The Best Shower Plants to Keep in Your Bathroom (Low Light, No Light) – With Pictures

The best shower plants for your bathroom are houseplants that thrive in low-light and very humid conditions. Many indoor plants grow well in bathrooms where they can improve aesthetics and create a natural, almost tropical environment. Most bathrooms usually have less light than standard rooms—some bathrooms may even be windowless. Filtered sunlight or artificial light and steam from the shower create a unique growing environment for many “bathroom plants.”

Of course, not all plants thrive in bathroom conditions. Many succulents require bright light and dry conditions. Also, many evergreen plants are low-light plants, but they tend to suffer from fungal infections if their potting soil is too moist. But for some plants, being close to a bath or shower in a confined dark place is ideal.

These shower plants are ideal for keeping in a bathroom:

• ZZ plants
• Flowering orchids that love humidity
• Air plants that don’t need a lot of light
• Spider plants
• Dumb cane plants
• Peace lilies
• Cast iron plants
• Snake plants
• English ivy
• Arrowhead plants

Types of Shower Plants to Keep in Your Bathroom

Of course, no plants can grow in complete darkness. Even in apartments with windowless bathrooms, many shower plants can grow well if they get enough artificial light. Also, filtered light through frosted glass protects many indoor bathroom plants from direct sunlight.

What are the best types of shower plants to keep in your bathroom? Choose plants for your bathroom that have low light requirements and thrive in high humidity. Another critical factor for shower plants is that they tolerate temperature fluctuations—bathrooms tend to get warm, humid air during shower time and then cool rapidly after.

The three essential factors for shower or bathroom plants are:

• High humidity
• Low light
• Fluctuations in temperature

The Best Plants to Keep in the Bathroom (With Pictures and Common Names)

Let’s look in more detail at the various plants that thrive in dark bathrooms and aren’t stressed by the steam and humidity from showers.

ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

Also called the eternity plant because it’s almost indestructible, the ZZ plant tolerates warm, steamy, dark bathrooms. Although these “Zanzibar gems” need artificial light or indirect bright light, the plant can survive without water for months. The humidity from a shower is probably enough to keep the plant moist and thriving. If your bathroom doesn’t have windows, try to provide enough artificial light.

ZZ plants have thick succulent stems with shiny, glossy foliage. These attractive ornamental plants grow to about 2 ft. (60 cm) tall and can liven up a dark corner of your bathroom. When kept in warm rooms with high humidity, be careful with watering as overly damp soil can cause root rot.

To care for a ZZ plant, make sure that there is plenty of bathroom humidity and that the soil is never too moist or soggy.

Low Light Orchids (Orchidaceae)

Many types of orchids grow well without any sunlight as long as there is high humidity from your bathroom shower. These exotic plants are surprisingly easy to care for, even if there’s only indirect or artificial light in your bathroom. Their beautiful colorful flowers can add aesthetic value to bathroom décor and brighten up a dark room.

In the moist, steamy conditions of a bathroom, you may not have to water an orchid at all. These epiphytic plants absorb humidity and nutrients through their roots. So, if you have an orchid near your sink or on the side of the bath, this “shower plant” should thrive.

For best effect, place flowering orchids on a bathroom shelf in front of a mirror.

When choosing orchids for a bathroom, look for phalaenopsis varieties. These tropical plants are well adapted to sunless, humid conditions, and temperature fluctuations. Also, try dendrobium orchids or paphiopedilum orchids if you have bright, filtered bathroom light.

Snake Plants (Sansevieria)

Snake plants are a type of succulent that grows well in bathrooms, even though they don’t get bright light. Artificial lights, LED, or grow lights are ideal for growing snake plants in bathrooms. These shower plants are also one of the top air-purifying plants for your home.

Many types of sansevieria have long sword-shaped leaves that grow directly upward. They don’t like moist soil, so the steam from a shower and occasional watering are usually enough for these bathroom plants to thrive. The long bright green and yellow variegated leaves can help to brighten up any dim room.

