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2021 Guide to the 8 Best Plants for Your Spa Bathroom (Even if You Have a Brown Thumb)
I’ve never been very good at keeping plants alive.
Either I water them too much or not enough.
I’ve even failed at keeping succulents alive!
There’s nothing like a dead desert plant to let you know you have no plant skills whatsoever.
I mean, those things can live in the desert with no water around for miles, and somehow I managed to kill them.
If you can relate, then I have some good news for you.
There are some very easy-to-care-for plants that will transform your bathroom into a living spa!
Since going on this journey to finding plants I can keep alive, I am finally starting to understand how to care for plants, which ones work best for people who really aren’t naturally good at caring for them, and how to keep them alive so they can beautify and add life to my home.
If you want to have plants around your home, particularly in the bathroom, but you haven’t been successful keeping them alive in the past, then I’ve got some great tips and tricks to help you get started.
All plants require differing levels of water and sunlight.
The tricks to being successful with plants are knowing how much sunlight will be available in the area you want to place your plants and how often/how much to water them.
Some plants might require some pruning, clipping or other care, but we’re going to steer clear of those types of plants because we’re amateurs.
We don’t know what we’re doing yet.
We want plants we’ll be successful with.
What Are The Best Plants For A Spa Bathroom?
Most bathrooms have lower lighting available than other rooms of the home.
I do have a nice big window in my master bath, but I keep the blinds mostly closed because, well, you know…nudity.
The first step in finding plants that will thrive in bathrooms is to identify which plants can live in low light, high humidity environments.
High humidity shouldn’t really be a problem for most any kind of plant.
But the low light is something we need to work around.
I’ve found several plants that can thrive really well in low natural light environments.
I even bought a couple of them to see if they’re as easy to care for as they seem to be.
And I’m sharing my experiences with my new plants as I discuss each one below.
#1 Peace Lily
The peace lily, which is not actually a member of the lily family, is a great option for your spa bathroom.
Lighting Needs of a Peace Lily
Not only are these houseplants beautiful, but they’re very tolerant of low light levels and fluorescent lighting.
In fact, they prefer partial shade and can even thrive where there is no natural light at all.
These plants can grow quite large if placed in a large pot, up to three feet tall.
You can have a peace lily as a floor plant in your bathroom, if you have the space, or you can have a smaller peace lily in a pot that confines it to a smaller plant.
The flowers of this plant resemble a calla lily and the leaves are a nice dark green that looks so lush and tropical.
Even if your peace lily never flowers, the leaves on this plant are just beautiful.
One of my favorite things about this plant for your spa bathroom is that they are expert air cleaners.
In fact, the peace lily made it onto NASA’s list of Top 10 plants that help combat indoor air pollution!
How cool is that?!
If you ask me, we could all use a little cleaner air, especially in the bathroom.
Watering Needs of a Peace Lily
And watering a peace lily is quite simple too.
Whenever the plant start to droop a little, add some water.
How easy is that?
I love when a plant tells me it needs water!
No thinking, remembering, or planning required.
If the peace lily has made its way into your heart as a great spa bathroom plant, you’ll love this article from a real plant expert answering all your questions about the peace lily including whether it’s toxic for animals, how resistant it is to critters, and more.
#2 Vining Philodendron
The philodendron family of plants has a lot of variety, from small potted plants to trees with leaves the size of your head!
But, the vining variety is a really great option for your spa bathroom.
The vining philodendron is a common household plant that you can find in most garden and home improvement stores.
This plant has pretty heart-shaped leaves that can be light green, dark green or variegated in color.
Lighting Needs of a Vining Philodendron
This plant doesn’t flower, and it can tolerate low levels of light.
In fact, the leaves can burn if it’s placed in direct sunlight.
It’s favorite environment is filled with humidity and has some indirect bright sunlight.
So if your bathroom is like mine, and you have a window that gets sunlight but you keep the blinds closed, this makes the perfect environment for this vining philodendron.
One of my favorite properties of this plant is that it will vine.
No, it won’t take over your bathroom and climb up your walls.
