Houseplants

The Best Plants for a Bathroom

Bathrooms are a strange microclimate: warm, often dim, and flooded with steam every time the shower runs. That humidity is a gift for tropical plants that resent the dry air of the rest of the house, but the low light and fluctuating temperatures rule out most sun-lovers. The picks below were chosen for two traits at once — a genuine love of moisture in the air and a tolerance for the modest light a typical bathroom offers. A few thrive in a frosted window, while the most shade-forgiving will hold up even in a windowless powder room with help from a bulb. Together they turn a humid little room into a lush, spa-like retreat.

1. Boston Fern

   Medium indirectKeep consistently moistModerate

   Few plants love bathroom steam more than this lush, arching fern, which craves the high humidity that dries it out elsewhere. It is ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs, making it a safe, feathery choice for a shelf or hanger.

2. Pothos

   Low to bright indirectWhen top inch is dryVery easy

   A near-indestructible trailer that shrugs off low bathroom light and revels in the extra moisture. Its vines spill happily from a high shelf or the top of a cabinet, rooting easily wherever they touch damp air.

3. Peace Lily

   Low to medium indirectKeep lightly moistEasy

   One of the rare bloomers that flowers in low light, it adores the humidity a bathroom provides and lifts white spathes above glossy leaves. It droops dramatically when thirsty, then revives quickly, telling you exactly when to water.

4. Snake Plant

   Low to bright indirectEvery 2-3 weeksVery easy

   For a dim, low-traffic bathroom, this upright survivor tolerates deep shade and humid air without complaint. Its stiff, sculptural leaves fit a narrow vanity corner, and it forgives the erratic watering that comes with a guest bath.

5. Spider Plant

   Low to bright indirectWhen top inch is dryVery easy

   Arching striped leaves and dangling plantlets thrive in humid, modestly lit rooms, and it is ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs. Hung above a tub, its babies cascade down for an easy, pet-safe jungle effect.

6. Calathea

   Medium indirectKeep lightly moistModerate

   Notoriously fussy about dry air, this plant finally relaxes in a steamy bathroom where its bold leaf patterns stay crisp. It is ASPCA non-toxic and rewards the steady humidity with the vivid, painterly foliage it is famous for.

7. Bird's Nest Fern

   Low to medium indirectKeep consistently moistEasy

   Glossy, ripple-edged fronds form a tidy rosette that loves humid, shadier rooms and is more forgiving than most ferns. It is ASPCA non-toxic, so it fits a pet-friendly bathroom shelf without worry.

8. Chinese Evergreen

   Low to medium indirectWhen top inch is dryEasy

   Patterned silver-and-green leaves stay vivid in the low light of a bathroom, and the warm, moist air keeps the foliage from browning at the edges. One of the most colorful options for a dim, steamy room.

9. Philodendron Heartleaf

   Low to bright indirectWhen top inch is dryVery easy

   A vigorous, forgiving trailer with glossy heart-shaped leaves that keeps growing in lower light and appreciates the humidity. Its vines drape gracefully from a cabinet top or hanging pot above the sink.

10. Lucky Bamboo

    Low to medium indirectGrow in waterVery easy

    Happiest grown in a vase of water, it suits a humid bathroom and the indirect light near a frosted window. Its slim green stalks bring a clean, sculptural accent to a vanity with almost no upkeep.

11. Maidenhair Fern

    Medium indirectKeep consistently moistModerate

    Delicate, lacy fronds need the constant moisture in the air that only a steamy bathroom reliably provides, crisping instantly in dry rooms. It is ASPCA non-toxic and rewards high humidity with airy, fountain-like growth.