Air Plants (Tillandsia)

Air plants make for excellent bathroom plants because they need little light and plenty of humidity. Being a type of epiphytic plant, they absorb moisture from humid air through their roots. So, every time you take a shower, you are watering these little bathroom beauties. Even the dim conditions of windowless bathrooms don’t seem to stress these plants.

There are several ways you can decorate your bathroom with air plants. For example, you could put them in a hanging basket above your bath or liven up a dull corner. Or, you could attach suction cups to tiled walls in the shower to mount the plants. Even putting an air plant on a shelf above your bathroom sink is okay because they don’t need any soil to survive.

Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum)

Spider plants are some of the best low light bathroom plants as they don’t need much care. The worst conditions for spider plants are dry rooms with direct sunlight. So, the shady, steamy conditions of bathrooms are ideal. Their bright, arching ribbon-like leaves provide an elegant accent in any windowless room, including low-light bathrooms.

These non-fussy plants don’t seem to mind any growing conditions. They make great hanging baskets for bathrooms and they are also air filtering house plants. The most popular type of bathroom spider plant is the variegated white and light-green variety. The shower steam provides plenty of humidity for the plant to thrive. You can even hang them in the shower to create a natural, tropical environment.

Madagascar Dragon Trees (Dracaena)

Many varieties of dragon trees make great bathroom plants because of their need for shade and humidity. The best type of dragon tree for dim bathrooms or no-window rooms is the Janet Craig cultivar. The dark leaves on this compact tree grow better in low-light conditions than the lighter-colored varieties.

Dragon trees can grow up to a few feet in height. So, they may not be the ideal indoor shower plant for small bathrooms. If you have space, the spiky foliage can create a tall accent to liven up a dim corner. But even in small bathrooms, with regular pruning, you can control the growth of these humidity-loving low-light plants.

Low-Light Bathroom Ferns

Some types of ferns can be tricky to grow indoors in dark, humid conditions. However, there are a few ferns that love humidity from showers and grow well in shaded light. The frosted glass on many bathroom windows can also create filtered sunlight that doesn’t affect fern growth.

Here are two examples of ferns that grow well as high-humidity bathroom plants:

Rabbit’s Foot (Davallia fejeensis)

You can keep rabbit’s foot fern hanging in your shower area where they thrive in moist air. Although they grow in bright, indirect light, they will do fine in the shade. In time, the bushy appearance and cascading branches will decorate your bathroom.

Blue Star Fern (Phlebodium aureum)

These easy-going bathroom plants have green-blue foliage and grow in indirect light. Even though they like bright light, they will adapt well to bathrooms where natural light is scarce. Humid rooms such as bathrooms are great spots for blue star ferns.

Dumb Cane for High Humidity Rooms (Dieffenbachia)

Dumb canes are one of the best plants for bathrooms because they like humidity and don’t mind periods of darkness. These moisture-loving houseplants have large variegated leaves that create a bushy appearance. The delicate leaves are susceptible to sun scorch, so they need indirect light or low light.

Dumb canes grow to about 3 ft. (0.9 cm) tall and their leaves can be 12” (30 cm) long. If you have a large bathroom with plenty of artificial light, these can be the perfect bathroom plant. However, as an immature plant, a dumb cane can still add a tropical environment even in small, dark bathrooms.

Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)

If you have a low-light bathroom and tend to forget about watering plants, then a cast iron plant is the perfect shower plant. The moisture from steamy showers is usually enough to provide plenty of moisture for these plants to thrive. You can also keep it in complete shade without worrying about killing it—hence the name “cast iron” plant.

Because the cast iron plant is so adaptable, it also grows well in drier air conditions. So, if you have a guest bathroom and are looking for an excellent indoor plant, choose a cast iron plant. The changes in humidity and temperature won’t stress the plant too much.

For small bathrooms with no light, choose the dwarf cast iron plant that only grows to 18” (45 cm). If you want to add height to a dark corner in your bathroom, then choose the regular variety that grows up to 3 ft. (0.9 m) tall. The dark green foliage with yellow stripes in the variegated type helps to add some nature to your bathroom décor.

Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)

Another hardy indoor plant to put in a dimly-lit bathroom is a species of Chinese evergreen. These large-leaved tropical plants thrive in humidity and don’t lose their colorful foliage even if deprived of light. The leafy perennials grow to between 1 and 2 ft. (30 – 60 cm) tall and will get plenty of moisture from shower steam.

If your bathroom is very dark because there are no windows, choose a dark-leaved variety. In lighter bathrooms where there’s plenty of natural or artificial light, variegated Chinese evergreen grow exceptionally well. Some types have green leaves with yellow, pink, or red speckles and blotches.

Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum)

Peace lilies are one of the few bathroom plants that flower in low-light conditions. The humidity from showers helps keep the air moist enough for these low-maintenance tropical plants to thrive. The glossy leaves and brilliant white flowers enhance the décor of any modern bathroom.

Peace lilies are also on the list of air-purifying plants for indoors. Depending on the size of the pot, they can grow quite large. So, they are excellent floor planters. If you want to place them on a shelf near your bathroom sink, keep them in smaller pots to restrict growth.

Unless peace lilies get enough artificial light or some indirect sunlight, they may not flower. In that case, you could move them to a brighter location in springtime. Or, you can just enjoy the shiny green foliage in your bathroom. Peace lilies are said to be plants that bring good luck—so, there’s another reason to have one at home.

Philodendron

There are hundreds of species of philodendron to choose from, some of which are excellent shower plants to keep in your bathroom. Most philodendrons grow well under artificial light and they like humidity—and plenty of it. Many species are vining plants, and they are excellent hanging baskets plants for your shower area.

The best choice of philodendron is the ‘Heart-Leaf’ cultivar (Philodendron hederaceum). This large, glossy leaves of this tropical plant create a natural environment in a poorly-lit bathroom. Regular pruning will help the plant keep its bushy appearance. If you notice that the trailing vines become too spindly, you may need to move the plant to a brighter location.

Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Another plant that does well in the shower is the golden pothos. Similar to philodendron plants, this is a vine plant that grows well in hanging baskets in your living room. The moisture-hungry plant craves humid conditions, and the bathroom is the ideal place to put your pothos. Also called ‘devil’s ivy,’ regular pruning makes the plant bush out. Alternatively, you can let the vines trail from a high shelf in your bath area.

Because these are shade-loving plants, you don’t need to worry too much about keeping the lights on in your bathroom. In case the humidity from hot showers doesn’t provide enough moisture, water whenever the soil feels slightly dry.

English Ivy (Hedera helix)

English ivy is another suitable bathroom plant because it needs damp air and grows well in low-light environments. Ivy is probably one of the easiest shower plants to keep in your bathroom. The long trailing vines help to add greenery in your bathroom. You can keep these small plants in a pot and let the vines trail along a bathroom windowsill or hang in a basket in the shower area.

In bathrooms with no natural light, you may find that the green and creamy-white leaves in the variegated type lose some of their vibrancy. If you have English ivy in your bathroom, remember that the plant is toxic. So, it’s essential to keep it away from children and pets.

Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina)

If you have the space in your bathroom for a small moisture-loving tree, you could have a weeping fig. These small shrub-like trees grow well in pots and thrive in humid conditions. However, you will need a bright, airy bathroom if you want a weeping fig to add greenery to your décor.

These common houseplants can add a vertical accent in a shady corner as long as the bathroom is generally bright. If your bathroom suffers from low light and you want a small indoor tree, it’s best to choose a dragon tree or cornstalk plant (Dracaena fragrans).

Arrowhead Plant (Syngonium podophyllum)

Arrowhead plants need protection from direct sunlight and thrive well in bathroom environments. Steam from showers provides plenty of humidity that these leafy houseplants crave. The best sort of light is low to medium. The darker-leafed cultivars grow exceptionally well in shady corners or in very little light.

Due to their long trailing vines, arrowhead plants can hang in the shower. Or, a potted plant can be placed on a shelf to let the dangling vines decorate a bathroom. If you want this plant as a floor planter, the climbing vines will need some support. Regular pruning will keep this bathroom plant looking full and bushy.

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