11 humidity-loving houseplants that’ll thrive in your bathroom

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Add a touch of greenery to your bathroom with these humidity-loving houseplants.

There’s nothing quite like a new plant to brighten up a tired space, including a bathroom. One of the hardest rooms to decorate, sprucing up your bathroom can be a challenging task – but adding a plant (or five) can make all the difference to how your space feels.

Indeed, not only do plants add an extra splash of colour to the room, but they also give it a more relaxing, spa-like vibe – perfect for when you want to switch off at the end of a stressful day.  

The only challenge is selecting plants that will thrive in a bathroom environment. With high levels of humidity, changeable temperatures throughout the day and often limited levels of light, finding plants that will be happy in your bathroom isn’t always easy.

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It isn’t impossible, however. In fact, many modern houseplants originate from tropical environments and, as such, they enjoy spaces where they can soak up lots of humidity. 

So, to help you get started, we’ve picked out a selection of the best bathroom plants to give your space a new lease of life in 2023. Keep reading to check them out. 

It’s worth noting that, while these plants will enjoy the high humidity and warmth of the bathroom, that doesn’t mean you can’t display them in other areas of your home – you just might need to find other ways to supply the humidity they need.

• Watermelon Peperomia

  Named for its adorable green striped leaves which look like the skin of a watermelon, the watermelon peperomia may be small, but it’s still seriously eye-catching. Its love for warm temperatures and high humidity makes it the perfect candidate for a bathroom plant.

  It’s also really easy to look after (you’ll often find it on lists of ‘low maintenance’ plants) making it the perfect bathroom plant for beginners.

  Care tips: in the wild, the watermelon peperomia grows underneath trees, so it enjoys bright indirect light or light shade. You’ll only need to water it when the soil is dried out on top. 

  Shop Watermelon Peperomia at Prickle, £14

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• Spider Plant

  It’s hard to find an environment that the spider plant won’t tolerate, making it the perfect choice for the changeable bathroom environment. 

  Its cascading green and white foliage and regular offshoots (which you can cut off and propagate into more spider plants if you fancy) make it great hanging plant material, too.

  Care tips: the spider plant can tolerate a little neglect, but if you want yours to thrive, let the soil dry out a little between waterings. Spider plants can also tolerate low light but will be much happier when they have access to bright, indirect light (eg in a bathroom with some kind of window). 

  Shop Spider Plant at foli8, £16.50

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• Chinese Money Plant

  If you’re new to plant ownership, you can’t go wrong with the versatile Chinese money plant. Famous for its unique, circular leaves, this plant can withstand a little neglect and grows pretty fast, meaning you’ll be rewarded with lots of new leaves before you know it.

  Plus, it produces little ‘pups’ which you can cut off and propagate, so you can grow a whole collection of Chinese money plants if your heart desires.

  Care tips: the Chinese money plant enjoys bright, indirect light, so keep it away from the windowsill. Give it some water when the soil is dried out a little. 

  Shop Chinese Money Plant at Beards & Daisies, £18

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• Boston Fern

  The boston fern is native to the shady, humid forests and jungles of tropical regions around the world, making it perfectly suited to the low-light bathroom environment. 

  Its long, pointy fronds would look great positioned on the edge of the bath or hanging in a blank corner.

  Care tips: like most ferns, boston ferns like things damp, so make sure to keep its soil moist (but not wet) and give it an extra mist when the shower isn’t in use. Boston ferns also don’t mind a shadier spot.

  Shop Boston Fern at Beards & Daisies, £10

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• Golden Pothos

  Another great bathroom plant for beginners is the golden pothos or devil’s ivy, which looks fantastic trailing from a shelf or hung from the ceiling. 

  It’s known for being incredibly hardy (it gets its ‘devil’s ivy’ moniker from being near impossible to kill), and will respond to a little love with lots of growth.

  Care tips: the golden pothos likes indirect light where possible (it can survive low light conditions, but its variegation may fade) and prefers to have its soil dry out a little between waterings. Give it a drink when the top of the soil is dry. 

  Shop Golden Pothos at The Stem, £20

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• Maidenhair Fern

  The maidenhair fern may be more delicate and petite than the robust Boston fern, but that doesn’t make it any less special.

  In fact, it’s perfect for those smaller spots in your bathroom that need a splash of life, like the odd shelf or on the back of the toilet.

  Care tips: the maidenhair fern isn’t for beginners. In the wild it’s often found growing on rocks near waterfalls and, as such, it loves a lot of moisture. If your bathroom is home to a shower that’s used regularly it’ll appreciate the humidity, but if not, make sure to give it a regular mist and give it water as soon as the soil looks a little dry. 

  Shop Maidenhair Fern at Prickle, £14

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• Aglaonema Pink Star

  For a real splash of colour, nothing quite beats the eye-catching pink leaves of the aglaonema pink star.

  A rare plant which is native to the rainforests of Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, the aglaonema pink star is pretty easy to take care of, making it a beginner-friendly option, too. What’s not to love?

  Care tips: the agloanema pink star’s tropical background makes it the ideal bathroom plant. Just give it indirect light and water when the top third of the soil is dry to keep it happy. 

  Shop Agloanema Pink Star at Happy Houseplants, £25.99

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• Alocasia Portodora

  If you’re lucky enough to have a bathroom with lots of space, then a statement plant like the alocasia portodora – or the upright elephant ear, as it is also known – could be a great option.

  Talk about transforming your home into an indoor jungle – the big sprawling leaves on this plant will make it a striking addition to any room.

  Care tips: the alocasia portodora loves humidity and lots of bright light, so it’ll only thrive in bathrooms with plenty of windows. It also loves to live in moist soil, so make sure to water when the top section of its soil is dry. 

  Shop Alocasia Portodora at The Stem, £20

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• Asparagus Fern

  As much as we love the delicate green fronds of the asparagus fern, this plant can be a little bit dramatic, so you might want to steer clear of this one if you’re a complete beginner. 

  However, just because it can be difficult at times (for example, if you touch its leaves, they tend to turn brown), that doesn’t mean it won’t be happy if left to its own devices in a bathroom environment.

  Care tips: these plants love light humidity and can live in moderate shade (so no windowsills). When it comes to watering, it’s best to keep their soil damp, but not super wet.

  Shop Asparagus Fern at Beards & Daisies, £14

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• Snake Plant

  The snake plant is famed for thriving in low light conditions, so it’s perfectly suited to a bathroom without much natural light. 

  Its spiky, structural leaves make it a great statement plant for adorning a bland corner or surface.

  Care tips: snake plants prefer when their soil dries out between waterings, so your plant won’t worry if you forget to give it a drink every once in a while. They don’t need humidity to thrive, but they will tolerate it.

  Shop Snake Plant at Patch Plants, £22

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• Kentia Palm

  Make a statement out of a bare corner with the help of the impressive kentia palm.

  Its slender frame and arching fronds will transform your bathroom into a tropical paradise.

  Care tips: alongside lots of humidity, the kentia palm enjoys regular watering (approximately once a week, depending on the time of year) and lots of bright, indirect light. 

  Shop Kentia Palm at Leaf Envy, £56

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Images: courtesy of suppliers

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