How Do I... Choose Plants for My Bathroom?
Looking to brighten up your bathroom with plants? Our expert reveals the best species to choose from
Georgia Madden
17 November 2017
In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning design and decorating questions. Here, Richard Unsworth, garden designer and owner of Sydney firm Garden Life, gives the lowdown on choosing the perfect plants for your bathroom.
Plants are a beautiful addition to your bathroom. They bring a touch of nature into the space and give anyone who enters an immediate sense of calm and wellbeing – perfect for a room that’s all about cleansing and relaxation. Plus, they’re a great way to soften the lines of tiles and bathroom fixtures.
Do all plants thrive in a bathroom?
Not necessarily. While the bathroom is a moist environment and additional moisture in the air is good for plants, it’s also a room of wide temperature fluctuations – warm when someone is showering, but cold when it’s left unused for several hours. You’ll need to choose hardy plants that will cope with these changes in temperature. Plus, many bathrooms receive low levels of sunlight, so plants should be able to cope with that too.
Image: Garden Life
Not necessarily. While the bathroom is a moist environment and additional moisture in the air is good for plants, it’s also a room of wide temperature fluctuations – warm when someone is showering, but cold when it’s left unused for several hours. You’ll need to choose hardy plants that will cope with these changes in temperature. Plus, many bathrooms receive low levels of sunlight, so plants should be able to cope with that too.
Image: Garden Life
What should I look for?
The most important thing is to look for plants that will suit the level of natural light in your bathroom. But they should also suit the level of care you’re prepared to give them. Ferns, for example, will require far more care than succulents in order to survive.
Tropical plants are a good choice for bathrooms as they can deal with less direct sunlight than other plant species. They are designed to grow in a rainforest, beneath a canopy of trees, which makes them ideal for indoor environments.
The most important thing is to look for plants that will suit the level of natural light in your bathroom. But they should also suit the level of care you’re prepared to give them. Ferns, for example, will require far more care than succulents in order to survive.
Tropical plants are a good choice for bathrooms as they can deal with less direct sunlight than other plant species. They are designed to grow in a rainforest, beneath a canopy of trees, which makes them ideal for indoor environments.
What are the best plants?
My top pick for bathrooms are:
My top pick for bathrooms are:
- mother in law’s tongue (Sansevieria): This tough indoor succulent has vertical, sword-shaped leaves. It copes well in bathrooms and looks wonderful too. I have the silver sword variety in my own bathroom, and it’s such a good performer. It’s easy to care for too – I simply run it under the shower every couple of weeks.
- cast iron plant (Aspidistra): Another hardy, good-looking plant that thrives in moist spots such as bathrooms. It has relatively low water requirements – simply put it under the shower every week in summer and even less in winter.
- Zanzibar gem (Zamioculcas zamiifolia): This is the ideal choice for a hands-off gardener – it’s virtually indestructible and requires very little watering in summer and virtually none in winter.
- Billbergia: This flowering plant usually grows on trees, which means it doesn’t need soil. The leaves come in many colours, but indoor varieties that receive low levels of light tend to become green over time. Keep water topped up within their leaves as they are used to catching rainwater this way.
- Philodendron ‘Hope’: This easy-to-care-for plant thrives in tropical, humid conditions – perfect for bathrooms.
- bird’s nest (Asplenium nidus) and maidenhair (Adiantum) ferns: With their soft, feathery foliage these plants look stunning in bathrooms. Be aware that they do require higher levels of moisture than the others mentioned, and will quickly die if left to dry out.
What if my bathroom is dark?
It’s difficult to keep plants in a bathroom with no windows or very little sunlight, but there are solutions. Start by choosing one of the plants mentioned above, which don’t require lashings of sunlight. Give them a rest in a brighter room every now and then – just make sure you don’t shock them by suddenly moving them from a dark spot straight to a hot location next to a bright window.
It’s difficult to keep plants in a bathroom with no windows or very little sunlight, but there are solutions. Start by choosing one of the plants mentioned above, which don’t require lashings of sunlight. Give them a rest in a brighter room every now and then – just make sure you don’t shock them by suddenly moving them from a dark spot straight to a hot location next to a bright window.
What are a couple of nice ways to display them?
How you display plants in a bathroom comes down to your personal style and the amount of space you have available. Personally, I prefer a single hero plant in an appropriate spot. Mine, for example, sits on an old wooden stool beside the bath.
But you could take a more maximalist approach and deck out your entire bathroom with plants if you want to. Most bathrooms won’t have the space to put plants on the floor, but you can place them on a windowsill, on shelves or next to the sink (small species will look best in this spot). Alternatively, hang a trailing plant such as devil’s ivy (Pothos) in a corner of the room (just make sure you can reach it to water).
How you display plants in a bathroom comes down to your personal style and the amount of space you have available. Personally, I prefer a single hero plant in an appropriate spot. Mine, for example, sits on an old wooden stool beside the bath.
But you could take a more maximalist approach and deck out your entire bathroom with plants if you want to. Most bathrooms won’t have the space to put plants on the floor, but you can place them on a windowsill, on shelves or next to the sink (small species will look best in this spot). Alternatively, hang a trailing plant such as devil’s ivy (Pothos) in a corner of the room (just make sure you can reach it to water).
Which vessels look best?
Natural, handwoven baskets in a neutral tone would be my pick as they go beautifully with greenery and will soften the harsh lines in a bathroom. If you prefer a sleeker look, contemporary white vessels look great.
Natural, handwoven baskets in a neutral tone would be my pick as they go beautifully with greenery and will soften the harsh lines in a bathroom. If you prefer a sleeker look, contemporary white vessels look great.
While we all want our plants to thrive for years – and sometimes they do – you shouldn’t worry too much if that’s not the case for you. It’s easy to kill plants with too much kindness (or not enough), and that’s okay. When you consider how long a bunch of cut flowers lasts, one or two fallen houseplants is not the end of the world. Simply pop them in the compost and start again.
Tell us
Do you have plants in your bathroom? Tell us how you’ve arranged them in the Comments below. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to like, share or bookmark this story. Join the conversation.
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Read more ‘How Do I… ?’ stories
Do you have plants in your bathroom? Tell us how you’ve arranged them in the Comments below. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to like, share or bookmark this story. Join the conversation.
More
Read more ‘How Do I… ?’ stories
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Our Master Bathroom is south-facing and has LOTS of light and, in the winter, plenty of direct sunlight. The article doesn't seem to offer suggestions for this scenario...which cannot be uncommon. Any ideas?
In my childhood home we had a maiden hair fern and it was still living in the bathroom when I left home. Obviously the conditions suited it, because it was seriously neglected. Maybe some people are killing them with kindness/ over watering
@pamelacarter I’m successfully growing pothos and aloe in a bathroom with south facing windows.