But it will grow little vines that crawl over the edges of your pot, creating a very natural and lively look while still maintaining a tidy look for a small space.
The vines can also replant in the soil to create a very full plant and can be snipped if the plant is getting out of control for your liking.
Watering Needs of a Vining Philodendron
And the best part of this plant is it is another one that tells you when it needs water!
It starts to look droopy and the leaves fall down.
These plants can go a surprisingly long time being neglected and still revive within an hour of being watered.
I’ve literally taken a completely drooped vining philodendron, watered it and walked away.
When I came back into the room an hour later…perky and like new.
No need to overwater either.
Just give it a good drink.
If you place this plant in your bathroom, you’ll find the humidity means even less watering than elsewhere.
This plant is adaptable to its environment, easily contained and easy to care for.
If you like how it looks, this one is a great choice for your spa bathroom.
The vining leaves hang in a very natural, calming way to induce relaxation.
#3 Draceana Marginata
The dracaena marginata is also known as the dragon tree.
This plant is a larger one and will require floor space and a bigger pot.
So, if your bathroom is smaller, or you don’t have floor space, consider one of the other plants on the list.
This guy will need some space.
Lighting Needs of a Dracaena Marginata
It does need some indirect sunlight, so it probably won’t thrive well in a bathroom with no windows at all.
But even a small window that let’s in some natural light will be great.
It will just grow a little more slowly than if it had more light.
No problem for me.
I don’t mind a slow grower in the bathroom.
Slow growers usually require less frequent care…perfect for us plant amateurs.
You don’t want the sunlight directly on the plant because it can burn, so keep it in an area that gets some light but isn’t directly in the path of the sun.
Watering Needs of a Dracaena Marginata
The dragon tree is very drought tolerant.
That means you can forget about watering it for long periods of time, up to a few weeks, and it will be just fine!
Don’t overwater it though.
It doesn’t like to sit in water.
This plant is one you can basically forget about for a while, so take advantage of that.
I love the look of this tree, with it’s palm-like leaves and it’s tidy growth patterns.
And the leaves both point up and fall down to give it a relaxed feeling too.
This plant makes me think of an exclusive spa in an outdoor setting with sunshine and a full range of relaxation services.
Ahhhhh.
It comes in several different leaf colors from light green to red and green variegated, and loves humidity and warmer temps, making it perfect for a bathroom.
Oh, and remember that list of NASA’s Top 10 plants that help combat indoor air pollution?
Yep!
This tree is also on that list.
Steer clear of the dragon tree if you have pets that like to eat your plants though.
This guy is toxic to animals.
For more information about this dragon tree, how to propagate it (if you’re so inclined), and what the symptoms of dragon tree poisoning in your pets are, read this nice succinct article.
#4 Chinese Evergreen
The Chinese evergreen is a plant that likes high humidity but can virtually grow anywhere inside the home.
Lighting Needs of the Chinese Evergreen
It tolerates low light levels and can even thrive under only artificial lighting.
There are several different varieties of the Chinese evergreen, but generally, the darker the leaves, the more tolerant of darker spaces.
Your spa bathroom will be full of life without much work with this plant.
Watering Needs of the Chinese Evergreen
Not only does it tolerate low levels of natural lighting, but it’s also quite drought tolerant.
Along with being drought tolerant, it can fare well if you water more often too.
So, really this plant is perfect for unlit bathrooms and plant amateurs alike!
What I love about the Chinese evergreen is how full and lush it looks without being a climber.
You won’t be looking at stems and dirt with this guy.
This plant is completely full of large, beautiful shiny leaves.
It’s basically the perfect living décor for your spa bathroom!
It grows slowly with less light, so you can keep it well contained in an average sized pot placed anywhere in your spa bathroom.
If you’ve never been able to keep a plant alive before, this plant is a perfect choice.
For more information about growing the Chinese evergreen, its toxicity to animals and other tips, this article is an easy-to-read guide.
#5 Spider Plant
The spider plant has a creepy name that I don’t love, but so far, I really love this plant!
