The Top 5 Plants for the Bathroom

Bathrooms in homes, office complexes, buildings, hotels and more are all significantly improved by the presence of living plants. These plants provide a sense of care and cleanliness and are an attractive touch to any bathroom space.

However, bathrooms often have the particular challenge of very low lighting. Here are five plants that will thrive in the bathroom setting.

1) Spider Plant

Spider Plants have narrow arching leaves with variegation. They are typically white down the center with green along the outer edges. They can also produce small white flowers. They look very attractive in hanging planters. Spider plants do not require high levels of light. This plant requires little water and should be allowed to dry a bit between waterings. Spider plants will thrive and multiply with relatively little care, making them ideal for bathrooms.

2) Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a succulent that requires very little water. Water this plant only once or twice a week. The plant does best in indirect sunlight but can handle shade as well. If your plant’s leaves are flattening out instead of growing upright it may not be getting enough light. Aloe Vera also has healing properties and the gel inside the leaves can sooth minor burns, making the useful to keep around the bathroom.

3) Cast Iron Plant

The cast iron plant is a simple green foliage plant that will look lush and inviting in a bathroom. It can tolerate a substantial amount of neglect and still look great. It requires very little water. There are variegated varieties available, but if the bathroom does not have much light available, the variegation is likely to fade to green anyway.

4) Heartleaf Philodendron

True to its name this plant has large, glossy heart shaped leaves. The heartleaf philodendron is a trailing plant that works well in hanging planters or can be trained up trellises. It can also be kept smaller and bushy by pinching it back regularly. This plant can tolerate low light levels and will enjoy the humidity found in bathrooms. It should be watered regularly, but cut back if the leaves begin to turn yellow. It also works hard to clean the air. The heartleaf philodendron naturally removes volatile organic chemicals known as VOCs from the air.

5) Peace Lily

Peace lilies have elongated glossy leaves and produce white flowers on a tall stalk. They grow to about 4 feet tall and wide. Unlike most other low light plants the peace lily’s flower is conspicuous and very attractive. It usually flowers during the spring time. The peace lily needs to be watered about once a week and will begin to droop when it becomes too dry. Clemson Cooperative Extension recommends the varieties ‘Flower Power’ for impressive blooms, ‘Starlight’ for dark, unique foliage and ‘Wallisii’ for a more compact variety. Peace lilies are also well known for removing VOCs from the air.

Light

These five plants will typically thrive in bathroom environments. Remember that all plants need some light, so make sure there is a bit of exposure to florescent light or a window in the vicinity. If your plant becomes gangly or does not produce flowers when it should, it is not getting enough light.

These lush foliage plants will make a bathroom more inviting with very little extra work to care for them. What plants do you like to use in low light conditions?