The best houseplants for bathrooms
Make sure you choose plants that will love and thrive in the high humidity
When buying plants, it’s good to have an idea which room you want to grow them in, and if choosing a group of plants make sure they all need the same conditions. Overall, the environment in a bathroom is suitable for high humidity loving plants, and there are plenty to choose from.
Lynne part-owns Dibleys Nurseries, specialist growers of streptocarpus, begonias and other houseplants, and winner of 20 Chelsea golds. Over the past 20 years, she’s introduced 100 streptocarpus to cultivation – 10 with AGMs. Lynne is a member of the RHS Tender Ornamental Plant Commi ee and Hon President of the British Streptocarpus Society.
Bathroom with bright light/ weak sunshine: Peperomia
Plants of this genus are mostly from South America. They naturally grow in a humid atmosphere and need good light but no strong sunshine. In the wild they're epiphytic (grow on tree branches) and need a light compost; add Perlite to the compost when you re-pot. Water lightly, and only after the top 2.5cm (1in) of compost becomes dry. During spring and summer feed fortnightly with a balanced houseplant food. The foliage of these low-growing plants can be smooth or puckered, in a variety of colours – burgundy, dark to light green and white/pink variegation. The conical spikes which appear from the centre of the plant are the flowers. Most varieties are low growing and compact.
Bathroom with good light: Fittonia
There's such a range of different coloured and attractive patterned leaves in fittonia varieties. They're small leaved, low growing and thrive in a humid atmosphere. Water plants very lightly as soon as the surface compost becomes dry and feed fortnightly through the spring and summer months with a high nitrogen fertiliser.
The compact growth and strong-coloured foliage of fittonia make them ideally suited for growing in terrariums. A sealed terrarium rarely needs watering as the humidity circulates, from the plant to the air to the soil. Preferably fertilise plants by using slow-release tablets, inserted into the compost on a regular regime; a liquid feed would introduce too much water into the terrarium and could cause damping off.
Terrariums which are fitted with a light in the lid are brilliant for growing humidityloving plants in any warm room, even in the dullest of corners. The light not only keeps the plants growing, it also highlights them and makes an attractive feature. Keep the light switched on for 12 hours a day to promote good growth.
Bathroom with morning or evening sunshine: Monstera deliciosa (Swiss cheese plant)
These are large-growing plants that can produce leaves which are over 40cm (1¾ft) in diameter. A high humid atmosphere will help prevent the edges of the leaves drying out and becoming brown and crispy. If you have the space this is one plant which just shouts tropical, it can reach over 7m (23ft) in height and 1.5m (5ft) in width, but the good news is that it can be cut back to keep a bit smaller. A moss-covered stick will help support this plant and gives the aerial roots something to grow into – keep the moss dampened to aid the plant's growth. Healthy plants need feeding regularly with a high nitrogen fertiliser and re-potting each spring.