Best Plants for Your Bathroom

Since we have a brown thumb, we've always stuck with easy, long-lasting orchids in our bathroom. But rumor has it that there are a lot of houseplants that thrive (and that will freshen the air and your spirits) in this room's typically tropical conditions of low light, warmth, and humidity. Jump below for a list, as well as a few that thrive in the rarer bright and sunny bathroom.

Plants for Bathrooms with No Light:
• Dieffenbachia
• Snake Plant

Plants for Low-Light Bathrooms:
• Bamboo
• Begonia
• Boston Fern
• Cast Iron Plant
• Chinese Evergreen
• Ficus Benjamina
• Heart-Leafed Philodendron
• Orchid
• Peace Lily
• Spider Plant

Plants for Bright and Sunny Bathrooms:
• Asparagus Fern
• Azalea
• Gardenia
• Kimberly Fern
• Orchid

(Edited from a post originally published 03.13.07)

Image: Livingetc

Comments (13)

posted by MelissaC5 on March 20th 2008 at 12:58pm
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Dieffenbachia is very pretty but it's poisonous. So for those of you with pets make sure it's out of their reach.

posted by lmoran1218 on March 20th 2008 at 1:08pm
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My bathroom is windowless, so I was excited to see a "no light" catagory. I googled Dieffenbachia, so I could see what it looked like and buy one, only to realize.. I have one. It lived in a caraff of water for about a year (stole a clipping from a plant at work), and I recently put it in soil.. now I just need to move it out of direct sunlight and into my bathroom!

There's wikipedia pages for most plant varieties which usually have good tips on watering and light requirements. Very good info!

posted by antimatt on March 20th 2008 at 1:23pm
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be sure to check out lists of plants poisonous to your pets first!
cats: http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html
dags: http://www.dogpack.com/health/poisonplants.htm

i can't find a plant that my cats won't eat... no plants for my household! :-(

posted by hoboken_melanie on March 20th 2008 at 1:42pm
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dags = dogs

posted by hoboken_melanie on March 20th 2008 at 1:42pm
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does anyone know where I can find a vanity cabinet/sink similar to the one pictured? (for less than an arm and a leg!)

posted by jhill on March 20th 2008 at 3:14pm
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I see orchids like the ones pictured at Home Depot this time of year.

posted by inkstainedwriter on March 20th 2008 at 5:44pm
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Air plants!

posted by Esmerelda on March 20th 2008 at 6:02pm
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http://mgonline.com/airplants.html

posted by Esmerelda on March 20th 2008 at 6:03pm
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My African violets and Norfolk pine have been ever so much happier since being moved to the bathroom. The room gets morning sun through a somewhat frosted window. I think the plants enjoy the humidity.

posted by quercus on March 21st 2008 at 4:56am
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My purple African Violet is doing well in a similar bathroom to quercus' now that I have a little "fence" around it to keep Cashmere from munching on the flowers and buds.

She played with 11 orchids until the buds fell off when I lived in NYC, so I stopped with the indoor plants for about 10 years until this January.

posted by kaanswfm on March 23rd 2008 at 11:08am
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I'm having very good luck with a peace lilly in my bathroom. Maxwell, let me know if you want to see a picture.

posted by medusa12120 on January 2nd 2009 at 2:02pm
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"No Light" is a little deceptive. all plants need *some* light. they may last a little while in a bathroom with no light, but they will eventually die and will look unhealthy for quite a while before that. put them in a room with some sunlight at least once a week to help them out,

posted by foodefafa on March 11th 2009 at 10:53pm
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