Your bathroom is a room where you inevitably spend a lot of time. In an ideal world, our bathroom is a tranquil retreat, filled with flickering candles and eucalyptus-scented fluffy white towels—but that’s rarely the case.

Don’t think that your dreamy bathroom is out of reach just yet though, one of the easiest and most affordable ways to get that Architectural Digest bathroom is to incorporate plants in your bathroom. In fact, the best indoor plants for bathrooms can take a bathroom from bland and stuffy to invigorating and comfy.

So whether you need to get ready for work or unwind in the bath, take a look at some of our picks and see how easy it is to turn your space into a little piece of paradise.

1. Swiss Cheese Vine

The Monstera Adansonii, a.k.a. the Swiss Cheese Vine, is the perfect plant to give your bathroom that “rainforest oasis” feel. It’s a trailing plant that can start small but will climb or hang if given the opportunity and room to grow.

Plants like these are known as epiphytes and traditionally grow on the trunks of rainforest trees, using other plants to grow without harming them. Other examples you might be familiar with are Pothos, Ferns, and Bromeliads.

This epiphyte is a great choice for the bathroom because their unique root system absorbs moisture from the air, leaving it naturally purified. Monstera Adansonii’s trailing vines will grow best in bright indirect light, so bathrooms with at least one window are ideal.

And while this plant loves a humid environment (think post-steamy shower), it can be easily overwatered. Start by watering it once a week and make sure the top few inches of soil are dry before drenching it again.

2. Rattlesnake Plant

The Rattlesnake plant, or Calathea lancifolia, is a unique looking plant with wavy leaves and a pattern akin to a rattlesnake’s tail. The top of the leaf is a striking pattern of alternating dark and light green, while the underside is a deep purplish maroon color.

Looking to make a statement? The Rattlesnake plant can grow up to 2 and a half feet in the right conditions, making it a focal piece in any room.

Native to the tropical rainforests of Brazil, the long leaves of the Rattlesnake Plant grow best in a humidity-rich environment like your bathroom. Yet, unlike the Swiss Cheese Vine, this plant is used to the shade and only needs low to medium light, making it one of the best indoor plants for bathrooms with small windows or infrequent natural light. The delicate leaves will scorch if left in the sun, so indirect light is best anyway to keep leaves perky and vibrant.

To mimic their rainforest roots, the Rattlesnake plant should be kept moist and watered regularly, but they’re extremely prone to overwatering. To avoid root rot, choose soil that has adequate drainage and only water when the top layer of the soil feels dry.

3. Peace Lily

Spathiphyllum wallisii, more commonly known as the Peace Lily is a house plant that will put the finishing touch on your bathroom sanctuary. These simple, yet elegant flowers have deep green leaves and white “flowers” that actually aren’t flowers at all. The white part of a blooming peace lily is actually called a spathe, or a leaf that protects the flowering spadix, a spiky-looking rod that comes out of the stem.

Peace Lilies are the perfect plant for beginners who are still working on developing their green thumb. They do great in moderate to bright light but can also be low-light indoor plants.

While they enjoy humidity, this delicate plant can also be easily overwatered. As with most plants, it's always better to underwater than overwater at first to learn how the plant adapts to your bathroom’s humidity. When the soil feels dry, leaves begin to droop, or the tips turn slightly brown, that’s a sign you should start watering more frequently.

However, while peace lilies filter out toxins from the air, they can also be toxic to people and pets. You might want to steer clear of these if you have small children or curious pets; even the pollen has been known to cause adverse reactions in animals.

4. Rubber Plant

The shiny, waxy leaves of the rubber plant give this indoor tree it’s telling name. The Ficus Elastica, otherwise known as the Rubber Plant, comes in multiple color varieties including the Ficus Elastica Ruby and Ficus Elastica Burgundy. The Ruby variation of this tree has stunning dark green leaves tinged with pink on the outer edges, while the Burgundy Rubber plant has large glossy leaves of green and (you guessed it) burgundy.

This potted tree can grow anywhere between 1 to 8 feet, so for the biggest impact, a large bathroom with plenty of open space and lighting is the best option for these magnificent plants.

Tropical in nature, it loves the humidity of a bathroom and does well next to a window, thriving in medium to bright light. With occasional watering, this plant makes a significant statement with relatively low maintenance.

For the best chance at survival, limit watering to only when the first few inches of soil are dry. They're hearty plants, so it's safer to let them dry out for longer.

Find the Best Indoor Plants for Bathrooms at Leafy

Turn your bathroom into a tropical oasis with temperate, air-purifying plants. Peace Lillies, Swiss Cheese Vines, and the other plants we mentioned are some of the best indoor plants for bathrooms because they thrive in the humidity that mimics their tropical habitats.

There are hundreds of varieties of plants you can include in your bathroom, but picking one or even a few will help you get closer to achieving the tropical oasis of your dreams.

You can start building your bathroom retreat with indoor plants from Leafy. Leafy provides a stress-free, online plant-buying experience guided by plant experts. Allow us to help you choose the perfect plant for your home by browsing our collection of air-purifying indoor plants. ※