Best Bathroom Plants - Humidity-Loving Picks
Plants that enjoy humidity from showers and tolerate bathroom light.
Best Bathroom Plants
Quick recommendation
Boston fern, pothos, and calathea love bathroom humidity.
Best Bathroom Plants
Plants that enjoy humidity from showers and tolerate bathroom light.
| # | Plant | Light | Difficulty | Pet safe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston Fern | bright to medium indirect light, medium indirect light | Medium | Yes |
| 2 | Bird's Nest Fern | medium indirect light | Medium | Yes |
| 3 | Maidenhair Fern | medium indirect light | Medium | Yes |
| 4 | Calathea | medium to bright indirect light, low indirect light | Medium | Yes |
| 5 | Prayer Plant | medium indirect light, low indirect light, bright indirect light | Medium | Yes |
| 6 | Heartleaf Philodendron | medium to bright indirect light | Medium | No |
| 7 | Pothos | bright to medium indirect light, low light, fluorescent office light | Medium | No |
| 8 | English Ivy | medium to bright indirect light | Medium | No |
| 9 | Spider Plant | bright to medium indirect light, low light, some morning direct sun | Medium | Yes |
| 10 | Parlor Palm | medium indirect light, low indirect light, bright indirect light | Medium | Yes |
| No plants match your search. | ||||
Bathroom plants - complete plant list (10)
All 10 bathroom plants on this page, ranked with care notes on light, watering, mature size, humidity, and difficulty. Each plant links to a full growing guide. Compare quick specs in the comparison table above.
Boston FernNephrolepis exaltata
- Keep Boston fern lush - high humidity, consistent moisture, indirect light, and brown frond fixes.
- Boston Fern is widely grown as a pet-friendly houseplant and is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by major poison-control references.
- Boston Fern grows best in bright to medium indirect light, medium indirect light when grown as an indoor houseplant.
- For Boston Fern, every 3–5 days spring and summer (top 2 cm beginning to dry). 5–7 days in winter.
- Boston Fern does best at 50–70% humidity and needs well-draining but moisture-retentive potting mix. ph 5.0–5.5. peat or coco-based with perlite.
- Boston Fern is rated medium care for indoor growing.
Bird's Nest FernAsplenium nidus
- Grow bird's nest fern indoors with bright indirect light, consistent moisture, and 60%+ humidity. Easy to care for with no direct sun.
- Bird's Nest Fern is widely grown as a pet-friendly houseplant and is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by major poison-control references.
- Bird's Nest Fern grows best in medium indirect light when grown as an indoor houseplant.
- For Bird's Nest Fern, every 5–7 days summer (top 2–3 cm dry). Water into soil, never the central rosette.
- Bird's Nest Fern grows to 30–90 cm tall and wide indoors, does best at 50–70% humidity and needs well-draining potting mix with 20% orchid bark or coco coir for aeration. ph 5.5–7.0.
- Bird's Nest Fern is rated medium care for indoor growing.
Maidenhair FernAdiantum raddianum
- Maidenhair Fern needs humidity above 60 %, consistently moist soil (never dry), bright indirect light, and protection from cold drafts. Cut all collapsed fronds to the soil line - new ones emerge in 2–4 weeks.
- Maidenhair Fern is widely grown as a pet-friendly houseplant and is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by major poison-control references.
- Maidenhair Fern grows best in medium indirect light when grown as an indoor houseplant.
- For Maidenhair Fern, every 2–3 days - keep soil consistently moist. Never allow the root ball to dry out.
- Maidenhair Fern grows to 30–60 cm tall and wide indoors, does best at 60–80% humidity and needs 50 % potting compost + 30 % coco coir + 20 % fine orchid bark. moisture-retaining but well-draining. ph 5.5–7.0.
- Maidenhair Fern is rated medium care for indoor growing.
CalatheaCalathea ornata
- Calathea needs 60–80% humidity (humidifier essential), filtered water to prevent tip browning, medium indirect light (no direct sun), and consistently moist soil watered every 5–7 days.
- Calathea is widely grown as a pet-friendly houseplant and is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by major poison-control references.
- Calathea grows best in medium to bright indirect light, low indirect light when grown as an indoor houseplant.
- For Calathea, every 5–7 days spring and summer (top 2 cm beginning to dry). 7–10 days winter.
- Calathea does best at 50–70% humidity and needs well-draining but moisture-retentive mix. ph 6.0–7.5. peat or coco coir base with perlite.
- Calathea is rated medium care for indoor growing.
Prayer PlantMaranta leuconeura
- Prayer plants need consistently moist soil, high humidity (50–70%), and medium indirect light. Leaves fold upward at night.
- Prayer Plant is widely grown as a pet-friendly houseplant and is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by major poison-control references.
