Top 14 'Steam-Loving-Survivors' Indoor Plants to start in your bathroom for creating a lush, spa-like retreat. - Goh Ling Yong
Transforming your bathroom from a purely functional space into a personal sanctuary is one of the most rewarding home projects you can undertake. Imagine stepping out of a warm shower into a room filled with lush, vibrant greenery, the air feeling cleaner and fresher. It’s not just a bathroom anymore; it’s your private, spa-like retreat. The secret to achieving this verdant paradise? Choosing the right plants—the ones that don’t just tolerate but actively thrive in the unique, high-humidity, and often low-light environment of a bathroom.
Many people hesitate to put plants in their bathroom, fearing the steam will be too much or the lack of a large, sunny window will be a death sentence. But here's the good news: a whole class of gorgeous indoor plants originally hail from tropical forest floors, where steamy air and dappled light are the norm. These are our 'Steam-Loving-Survivors,' and they are the key to unlocking your bathroom's potential as a green oasis.
In this guide, we'll explore 14 of the best indoor plants that will flourish in your bathroom. We’ll cover everything from indestructible classics to elegant showstoppers, ensuring there’s a perfect plant for every corner, shelf, and style. Get ready to turn your daily routine into a rejuvenating ritual, surrounded by the calming presence of nature.
1. Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
If you're looking for the undisputed champion of indestructible houseplants, look no further than the Snake Plant. With its stiff, sword-like leaves that grow vertically, it adds a touch of modern, architectural elegance to any space. It’s renowned for its ability to tolerate a wide range of conditions, making it the perfect starting point for a budding bathroom botanist.
The Snake Plant is a superstar when it comes to air purification. It's one of the few plants that converts carbon dioxide into oxygen at night, making your bathroom air quality top-notch around the clock. In the high-humidity environment of a bathroom, it requires even less watering than usual, as it can absorb some moisture from the air. This plant truly thrives on neglect, so if you're a "forgetful" plant parent, the Snake Plant is your soulmate.
Pro-Tip: Because of its upright growth habit, the Snake Plant is perfect for tight corners or small floor spaces where you want to add height without taking up too much room. Choose a variety like 'Laurentii' with yellow edges for a pop of color, or the compact 'Bird's Nest' for a smaller shelf.
2. ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
The ZZ Plant is another A-lister in the world of low-maintenance greenery. Its wide, dark green, glossy leaves make it look almost artificial in its perfection, but this plant is 100% real and 100% ready for your bathroom. It’s known for being drought-tolerant and happy in low-light conditions, a combination that makes it a bathroom dream.
The ZZ Plant stores water in its underground rhizomes, meaning it’s incredibly forgiving if you forget to water it. The steam from your showers will provide a good amount of the ambient moisture it loves, reducing your watering duties even further. Its ability to thrive under fluorescent lights or in a room with only a small window makes it ideal for interior or windowless bathrooms.
Pro-Tip: The key to a happy ZZ Plant is to avoid overwatering. Let the soil dry out completely between waterings. Its waxy leaves tend to collect dust, so give them a gentle wipe with a damp cloth every few months to keep them looking shiny and beautiful.
3. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
Often called Devil's Ivy, the Pothos is one of the most popular and versatile houseplants for a reason. Its beautiful, heart-shaped leaves and long, trailing vines can instantly add a lush, jungle-like feel to your bathroom. It's incredibly easy to care for and communicates its needs clearly—droopy leaves mean it's thirsty!
Pothos adores the high humidity of a bathroom, which mimics its native tropical environment. The steam helps keep its leaves vibrant and prevents crispy brown edges. It’s also very adaptable to different light levels, from bright, indirect light to lower-light corners. The trailing vines are perfect for placing on a high shelf, the top of a cabinet, or in a hanging basket, allowing them to cascade down elegantly.
Pro-Tip: Pothos is incredibly easy to propagate. Simply snip off a piece of vine with a few leaves and place it in a glass of water. In a few weeks, you'll have roots, and you can plant your new baby Pothos or share it with a friend!
4. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
The Spider Plant is a retro classic that has made a major comeback. With its arching, grass-like leaves and the charming "spiderettes" (baby plants) that dangle from long stems, it brings a sense of playful life to any room. It's another fantastic air purifier, known for its ability to remove common household toxins.
This plant is a fan of the moisture and humidity a bathroom provides. It prefers its soil to be kept consistently moist but not soggy, and the bathroom steam helps maintain that perfect balance. While it prefers bright, indirect light, it's surprisingly tolerant of lower light levels. The spiderettes make it the plant that keeps on giving, allowing you to easily grow your collection.
