These Are the Best Plants for Your Bathroom

Add a little greenery to your powder room. (asbe/Getty Images/TNS)

Bathrooms, by design, can feel like very sterile places. Those glass, tile, and bare surfaces are easy to clean but can feel—and look—a little cold. If you want to warm the place up without making it harder to wipe down those surfaces, there is an easy solution: plants!

Adding a little greenery instantly transforms a room from clinical to homey. Plus, they can also help with air quality, which can never hurt in a washroom. Not every plant will thrive in a bathroom’s hot-cold environment, on-off humidity, and varying levels of light, but if you pick the right variety, it will thrive.

Here are the best plants to add a little green to your bathroom.

Aloe Vera

This plant is known as the “plant of immortality” because it’s nearly impossible to kill, which makes it ideal for people who love plants but don’t have time for careful tending. Plus, the aloe needs so little water that the bathroom humidity alone may meet most of its water needs.

Lucky Bamboo

This fast-growing plant needs very little light, making it ideal for bathrooms with small windows. It also doesn’t need any soil. Just put the stalks into a container filled with pebbles and water—changing the water every two to four weeks—and let it grow.

Air Plant

As their name implies, these magic-seeming plants don’t need soil to survive. Instead, they pull the water they need to survive from humidity, meaning you can keep them right next to the shower. They do need lots of bright, indirect light to thrive, but otherwise, these industrious Tillandsia will take care of themselves.

Snake Plant

While some people may find the name unsettling, these adaptable plants can flourish at a variety of heat and water levels, adding a refreshing pop of green to any room. Plus, these plants are excellent air filters, which is ideal for bathrooms.

Bird’s Nest Fern

This lush plant brings a bit of the tropics to any bathroom. They love low to medium light and do well with a bit of extra humidity, making them a great choice for a bathroom with a window.

Pothos

These ubiquitous plants have gorgeous cascading vines that can brighten any space. They are versatile growers that can thrive in a variety of different environments, including low-light spaces and downright neglect. Plus, the pothos loves humidity, making it a great choice for a washroom.

Peace Lily

This is one of the most beautiful air-purifying houseplants around, with its white bloom surrounded by deep green leaves. They do well in low, indirect light and can grow into substantial shrubs that would easily fill a corner in a larger bathroom. Water this one when its leaves droop, but otherwise leave it be.

Philodendron

Known for their heart-shaped leaves, these diminutive-seeming plants sprout vines that extend for feet, making them ideal for trailing down a wall from a bathroom windowsill. They need moderate-to-low light and water just twice a month.

Cast-Iron Plant

You know we love our cast iron, and that extends to these hardy plants. These tough little greens can survive in low light and tolerate infrequent watering and even extreme heat. That said, they do best in low to moderate light with regular watering and a little time to dry out before re-watering. Honestly, we have skillets that need more attention!

Begonia

While begonias are beautiful additions to a deck or patio, come winter, they need to move indoors, and there is no better spot than the bathroom. In fact, they can live there year-round because they love humidity and bright, indirect light. Plus, begonias do well in fluorescent light, making them ideal for bathrooms without windows.

Orchid

While orchids are notoriously fussy blooms, bathrooms give them the moist air and indirect light they need to flourish. They do particularly well in bathrooms with a window, as the light can encourage blooming and, if you’re lucky, re-blooming.