Although the living room and kitchen might be your standard indoor plant-growing areas, you shouldn’t neglect the less-used spaces of your home – in fact, there are tons of houseplants to grow in the bathroom, too! Did you know that even NASA has vouched for certain houseplants improving the quality of the air inside your home? Why not purify the bathroom too?
Growing plants in your home can be a great way to add some color and liven up any room. But when you live in a drier area, it is sometimes hard to know the best way to take care of the plants and give them some of the humidity that they want. This can limit the amount and types of plants you decide to keep around the home.
The warmth and high humidity that are found in your bathroom can be exactly what the tropical plants you desire are looking for. If you have a few of these around your home and they seem to struggle, it is time to gather them up and bring them to the bathroom.
Their new home around the sink or bathtub may be perfect for what you are looking for. When choosing plants for this, many tropical varieties can do well, but remember some may struggle with the lack of light in the area.
So, when you are ready to add some more plants to your home with more variety – and you want to brighten up that shelf or that corner by the sink – then grab a few of the plants we will discuss in this article and see what they can do for you!
The Best Houseplants to Grow in the Bathroom
There are a lot of plants that will thrive when you add them to your bathroom. Some of the best options include:
1. Tillandsia
Tillandsia is a plant that falls into the Bromeliad family. They are often known as air plants. The ones that fit under this category are prized because they do not need soil to grow – no soil at all. With the right environment around them, these plants are able to grow without much care from you.
So, what will make up the right environment for these plants?
Your bathroom is a pretty good place to start. If your bathroom has a shower with a really bright window, then this is an even better option to choose. The Tillandsia will appreciate a bit of the water from the shower and they also love the humidity that is trapped in the room.
If you have a well-ventilated bathroom and you find that the plant is not getting enough moisture from the air (it needs quite a bit), you can mist it a little bit or give it a good soak every once in a while.
This is a small-growing, low-light loving plant that will fit perfectly into your bathroom. It has leaves that come in a lot of different colors and even shapes so you can choose the one that you like the most.
And since it is so small, it is going to do well for many of the tight corners that you want to decorate within your home – likely, your bathroom has quite a few of those spaces to choose from.
Keep in mind that while this is a cute little plant to work with, and is relatively easy to grow, it does not like to be placed in direct sun.
Since most bathrooms do not have a ton of sun to worry about, this should not be a problem – but remember to keep it away from the window if there is one present. This plant is very easy to take care of and it likes its humidity. Only provide it with direct watering if you feel the top of the soil and you notice it is dry.
3. Tropical Pitcher Plant
This is a plant that is sometimes referred to as monkey cups. The species is a very diverse option to use in your bathroom – it is also a tropical plant that you are sure to love. The leaves mimic the appearance of a pitcher.
Here’s a unique feature of the tropical pitcher plant – it doesn’t just get energy from the sun, but also from actually eating. In the wild, this pitcher part is going to get filled up with liquid that can then attract and digest insects as food for the plant. Because of this, the pitcher plant won’t just add visual appeal to your home and bathroom space but also serve as a unique conversation piece when your friends stop by.
Now, the good news is that your bathroom does not need to be a haven for bugs and pests in order to grow this plant. You can rest easy knowing that you do not need to give this plant insects in order to survive. The regular flies and other insects that get into your home naturally will be plenty to help feed this plant – and it may work perfectly for reducing the amount of work you need to do in eliminating those bugs, too.
The pitcher plant likes it when its soil is moist and they like to spend time in humidity. After all, these plants are native to the rainforest.
If your bathroom does not get quite as humid, the plant can still handle it, just keep in mind that the number of pitches that sprout in these cases will be reduced. They have a habit of vining as well, which can make them a good addition to put on your windowsill in the bathroom.
This is one of the most popular vining plants for growing indoors. It comes with a lot of cultivars so you are certain to find the one that fits with your needs. It has many different sizes of leaves, different colors, and other different features to choose from.
As long as you keep this plant away from direct sunlight and you do not let the soil get too dry, then this plant will bloom really well and does not require a lot of work to grow at all.
If you decide to place this into your bathroom, there are a few stylistic options to consider. Adding it to a hanging basket or on a high shelf works well because then the leaves can easily trail wherever they would like. Golden pothos is unique in that it will develop some pretty leaves that have flecks and streaks of gold hiding among the green in many cases.
5. Spider Plant
Houseplants do not get much easier to take care of than what we see with the spider plant. It is a pretty simple plant and will do well whether you add it to the bathroom or to another place in the home. They tolerate low levels of light very well and they enjoy a little bit of humidity, which can be easily provided in the bathroom.