Pro-Tip: Place your Spider Plant in a hanging basket near the shower. The combination of humidity and the downward-hanging spiderettes creates a stunning visual effect. If the tips of the leaves turn brown, it's often due to fluoride in tap water. Try using filtered or distilled water.
5. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
For a touch of elegance, the Peace Lily is an unbeatable choice. Its glossy, dark green leaves provide a beautiful backdrop for the stunning white spathes (the "flowers") that rise gracefully above the foliage. It’s a plant that looks high-maintenance but is surprisingly easy to care for.
Peace Lilies are native to tropical rainforest floors, so they are perfectly at home in the warm, humid, and lower-light conditions of a bathroom. They are "talkative" plants, meaning their leaves will droop dramatically when they need water, taking all the guesswork out of your watering schedule. Here at the Goh Ling Yong blog, we love how a Peace Lily can instantly elevate a simple bathroom counter into a statement piece.
Pro-Tip: To encourage more blooms, give your Peace Lily a spot with bright, indirect light (e.g., near a frosted glass window). Keep the leaves clean by wiping them down or giving the whole plant a quick rinse in the shower to help it breathe and absorb moisture.
6. Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus)
If you want to create a truly lush, tropical vibe, you need a fern. The Bird's Nest Fern is an excellent choice for bathrooms because of its unique, wavy, bright green fronds that grow in a rosette shape, resembling a bird's nest. Unlike more delicate ferns, its leaves are leathery and less prone to drying out.
This fern craves the humidity that your daily showers provide. In a dry environment, its fronds can develop brown, crispy edges, but in a bathroom, it will remain vibrant and healthy with minimal effort. It prefers indirect light, making it suitable for a spot on a countertop away from a window or on a shelf.
Pro-Tip: Water the soil around the base of the plant, avoiding the central "nest" area. Pouring water directly into the center can cause it to rot.
7. Staghorn Fern (Platycerium)
For a piece of living art, the Staghorn Fern is a showstopper. This unique epiphyte (a plant that grows on other plants) has two types of fronds: small, flat ones that anchor it and large, antler-like fronds that reach outwards. They are typically sold mounted on a piece of wood, ready to be hung on the wall.
Staghorn Ferns are native to rainforests, where they cling to tree trunks and absorb moisture and nutrients from the air. A steamy bathroom is the perfect place to replicate this environment. They thrive on the humidity and require a good soak every week or two, which can be easily done by taking the whole mount into the shower with you for a few minutes.
Pro-Tip: Hang your mounted Staghorn Fern on a wall where it gets plenty of indirect light. It creates a stunning, three-dimensional feature that is sure to be a conversation starter.
8. Orchid (Phalaenopsis)
Nothing says "spa" quite like a delicate, beautiful Orchid. The Phalaenopsis, or Moth Orchid, is the most common and easiest variety to care for. Its long-lasting, elegant blooms bring a sense of luxury and tranquility, and it's a plant that absolutely loves the conditions of a bathroom.
In their natural habitat, orchids cling to trees in humid, tropical climates. The warmth and steam from a shower mimic this perfectly, providing the humidity they need to flourish. They do best in bright, indirect light, so a spot on a windowsill with frosted or filtered glass is ideal. The key is not to overwater; their roots need to dry out slightly between waterings.
Pro-Tip: Plant your orchid in a clear plastic pot (tucked inside your decorative pot). This allows you to see the roots—when they are silvery-green, it’s time to water. When they are bright green, they have enough moisture.
9. Air Plant (Tillandsia)
For a modern, minimalist, and soil-free option, Air Plants are a fantastic choice. These fascinating epiphytes absorb all the water and nutrients they need through their leaves, meaning they don't require any potting mix. Their unique, sculptural forms can be displayed in countless creative ways.
Air Plants are a natural fit for the bathroom. The high humidity means you’ll need to water them less frequently than you would in a drier room. They love bright, indirect light and good air circulation. You can place them in a small terrarium, mount them on driftwood, or simply nestle them in a decorative ceramic holder on a shelf.
Pro-Tip: Even with bathroom humidity, Air Plants need a good soak. Submerge them in a bowl of water for 20-30 minutes every 1-2 weeks. After soaking, gently shake off excess water and let them dry upside down for a few hours to prevent rot.
