Choosing plants for your bathroom is a multi-pronged problem-solving exercise. To start with, most bathrooms don’t have big windows, for obvious reasons. This often leads to a low light situation which makes it tricky for plants to thrive. The other problem plants need to deal with is the continual change of humidity and temperature. It’s literally on and off again depending on people's showering habits. Plants need to be able to cope with a steam room one moment and a heater the next!
Just when you have managed the climatic aspects of growing plants in bathrooms, you then need to look at some of the practical considerations. For example, avoid pricks and sharp points! There’s naturally a certain amount of bare flesh involves in this space, so you don’t want to include cactus or yuccas or anything else that can needle a naked body! Other plants to avoid include ones that can cause skin allergies, so avoid weeping figs and Dieffenbachias, which have poisonous sap.
Lastly, some bathrooms are outdoors, and these will have their own design and functional differences. Going for plants here with large leaves could provide privacy and screening!! Consider Elephants Ears, Cunjevoi, Fiddle Leafed Figs, and Bamboo.
Top 5
- Pothos or Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnumaureum)
- Air plants (Tillandsia) and Bromeliads
- Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum)
- Parlour Palm (Chamaedora)
- Philodendrons, both climbing and large-leafed types
By: Meredith Kirton