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One of the easiest – and most cost-effective – ways to give your bathroom an instant lift is with an indoor plant. Greenery not only breaks up an expanse of tiles, it also adds texture, colour and interest to a bathroom.
But what kind of plants work best in a bathroom?
We get the low-down from BHG’s horticulturalist Jenny Dillon.
What do plants need to survive in a bathroom?
Many people think bathroom plants need to survive heat and moisture. That’s because the longest time they usually spend in a bathroom is when they’re having a shower and so they associate the bathroom with heat and steam.
But that shower may only last for about 5 to 15 minutes and, for the rest of the day, the bathroom is at your normal room temperature and dry.
The exception may be if you have a household that includes five teenagers and you have only one bathroom, in which case any understory plant from steamy tropical areas is ideal.
What about light?
The biggest consideration, and one so often overlooked, is the light. Bathroom windows are either covered with blinds or shutters or the glass is frosted to maintain privacy.
So while the room may seem ‘light’, it is usually not light enough for most plants to thrive. In which case, you need a shade-tolerant plant.
What are the top 5 plants for the bathroom?
- Cast-iron plant (Aspidistra Elatior)
- Peace lily (Spathiphyllum sp)
- Ferns, such as maidenhair (Adiantum sp) or Boston (Nephrolepis exaltata)
- Smaller varieties of bromeliads
- Pothos (Scindapsus pictus)
What plants don’t work in bathrooms?
Most flowering plants don’t thrive because they need lots of light to produce energy, much of which is spent on producing flowers and fruit.
Most succulents because they thrive in hot, dry, very sunny conditions.
How should you care for your bathroom plant?
Place it as close as possible to natural light
Maintain soil moisture according to the plant’s needs (which is on the plant’s tag when you buy it).
When watering, water the soil, not the leaves.
Change the potting mix every couple of years. The plant’s roots draw nutrients from the mix, and this nutrient supply is finite. Also, over time, the mix becomes compacted, so oxygen can’t get to the roots.
You might also like:
Transform a rental bathroom on a budget
How to grow and care for a monstera deliciosa or Swiss cheese plant
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