10. Calathea (Calathea species)
Known as Prayer Plants, Calatheas are famous for their stunningly patterned foliage. Their leaves often feature intricate designs in shades of green, pink, purple, and cream. They also exhibit a fascinating behavior called nyctinasty, where they fold their leaves up at night as if in prayer and lower them again in the morning.
Calatheas are notorious drama queens in dry environments, quickly developing brown, crispy leaf edges. This is why the bathroom is their happy place! The consistent high humidity keeps their ornate leaves in pristine condition. They prefer medium to low indirect light, as direct sun can scorch their delicate foliage.
Pro-Tip: Use filtered, distilled, or rainwater for your Calathea, as they can be sensitive to the minerals in tap water. A happy Calathea in a steamy bathroom is one of the most rewarding plants you can grow.
11. Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)
Similar in appearance and ease of care to the Pothos, the Heartleaf Philodendron is another exceptional trailing plant for the bathroom. As its name suggests, it has beautiful, distinctly heart-shaped leaves that are typically a deep, velvety green. It's an incredibly forgiving and fast-growing plant.
Like its tropical cousins, the Heartleaf Philodendron thrives in the warmth and high humidity of a bathroom. The steam will encourage larger, more lush leaf growth. It's very adaptable to light conditions and can tolerate lower light, though it will grow more compactly in brighter, indirect light. Let it trail from a hanging basket or train it to climb up a small trellis.
Pro-Tip: The Heartleaf Philodendron is a great communicator. If its leaves are yellowing, you may be overwatering. If the leaves are small and the vines look leggy, it probably needs a bit more light.
12. Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)
Living up to its name, the Cast Iron Plant is nearly indestructible. If you have a very low-light bathroom and a self-proclaimed "black thumb," this is the plant for you. It has large, elegant, deep green leaves that grow from the soil on individual stems, creating a full and graceful appearance.
This plant can tolerate a remarkable amount of neglect, including low light, infrequent watering, and fluctuating temperatures. While it doesn't need high humidity to survive, it will certainly appreciate the extra moisture in a bathroom, which will keep its leaves looking their best and free of dust. It's the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it plant for a dim bathroom corner. I've often seen Goh Ling Yong recommend this as the go-to for beginners who are nervous about keeping plants alive.
Pro-Tip: The Cast Iron Plant is a very slow grower, so be patient with it. Its main enemy is overwatering, so err on the side of letting it get too dry rather than too wet.
13. Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
Despite its name, Lucky Bamboo isn't actually bamboo at all, but a type of Dracaena. It’s a symbol of good fortune and brings a wonderful zen-like, minimalist aesthetic to a space. It's often grown hydroponically (in water), making it a clean and easy option for a bathroom counter.
Lucky Bamboo is a perfect fit for a bathroom's low-light and high-humidity environment. Since it's grown in water, you never have to worry about watering schedules. The key is to keep the water fresh and ensure the roots are always submerged. Its upright, architectural stalks can be trained into interesting shapes or kept straight for a simple, clean look.
Pro-Tip: Use distilled or filtered water, as Lucky Bamboo is sensitive to the chlorine and chemicals in tap water, which can cause yellowing leaves. Change the water every couple of weeks to keep it fresh and clear.
14. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
The Boston Fern is the quintessential humidity-loving plant. With its long, feathery fronds arching out in all directions, it creates an instant feeling of lushness and abundance. It’s a classic for a reason and can transform a stark bathroom into a verdant grotto.
This is a plant that will not just tolerate your steamy bathroom—it will celebrate it. Boston Ferns need consistent moisture and high humidity to prevent their delicate fronds from drying out and turning brown. The daily steam from a shower is exactly what it needs to thrive. It does best in bright, indirect light, making a spot near a window ideal.
Pro-Tip: A Boston Fern is a great candidate for placing directly in the shower (on a shelf or in a hanging basket out of the direct spray). The regular misting and runoff will keep it perfectly happy and vibrant.
Your Personal Spa Awaits
Choosing the right plants is the first and most important step in creating the bathroom oasis of your dreams. By selecting from these 14 'Steam-Loving-Survivors,' you’re not just decorating a room; you’re cultivating an environment that promotes relaxation, well-being, and a connection to nature. Each time you step into your bathroom, you'll be greeted by lush foliage and fresher air, turning your daily routine into a spa-like experience.
Don't be afraid to start small with one or two plants and see how they transform the space. You’ll be amazed at the difference a little bit of green can make.
Now we'd love to hear from you! Which of these bathroom-friendly plants are you most excited to try? Do you have a favorite shower plant that didn't make our list? Share your thoughts and photos in the comments below
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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