There are tricks to keeping houseplants healthy even in dry climates. That's the bathroom. The typical high humidity and warmth of a bathroom are what most tropical plants lack to survive. So if your houseplants are struggling, collect them and display them near your bathtub or sink. However, keep in mind that not all species can tolerate the low light levels of windowless bathrooms, so you may need to provide supplemental lighting.
Brighten up a shelf or corner by the sink and add some high-humidity plants that prefer the bathroom environment to other areas of the house.
Orchid
Gene Pollux
Orchids can be a little fickle, but it's worth the extra effort to grow them in your bathroom. After all, they keep their gorgeous flowers for months. The moist, warm conditions of most bathrooms are the perfect environment for these high-humidity plants. The plant grows in bark rather than soil and prefers to be moist but not wet. Orchids that are easy to care for include dendrobiums, phalaenopsis, and paphiopedilum. All of these grow well in bright filtered light from your bathroom window.
Purchase: Potted Pink Orchid ($38, The Home Depot)
golden pothos
Denny Schrock
One of the most popular indoor climbing plants is the pothos, or Epipremnum aureum. The leaves vary in size, color, and variegation. Keep pothos out of direct sunlight and make sure the soil doesn't dry out (however, overwatering is fine). Pothos is a low-maintenance plant that can be enjoyed to the fullest in a hanging basket or on a high shelf in the bathroom. Golden pothos grows beautifully variegated leaves that are green with golden stripes and spots.
Tips for testing your garden: All types of pothos can be toxic if ingested by both children and pets.
Buy: Costa Farms Golden Pothos ($23, The Home Depot)
neon pothos
Denny Schrock
This variety, Epipremnum aureum, has bold neon leaves that add color and vibrancy to your bathroom. It is as easy to care for as the golden pothos, but it has brighter and more eye-catching foliage than the golden pothos.
Purchase: Neon Pothos Plant ($22, Lowe's)
spider plant
brain motes
Houseplants don't get any easier than the low-maintenance spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum). They tolerate low light like a champ, love some moisture, and their baby buds (which can be separated and propagated) are super cute. You can also let it dry out between waterings, and established plants can usually survive up to two weeks without watering.
china doll factory
marty baldwin
The dark green China doll plant (Radermachera sinica) is perfect for slipping into a corner of the bathroom near a window. China doll plants require bright, indirect sunlight, moist, well-drained soil, and should be protected from drafts. It's a humid plant, so it thrives in the warmth of your bathroom.
Bromeliad
Dean Schepner
These bright tropical plants are part of a family of plants that includes thousands of different species. Although care methods vary depending on the specific species, most bromeliads grown as houseplants require similar needs: bright, filtered light, plenty of moisture in the air, and a warm indoor climate . Most are prized for their incredibly colorful, variegated foliage and long-lasting color.
Common, easy-care varieties include scarlet star (Guzmania lingulata), brushing bromeliad (Neoregelia carolinae, pictured), and the incredibly prehistoric-looking pot plant (Aechmea fasciata).
Purchase: Costa Farm Bromeliad Plant ($25, The Home Depot)
Tillandsia
carson downing
Also a member of the bromeliad family, these beautiful plants are commonly referred to as air plants. Specimens classified in the genus Tillandsia (we are talking about hundreds of species) are beloved for their ability to grow without soil or necessarily without planting. In the right environment, they require little care. What's the perfect environment beyond the jungles of South America? You guessed it: the bathroom. Even better if you have a shower with a bright window. I love taking a shower every now and then to soak up all the trapped moisture.
If your air plants can't absorb enough moisture from the air, you can mist them or give them a deep soak every few weeks (depending on how dry your climate is). Common varieties include Tillandsia xerographica, Tillandsia vergeri, and Tillandsia ionantha.
Test Garden Tip: The more silvery the leaves, the more tolerant they are to drought.
Buy it: Tillandsia Air Plant Variety ($23, Walmart)
peperomia
unbreakable houseplants
This small, low-light-loving plant comes in a variety of colors and adorable leaf shapes. Their compact size makes them ideal for small spaces such as narrow shelves or terrariums (but keep them away from windows as they don't like direct sunlight). This special striped variety is Watermelon Peperomia, or Peperomia argyleia. Peperomia is very easy to care for, prefers moisture, and only needs watering when the soil surface is dry.
tropical pitcher plant
ed gorich
Nepenthes are a diverse genus of tropical plants, all exhibiting some type of pitcher bloom (filled with fluid that attracts insects as food and aids in digestion). Also called monkey cup. Contrary to popular belief, there is no need to “feed” these plants with insects. The average household has enough to consume one specimen.
Pitcher plants like their soil to be kept moist. Since it is a plant with high humidity, I keep it in my bathroom at home. It also tolerates low humidity, but pitchers are fewer in such conditions. Because of its climbing habit, it makes a great addition to your windowsill.
Buy: Nepenthes alata pitcher plant (from $30, Etsy)
snake factory
Emily Followill
Also known as mother-in-law's tongue, viper's string hemp, or St. George's sword, this plant is nearly impossible to kill. Sansevieria varieties tolerate almost all growing conditions, from little light to bright light to direct sunlight. They require little to no water, and keeping them in a humid bathroom may eliminate the need to water this hardy West African native.
Editor's Tip: This plant is considered mildly toxic to humans and animals if ingested.
Buy it: Snake Plant ($46, The Home Depot)
heart leaf philodendron
Dean Schepner
Philodendron scandens is native to South America and does not require a lot of light to grow. It prefers to keep its soil moist and can tolerate drought, but as it is a humid plant it is best kept in a bathroom with low light. Best of all, they can be trained to happily hang along windowsills and shelves.
Editor's Tip: Philodendrons are toxic to pets and children if ingested.
Purchase: Heartleaf Philodendron ($39, Bloomscape)