I purchased one of these plants to try my hand at something that’s not as tidy as I normally prefer, mostly because if I decide I want to hang a plant, this one is the perfect plant to hang in a spa bathroom.
While it’s young, it’s leaves are thin, bright and cheery.
They also, arch over the edges of the pot, creating a bushy, cascading effect.
Mine is a young plant and I love how it looks in this beautiful marble-effect and gold pot.
To me, a beautiful pot adds to the allure of plants in your spa bathroom and turns the living things into the most attractive home décor.
Here’s a pic of my spider plant on my bathroom counter.
Isn’t he so cute?!
Lighting Needs of the Spider Plant
The spider plant prefers some indirect natural lighting.
I do get a good amount of indirect natural sun in my bathroom, but this little guy can thrive even if you have no light.
He’ll just take a little longer to grow and the leaves may not be quite as vibrant.
Well, that’s ok with me.
I don’t mind a slow grower.
I prefer plants on the smaller side anyway.
Watering Needs of the Spider Plant
The spider plant is also tolerant of inconsistent watering conditions.
The biggest thing to note about watering is just to not water-log it, like most plants.
You don’t need to soak the soil.
Just envision how much soil is in your pot and put enough water that the soil will get moist without floating away.
Many people love the spider plant for the fact that it creates little baby plants that grow off the main plant once it matures, and those baby plants can be propagated easily without harming the main plant.
You get a tidy main plant and an opportunity to grow more plants if you want.
This makes it a great hanging plant for your spa bathroom!
And if you have pets that like to eat plants, the spider plant isn’t toxic to humans or pets, so it’s a great choice for animal parents.
For specific watering, humidity and fertilizing instructions, take a look at this short spider plant care article.
But really, you would have to work hard at harming these plants.
I’ve had mine for almost 2 months at the time of writing this article, and I’ve only watered it once.
It’s doing great so far.
If you like the spider plant and want to try one for yourself, check out this one.
That’s the one I bought and I love it.
Just keep in mind that you’re buying a baby plant (like the one in my photo) and not a full grown plant.
I prefer baby plants, but if you want something more full grown, you should check out a nursery instead of purchasing online.
Shipping a full grown plant will be very costly.
#6 Jade Plant
The jade plant is in the succulent category of plants, which are generally very easy to care for.
Though, I admit, I have accidentally killed some succulents in my time.
What I love about the Jade is the chunky oval green leaves that look so healthy and tidy all at the same time.
A full grown Jade can reach heights of 3 to 6 feet tall.
But don’t let that keep you from getting one if you prefer smaller plants.
They are slow growers, and keeping them in smaller pots will prevent them from getting bigger than you would like.
Lighting Needs of the Jade Plant
This plant does prefer brighter indirect sunlight.
And my jade plant is sitting on the edge of my tub by a window that gets sunlight basically all day long.
If you have no windows or natural light coming into your bathroom, you can still try a jade plant.
It will just grow more slowly.
And I’ve been finding, with some experimentation, that many plants can survive with a lot less light than we typically think they need.
Watering Needs of the Jade Plant
Like any succulent, you don’t want to overwater this one.
If you see some leaves falling off, it needs some water.
But, if you’re placing a jade plant in your spa bathroom, there’s probably enough humidity in the air to keep this from happening.
Just water when you think (or can see) the soil is dried out.
And just add enough water to wet the soil, not enough to have sitting water at the bottom.
You’re going to get a lot of life from this plant if you just forget about watering for long periods of time.
Here’s a look at my jade.
With one watering in 2 months and some indirect natural light, it’s looking plump and healthy.
I really like the look of this plant.
It’s so cute and tidy.
And it makes me feel like my bathroom is a calming spa with clean air and vitality.
If you like my marble-effect and gold pot, you can get this beautiful pot here.
My jade has been sitting on the edge of my tub for about 2 months, at the time of writing this article, and it’s doing really well.
You can purchase this same plant that I have here.
I’ve added a little water only one time in that 2 months, and it looks very happy and healthy.
I even have some new leaves popping up on the tops of the original leaves!
This plant is toxic to pets, so keep that in mind.