The little baby shoots are really cute and offer another beneficial feature of growing this plant. You can detach the shoots and propagate them again to get even more out of the plant.
It is possible to allow these plants to dry out between watering. In fact, they are able to go a few weeks without drinking so you will not need to worry about it dying out if you are not home for a few weeks. When you do water it, though, just make sure you use untreated or distilled water, as it can be sensitive to the minerals found in tap water.
6. China Doll Plant
When you have a little corner that you need to dress up in the bathroom, especially one by the window, then the China Doll Plant is the perfect one to add there.
It is nice and small – but also really pretty. It does need to spend a good deal of time in bright, indirect sunlight. It also prefers that the soil is moist and well-drained and it does not want to be around drafts at all – so keep it away from the vents in the bathroom.
However, since this small plant likes the heat and lots of moist conditions, you will find that it can do well in the warmth of your bathroom.
7. Bromeliad
We mentioned the Tillandsia plant earlier in this article, a plant that falls within the bromeliad family. However, this family of plants deserves separate mention all on its own when it comes to the best houseplants to grow in the bathroom.
This is the type of plant that you use when you want to add a dash of color to the bathroom along with the big leaves that are so fun to look at. There are thousands of different species of this plant so you are sure to find the one that works for you. Though they will have some different care instructions depending on which species you go with, most bromeliads that you choose as a houseplant will have some similar needs.
These plants like to spend their time in an area that has a ton of moisture in the air as well as a temperate indoor climate. Most are prized because the foliage is really colorful and seems to last a long time.
If you want a variety of the Bromeliad that is easy to take care of, options like the Urn Plant, Blushing Bromeliad, and Scarlet Start are all good choices.
8. Orchid
While the orchid is going to be a little bit temperamental in many conditions, it may thrive in your bathroom – and even look really pretty to boot. When it is grown right, the orchid is able to bloom well and the flowers can linger for months and months.
The damp, warm conditions that are often found in a bathroom can be perfect for this little plant because the flower likes to grow on bark rather than soil and it wants to be in a damp environment that is hard to get inside of your home. These conditions can be found in your bathroom though.
If you are worried about how to grow an orchid, there are a few varieties that are a little bit easier to take care of. These can include the Paphiopedilums, Phalaenopsis, and Dendrobium varieties. They do the best with bathrooms that are bright and have light that will come through the window.
Why Should I Grow Plants in My Bathroom?
The bathroom may seem like a strange place to put plants and let them grow, but it may be the perfect solution for a number of reasons. These plants can brighten up the area, they are easy to take care of, and some plants prefer the humid and wet conditions found in your bathroom.
Aside from their beauty, some of the other reasons to consider adding plants into your bathroom include:
Purify the Air
Most people do not realize that even their bathroom will need to have the air purified. Whether you’re using natural, organic cleaning products or you use chemical-laden cleaners to keep your bathroom tidy, the air in your bathroom can still become filled with nasty toxins that you will need to remove for optimal health,
Plants are one of the best tools to help purify the air and make it easier to breathe. This means that with a good plant in the bathroom, they can purify the air, make it smell better, and keep your whole home environmentally friendly.
Make the Bathroom Feel More Inviting
Adding plants to the bathroom is a good way to make the whole area feel a little bit more home-y. Plants can liven up the place and may make you feel more relaxed and at home than before. It is easy for a bathroom to get boring. But with a few plants strategically placed around the bathroom, it is a lot easier to make it feel more inviting.
A Good Decoration
It is sometimes hard to decorate a bathroom and make it look nice – after all, this space is meant to be more functional than attractive. But with the help of a few simple plants, especially ones that have a few flowers on them, you can quickly make the bathroom look more inviting.
The Bathroom Environment Helps Certain Plants Grow
There are some plants that are really beautiful and look good, but when you read about all of the different things that you need to do in order to help those plants grow, especially when they are a type that likes a lot of humidity, it may seem like an impossible task to take care of them.
For many plants that need to spend their time in high humidity or wet conditions, placing them in your bathroom is a much better option. This will allow you a chance to get some plants in your home that may not be possible anywhere else and can keep them thriving in the process.
Picking Houseplants for Your Bathroom
You may spend time thinking about which plants to have in your garden, your living room, your kitchen, and even your bedroom. But few homeowners think about the benefits of having these plants in their bathroom as well.
There are quite a few plants that will do well in a bathroom setting, but you need to choose the one that is right for your needs.
Take a look at our suggestions for the best houseplants to grow in the bathroom – and consider some of the benefits of doing so- and get started with growing in this underutilized space today. W
While you’re adding green beauty around your home, why not consider these plants perfect for your home office?
