17 Houseplants That Love Living in Your Bathroom

Bathrooms and houseplants go together like peanut butter and jelly. The reason for this is, quite simply, humidity. Many of the plants we keep in the home are tropical. They like the constant temperatures in the house, and since they only grow outdoors in a certain range, this enables us all to enjoy their exotic foliage. 

The bathroom tends to be the most humid room, especially one where showers are common. The steam from your shower stays in the air long after you’ve left, and your tropicals soak it right up. Many plants take in moisture through their leaves and, in the case of epiphytes and many aroids, through exposed roots. 

If you have a bathroom with a sunny window, you have a perfect environment for many of these cultivars. If not, there are ways to supplement, like growing low-light species and using grow lights. Let’s look at some of the popular houseplants that will look and feel their best living in your bathroom. 

Orchids, Orchids, Orchids

Orchids are the ultimate bathroom window houseplant. These tropical epiphytes make their homes in rainforests, where they grow on trees and take in a great deal of moisture from the surrounding air. For most orchids, the ideal humidity level is between 40-80%. They also prefer indirect light and behind a privacy glass window is the perfect spot. 

Note that there are non-tropical orchids that prefer cooler climates. There are several types native to Alaska! However, most of them are tropical and love this warm, moist environment. Some species, like Vandas, thrive in greenhouse conditions, so it’s difficult to keep them going indoors at all. Most species will be very happy in the space where you shower, though.

Monstera ‘Albo Borsigiana’

Monsteras are highly popular, and the rarer varieties can fetch quite a steep price tag. These climbers get large over time and can turn your room into a tropical paradise with their huge, fenestrated foliage. They are fast growers, so if you’re looking for something to take up space quickly, this is a fantastic choice.

Monsteras prefer bright, indirect exposure. However, mine tends to grow toward the window, so I turn it regularly to keep it growing straight. Direct sun through a window will burn those stunning leaves. They prefer humidity levels above 60% and take in a lot of water during growth. 

Maranta ‘Lemon Lime’

Marantas are in the group known as prayer plants. Their wonderful, colorful leaves have a habit of rising up at night, like praying hands, and lowering during the day. They get a reputation for being a bit fussy, but they aren’t difficult if you know this one thing. They are picky about water. 

Marantas like a lot of moisture in the air, and they need clean water around their roots. Some tap water contains a lot of chemicals or minerals, and that can be harsh for them. If you notice brown, crispy leaf tips, it’s nearly always a water issue. Try switching to filtered or distilled and see if the condition improves. They like indirect or filtered light and can also tolerate a few hours of morning exposure. 

String of Hearts

The string of hearts is charming, adorable, and easy to care for. It prefers indirect or filtered exposure, but some direct sun in the morning won’t hurt. In the afternoon, it can be hotter and scorch the sweet, heart-shaped leaves. Like other string plants, this one grows long, thin stems with small, finely shaped foliage. 

Your string of hearts plant will perform best at about 40-60% humidity. It likes warm temperatures, so keep it out of drafty spots where it could get a blast of cool air—this can be shocking. Be careful not to overwater, as the roots can be sensitive to fungal diseases. 

Begonia ‘Benitochiba’

All begonias are beautiful, but I’m partial to the fancy foliage of the rex. Those colorful whirls of red, purple, silver, green, and white are fascinating and eye-catching. They are easy to care for, and under the right conditions, they produce sweet, pink flowers. ‘Benitochiba’ is an award-winning variety with thin, toothy leaves in purple and green.

Keep this one in a moderate to low-light situation. Direct exposure will cause scorched foliage. They like rich, moist soil and a humidity level of 50% or higher. These are toxic to pets, so be careful about curious fur babies. 

Fiddle Leaf Fig

This highly popular tree has become a novelty for houseplant enthusiasts. It’s one of those that you either have a knack for it or you find out how many things can go wrong quickly. One of the challenges of this tree is humidity. It needs quite a bit. If properly cared for, this one can live up to 50 years, though. 

Philodendron

It’s difficult to choose just one philodendron to add to the list, so I’ll cover them all. They are all tropical, moisture lovers with similar care needs. They prefer humidity levels between 50% and 60% or higher. 

There is a wide range of sizes, leaf shapes, and even colors to choose from in this group. From sweet, trailing micans, to flashy gloriosum, if you keep them in the right spot, they are low maintenance and fast growing. Give them rich, moist soil, and some morning exposure with afternoon shade.

Queen Anthurium 

Anthuriums can be difficult, but that, along with their relative rarity, is what makes them so desirable. All types are tropical and prefer a lot of moisture in the air, but the queen needs the most. This gorgeous species wants 50-80% humidity and prefers the higher end of that range. 