For more care tips about the jade plant, see this article that nicely summarizes care as well as how to propagate this little beauty if you want to.
#7 Wandering Jew
While it has a questionably inappropriate name, the Wandering Jew plant is one of the most beautiful house plants. (Some sources are now calling this plant a Wandering Dude, but you’ll find most information is still listed under the original, less appropriate name.)
It has smallish green and purple leaves and grows quite full and lush when properly cared for.
The color is mainly purple on the back of the leaves with purple and green striations on the front, just beautiful.
It’s “wandering” because it’s a trailing plant.
But if you research the history of the naming of this plant, you’ll likely discover that this plant is a symbol of recovery because it can recover from lack of care very quickly and it spreads easily and grows quickly.
Ok, all good reasons to love this plant for your spa bathroom.
If you have a location in your bathroom that gets some natural light and you can hang a plant or have a high shelf, this guy would be perfect or that!
Lighting Needs of the Wandering Jew
The Wandering Jew prefers indirect sunlight all day long, but it can survive in the shade.
It just won’t have as much bright coloring when it has more shade.
Don’t place it in direct sunlight, as you can burn the leaves.
Watering Needs of the Wandering Jew
Don’t let the soil completely dry out on this plant.
Though, it can recover from lack of care pretty quickly if it has been neglected for a while.
Your spa bathroom makes a great location for this plant because the high humidity levels will almost ensure it never completely dries out.
Water moderately and keep the soil moist, but not wet.
Here’s a very thorough article on caring for your Wandering Jew plant indoors and outdoors.
One of the things I love about this plant is that you can let it grow and hang and climb as much as you want, or you can keep it nice and tidy by trimming it back without harming the plant at all.
I prefer tidy plants, but you might love climbing and hanging plants.
This one fits the bill for both of us!
#8 Aloe Plant
Practically everyone has heard of the aloe plant.
And we know it has some great skin care benefits too.
But how long has it been since you’ve seen an aloe plant as a household plant?
I recently purchased one and put it at my kitchen sink.
It is doing marvelously well!
And I think the aloe plant would be a wonderful addition to your spa bathroom.
Not only is this guy a tidy looking plant, it’s easy to care for and provides first aid and skin care benefits.
Definitely consider adding this one to your list.
Lighting Needs of Aloe
The aloe plant is a great choice for your spa bathroom if you don’t have any windows.
This plant does well in artificial light.
Don’t try to grow it in a dark closet, but artificial light will do just fine.
If you have natural light, that’s great too.
Just make sure it gets some kind of light for much of the day.
Watering Needs of Aloe
The aloe plant is a succulent, and like most succulents, you really don’t need to water it much.
I found this great article on aloe growing care in your home that has a lot of good tips on how to transplant, propagate, use the aloe for burns and more.
But, honestly, I have mostly forgotten about my aloe plant, and it has done really well under those circumstances.
So I think you’ll do fine with this one as long as you don’t over water.
Over-watering is the nemesis of all succulents.
Keeping this plant in your spa bathroom means you really don’t have to water this guy much at all.
And a great tell-tale sign that it needs water is that you might find the tips of the leaves to lose their plumpness.
I noticed this in my aloe and watered it, not soaking, just enough to get the top half of the soil wet, and it was back to normal by the next day.
The humidity of the bathroom would probably keep this plant healthy and happy with very minimal watering or even none at all.
Thinning or limp leaf ends means add a little water.
The great thing about the aloe plant is that you can put it in a small pot on a shelf or counter top or set it right on the edge of the tub or back of the toilet if you have enough space.
It won’t take over your life, and it doesn’t need much of your attention.
Ah, the perfect relationship.
How I Avoid Over-Watering My Plants
I’ve learned from experience that over-watering a plant will kill it faster than just about anything else.
And it’s not that I water them frequently, it’s just that I forget for so long that it makes me nervous that I’m killing them, and over-compensate by watering too frequently after I finally remember.
Here’s the thing about all the plants on this list, you really want to keep yourself from over-watering them.
I’ve put plants on this list that you can really forget about watering for long periods of time.
