settings, the Boston fern grows well on a windowsill with indirect sunlight. Humidity is vital for this plant’s survival, but the soil should not be saturated. Additionally, avoid raising the room’s temperature above 75 degrees F.

2. Orchid

Orchids add a layer of luxury to any bathroom. Place them next to the sink, on the bathtub corner, or any other small space to add brightness and color. Keep them on a windowsill so they can receive the indirect light they need. This will keep their leaves from scorching, while the high humidity mimics their natural environment.

3. Snake Plant

Photo by Kara Eads on UnsplashAlso known as Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, this hardy houseplant’s leaves grow upright. A snake plant only needs low light and remains flexible when it comes to water or heat. The best part about this plant is that it filters toxins like formaldehyde from your air, which is often found in bathroom cleaning products, cosmetics, and tile grout.

4. Rex Begonia

Rex begonias grow well in humid bathrooms, especially when potted and placed on a bathroom shelf. While they can handle low-light, they do best with indirect light, and adore a bathroom’s warmth and humidity. Avoid a north-facing window, and provide regular misting for the best results.

5. Azalea

Gorgeous blooms add a nice splash of color to a bathroom, and the flowers come in colors ranging from white and purple to pink and red. They enjoy warm, humid locations because they absorb water through their leaves, so you only need to water these flowers when the soil feels dry.

6. Pothos

A golden pothos plant can grow to an enormous size if given bright, indirect light, high humidity, and warm temperatures. The vines can become lanky and take a lot of space, so it’s often hung from the ceiling or placed on top of a high shelf or cabinet.

7. ZZ Plant

Also known as the eternity plant, a ZZ plant can thrive with neglect, whether your window faces north, east, or west. Depending on the humidity level in your bathroom, your ZZ plant may even survive with minimal watering and some light.

8. Bromeliads

Unusual-looking bromeliads come in many varieties, and bask in humidity. These tropical beauties are perfect for a bathroom with bright, indirect sunlight. They can also survive on fluorescent lighting alone when no natural light is available. These plants will draw in moisture from the air, so just make sure the soil is moist but never wet.

9. Croton

A croton plant (Codiaeum variegatum) offers an assortment of brightly colored foliage. Because they require tons of moisture and bright, indirect light, they do well in brightly-lit bathrooms. However, for this plant, you’ll need to have a larger room, as it can grow three feet tall and three feet wide.

10. Gardenia

This plant is ideal if you don’t tend to spike up the heat when showering. Gardenias are tropical, flowering plants that grow well indoors, but they’re picky. They prefer stable temperatures, without cold drafts or sudden changes in heat, and a wet location. Bright, indirect lighting is ideal as well.

11. English Ivy

English ivy (Hedera helix) is the most common ivy grown in homes. This vine plant is perfect in hanging baskets or planters on top of cabinets where the leaves can cascade down. They need moderate sunlight and enjoy the shade, but they’re perfect for bathrooms: they adore high humidity levels, and they’ll remove mold from the air.

6 Low-Light Bathroom Plants

Some plants can survive in low-light settings, or sometimes from the fluorescent light bulbs alone. The varieties below are the best options for bathrooms without windows, since they don’t need sunlight to grow.

1. Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboo requires very little sunlight to grow, and will multiply in low, indirect sunlight. You don’t even need soil! Place the stalk in a container with water and pebbles, and change the water every few weeks.

2. Cast Iron Plant

These are known as tough houseplant because they can survive under neglectful circumstances. They can take high heat, low light, and little watering. Furthermore, they do best when potted and placed out of direct sunlight, making them perfect to hide the pipes under your sink.

3. Peace Lily

Low light and high humidity conditions work best for a peace lily, although it may need some indirect sunlight now and then. Place your plant next to the shower, where it can receive daily misting, and allow the plant to filter out harmful toxins from the air.

4. Dieffenbachia

Add a year-round pop of color to your large bathroom with a dieffenbachia, which can grow up to six feet tall. Also known as dumb cane, they require humid conditions, moist soil, temperatures that stay above 60 degrees F, and fluorescent or indirect lighting.

5. Dracaena

Also known as a Dragon plant, Dracaena is an air purifier that comes in more than 40 varieties. It enjoys bathrooms because they offer more humidity than most rooms, and only needs light shade to avoid leaf scorch.

6. Chinese Evergreen

Another durable houseplant, Chinese evergreens require low, indirect sunlight and warm, humid environments. Avoid cold temperatures, and keep the plant away from drafts.