A big mistake made with anthuriums is not treating them like the epiphytes that they are. Pot and care for these as you would an orchid, and they will stay quite comfortable. Put their roots in regular potting soil and there’s a strong chance of ending up with root rot. 

Peperomia ‘Rosso’

Peperomias are native to tropical cloud forests. The low-hanging clouds in these areas provide a constant supply of moisture, which the plants that grow there adore. As long as they get enough moisture, peperomias are easy to care for and typically unfussy. The range starts around 40%, but most prefer higher; closer to 60% is optimal. 

Bright, indirect light is best for your peperomia. A sheer curtain or privacy glass makes a great buffer. Direct sun is too harsh for most rainforest plants. Make sure to use a well-draining potting mix, such as one made for succulents. This semi-succulent doesn’t like wet feet. 

Hoya ‘Krimson Queen’

Hoya is another epiphyte that likes moisture in the air and around its roots. It doesn’t like wet soil, though, so humidity is a must. Treat your hoya like an anthurium or an orchid, as they have a similar growth habit. Don’t expose this plant to direct light in the afternoon. Bright and indirect is best. 

Hoyas produce pretty, sweet-smelling flowers if they get enough exposure. ‘Krimson Queen’ is an award-winning variety that produces clusters of small pink blooms with a red eye. Between 40-80% humidity is best for hoyas. The range varies between species. 

Calathea ‘Sanderiana’

Calatheas are another group that earns the nickname of prayer-plants because of their habit of raising and dropping their leaves. They have wonderfully ornate foliage in shades of red, green, pink, and white, many with striped and patterned leaves. ‘Sanderiana’ has deep green leaves with burgundy underneath and pink and white pin striping on the top.

Calatheas have similar care needs to maranta, but they aren’t quite as fussy about water. They are part of the same family, though, so their growth habits are alike. They both flower, but the flowers are not noteworthy compared to the flashy foliage. 

Peace Lily

Peace lilies are wonderful blooming beauties that like humidity and warm temperatures. They can be sensitive to minerals in water and fertilizer buildup, so be aware and cautious about those factors. 

Peace lilies have such gorgeous tropical foliage, and their flowers are simply stunning. Make sure they get a lot of bright light, but be careful about direct sun, which can scorch leaf tips. They like humidity in the range of 40-60%, which is easy to achieve in the bathroom. 

Southern Maidenhair Fern

If you love airy, textural elements, maidenhair ferns are simply wonderful. These warm-weather, low-light ferns have thin, wiry stems and soft, feathery foliage that bounce and move about in a breeze or with any movement of the air. They are non-toxic, so they’re fine for pets, although I had a cat that loved to eat these, so save yourself that headache. 

Maidenhair ferns are a bit more flexible than some plants on this list when it comes to humidity. They need at least 40%, which is not difficult to achieve. They will, however, be their happiest nearer to 60%.

Air Plant

Air plants are perfect for bathrooms because they derive almost all of their moisture from humidity in the air. Related to bromeliads, these tropical rainforest inhabitants are epiphytic, with fine roots that prefer to attach to trees and don’t like to stay wet. 

If the humidity is high enough, you may not have to water this one at all. I run mine under the sink every few weeks just for good measure. It’s one of the most low maintenance members of my collection. If they get enough indirect light, they produce brightly colored flowers. 

Pothos ‘Neon’

Pothos is an easy-care, low-maintenance plant that will tolerate a broad range of conditions. I love these for beginners because they are hard to kill, and they grow fast. ‘Neon’ is a pretty variety with bright, light green leaves. They come in more yellow initially and become more green as they age. 

In terms of humidity, pothos is flexible, again. 50% is sufficient for most types. They thrive in high moisture situations, though, and won’t tolerate excessively dry air. 

Pitcher Plant 

Pitcher plants are carnivorous epiphytes and bog plants. They love moisture, but their roots are sensitive to fungus, so they need very well-drained soil and high humidity to thrive. These are not the easiest to care for, but they are eye-catching and fascinating. 

The winged pitcher plant has long, thin leaves with large, colorful pitchers that trap their prey with a sticky, sweet liquid and a winged trapdoor up top. If you can keep them happy, they make an interesting specimen.

African Violet ‘Cherry Princess’

I love African violets, and they make great bathroom plants. Their soft, fuzzy foliage and shimmery blooms are full of charm and loveliness. While they prefer a humidity level between 70 and 80%, this can be difficult to achieve indoors. However, they will thrive at 50-60%, as long as you give them enough moisture. 

African violets like lightly moist soil. When it dries out, they suffer and will wilt to let you know. If they get enough sun, these sweet plants can bloom year-round. Bright indirect light, or partial sun with afternoon shade, is just right for them.