And some of them have clear signals that they need more water, so do your best to avoid watering between those telltale signs of needing water, and you’ll do fine.
The best thing I did for my plants was to add a layer of small rocks as the first layer at the bottom of their pots.
You don’t need to fill half the pot, just put one nice layer of rock first before any soil, and that will ensure that your soil doesn’t get water-logged.
Water-logged soil causes root rot in a lot of plants.
If you prefer pots that have drainage holes, you can use those either with a layer of rocks at the bottom of the pot or instead of a layer of rocks.
You don’t need to fill half the pot, just put one nice layer of rock first before any soil, and that will ensure that your soil doesn’t get water-logged.
Water-logged soil causes root rot in a lot of plants.
If you prefer pots that have drainage holes, you can use those either with a layer of rocks at the bottom of the pot or instead of a layer of rocks.
I don’t like the look of the drainage saucers needed under the pots when they have drainage holes, so I always plug up the holes in my pots.
But the rock layer at the bottom of the pot ensures the soil can drain even without a drainage hole.
And this is going to go a long way toward avoiding over-watering your plants.
Answers to Some Common Questions About Plants in a Bathroom
What is the best plant for a bathroom with no windows?
All the plants on the list above are great for creating a spa feeling in your bathroom, and most will do well, even with little to no natural light.
But the best 3 plants for a room with no natural light are the peace lily, the Chinese evergreen and the wandering Jew.
I’m finding that my research doesn’t always tell the whole story.
I have had a lot of luck with plants that aren’t getting much natural light, as long as I avoid over-watering them.
So, if there’s a plant you love that you want to put in a room with no natural light, try it for a while and see how it does.
It may just surprise you with how well it does!
What are the benefits of plants in the bathroom?
I’ve lived a lot of years with no plants in my bathrooms, mainly because I’ve never been great at taking care of them.
Recently, though, I’ve started wanting plants in my bathroom to help create a more natural, relaxed feeling.
The master bathroom, and even a powder room tend to be places we want to feel welcomed and relaxed.
Since plants are living things, they help to add natural, calming feeling to any room.
But that feeling is diminished if you are stressed over their care or they are drawing critters into your home or you have children or pets that may get sick from ingesting the plants.
In general, many people enjoy the natural feeling of the plants in the bathroom, and they add a softness to a room that is otherwise covered in many hard cold surfaces.
And let’s not forget about the air cleaning qualities of plants!
I would argue there’s no other room in the house that could benefit more than the bathroom from the air being a little bit cleaner.
Live plants can also be great at drawing water out of the air in your bathroom.
If you’ve got a bathroom that struggles to have enough air flow, you may want to add some plants to help with that.
Can I water my bathroom plants with shower water?
The key here is to generally know the chemical makeup of your water.
If you can water your plants with the water from your kitchen sink, you can water them with the water from your shower.
The water should be from the same source.
And the shower head may even purify the water more than your kitchen faucet.
Just keep in mind that hitting a pot of soil with a turbo charged shower head may cause the soil to shoot everywhere.
So turn down the water pressure, and you should be good to go.
If, however, you have a very high chlorine level in your water, you may want to use distilled water instead.
But this will vary by type of plant.
Some plants are much more tolerant of higher chlorine than others.
If you have a plant in your shower, and it’s a fairly hardy plant, using the shower to water it makes good sense and should be perfectly fine for your plant.
Can I water my bathroom plants with soapy water?
While many soaps today are pretty harmless to plant life in small doses, I don’t recommend using soapy water to water any plants.
Just like you wouldn’t drink soapy water or give it to your animals, it may not kill you, but it wouldn’t be the best outcome.
Steer clear of feeding soap to your plants.
What plants will absorb moisture in the bathroom?
Pretty much any plant will absorb some moisture from the air in your bathroom, which makes them a great companion for humid bathrooms.
To get the best moisture removal from the air, don’t keep your plant soil wet.
Just water your plants enough to keep them alive and not droopy.
But they will do a great job of removing some of the moisture from the air, leading to les water requirement from you!
Peace lilies and any kind of succulent are particularly good at absorbing moisture from the air.
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