- Prayer Plant grows best in medium indirect light, low indirect light, bright indirect light when grown as an indoor houseplant.
- For Prayer Plant, keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged - water when the top inch dries out.
- Prayer Plant does best at 50–70% humidity and needs rich, moisture-retentive but well-draining potting mix.
- Prayer Plant is rated medium care for indoor growing.
Need humidity-loving options?
Use our bathroom plant finder to shortlist varieties that tolerate steamy, low-light bathrooms.
Heartleaf PhilodendronPhilodendron hederaceum
- Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum) care: fast-growing trailing aroid, light requirements, watering, and propagation.
- Heartleaf Philodendron is not pet-safe and is toxic to cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, horses, turtles, tortoises.
- Heartleaf Philodendron grows best in medium to bright indirect light when grown as an indoor houseplant.
- For Heartleaf Philodendron, water when top 2–3 cm dries. Every 7–10 days in summer; 14–21 days in winter.
- Heartleaf Philodendron grows to trails 4–6 ft indoors; glossy heart-shaped leaves 2–4 inches indoors, does best at 40–60% humidity and needs well-draining standard potting mix with perlite and optional chunky additions.
- Heartleaf Philodendron is rated medium care for indoor growing.
PothosEpipremnum aureum
- How to grow pothos indoors - watering rhythm, best light, soil mix, propagation from cuttings, and fixes for yellow leaves and brown tips.
- Pothos is not pet-safe and is toxic to cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, horses, turtles, tortoises.
- Pothos grows best in bright to medium indirect light, low light, fluorescent office light when grown as an indoor houseplant.
- For Pothos, water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry - roughly every 7–10 days in summer.
- Pothos does best at 40–60% humidity and needs light, well-draining potting mix with added perlite.
- Pothos is rated medium care for indoor growing.
English IvyHedera helix
- English ivy prefers cool, bright indirect light. Keep humidity high to suppress spider mites - the primary indoor pest.
- English Ivy is not pet-safe and is toxic to cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, turtles, tortoises.
- English Ivy grows best in medium to bright indirect light when grown as an indoor houseplant.
- For English Ivy, water when top inch of soil dries. Every 5–7 days in summer; every 10–14 days in winter.
- English Ivy grows to trails or climbs 3–8 ft indoors; lobed leaves 1–4 inches indoors, does best at 40–60% humidity and needs well-draining potting mix. slightly acidic ph 6–6.5.
- English Ivy is rated medium care for indoor growing.
Spider PlantChlorophytum comosum
- Spider plant care for beginners - watering, bright indirect light, propagating plantlets, pet-safe growing tips.
- Spider Plant is widely grown as a pet-friendly houseplant and is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by major poison-control references.
- Spider Plant grows best in bright to medium indirect light, low light, some morning direct sun when grown as an indoor houseplant.
- For Spider Plant, water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry - roughly every 7–10 days in the growing season.
- Spider Plant does best at 40–60% humidity and needs well-draining general-purpose potting mix.
- Spider Plant is rated medium care for indoor growing.
Parlor PalmChamaedorea elegans
- Parlor Palm needs bright to low indirect light, watering every 7–10 days when top 3–5 cm is dry, and 40–60 % humidity. Non-toxic to pets - an excellent pet-safe indoor palm.
- Parlor Palm is widely grown as a pet-friendly houseplant and is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by major poison-control references.
- Parlor Palm grows best in medium indirect light, low indirect light, bright indirect light when grown as an indoor houseplant.
- For Parlor Palm, every 7–10 days - allow top 3–5 cm to dry. Every 14 days in winter.
- Parlor Palm does best at 40–60% humidity and needs standard potting mix + 20 % perlite. well-draining. ph 5.5–7.0.
- Parlor Palm is rated medium care for indoor growing.
This Best Bathroom Plants plant list was researched and written by . Plant picks, rankings, and suitability notes for Best Bathroom Plants are checked against LeafyPixels plant metadata, care requirements, pet-toxicity references, and practical indoor suitability.
We prioritize sources that hold up under scrutiny:
- University cooperative extension bulletins and fact sheets (Penn State, Clemson, UMD, NC State, and similar programs)
- Botanical garden and horticultural society publications
- Peer-reviewed plant science and veterinary toxicology references where pet safety matters (including ASPCA Animal Poison Control)
- Established reference works on indoor plant culture
The LeafyPixels editorial team then reviews the draft for clarity, step-by-step usefulness, and fit with real apartment and home conditions-not ideal greenhouse setups. When guidance changes materially, we update the page and note the revision date.
Sources used
- ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants (n.d.) Toxic And Non Toxic Plants. [Online]. Available at: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants (Accessed: 9 June 2026).
- NC State Extension (n.d.) Houseplants. [Online]. Available at: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/find_a_plant/?plant_type__id=10 (Accessed: 9 June 2026).