The 10 Best High Humidity Plants For Your Bathroom.
The best high humidity plants are the plants that don’t do well in our home!
Let me rephrase that.
The best high humidity plants are the plants that need an extra boost of humidity to thrive in our home. 😜
These plants are ideal for those environments that are naturally more humid than others; like bathrooms, and sometime even kitchens, (depending on the layout of your home).
I live in a climate that has dry and very cold winters, so extra humidity indoors can be detrimental to our walls, windows and frames…
It is hard to find a good balance between the humidity humans and plants need and enjoy without damaging our homes during those cold months!
However, if you live in a more temperate climate, having extra humidity into your home shouldn’t be an issue!
Whether you live in a dry climate or not, bathrooms tend to be more humid than other areas of your home.
If you are looking to add some green into your bathroom, these are the right plants for you!Â
Having said that, please make sure to pick the right plants for the amount of light your bathroom has. Bathrooms may have good levels of humidity, but they also tend to be dark rooms!Â
If your bathroom does not have a window,  you may want to consider those cute IKEA fake plants. (🤠Did I really say FAKE?)
Well, reality is, no plant can survive in darkness.
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BUT, if you still like any of these plants and live in a home with low levels of humidity, here are a few tricks to raise humidity levels around your plants:
- Using a plant humidifier. There are several products on the market, and you can find them all online. I really like this Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier. It is not overly expensive and it works great!
- Misting your plants. I regularly mist all those plants that thrive on high humidity three times per week; Marantas, Monsteras, Alocasias, Stromanthes, Calatheas, Fiddle Leaf Figs, Strelitzias, Ferns, Pileas, Peace Lilies, Hoyas, Anthuriums, and Norfolk Pines.
- Grouping your plants by species. Grouping plants together will help them raise the surrounding air humidity levels.
- Using a tray filled with pebbles and water. Filling a saucer with small pebbles and adding water so that it barely reaches the surface of the pebbles, helps maintaining higher levels of humidity around the plant. However, Â it is important that the bottom of the pot is not submerged in water with the roots stagnating in it. This will cause root rot in the long term.
For more information on misting indoor plants and its importance, click here!
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These are the pebble trays I made for my ferns. They work really well for those plants that like their soil moist but not too soggy.
Without any further ado, let’s take a look at these 10 best high humidity plants!
1. Bird's nest fern, (asplenium nidus)
The Bird’s Nest Fern is one of the best high humidity plants!
It’s an epiphytic plant native to the tropical regions of East Africa, Asia and Australasia.
As an epiphytes, this plant grows on other plants in its natural habitat, drawing nutrients from its host plant.
Being native to tropical regions, this type of fern thrives in high humidity.
Like many other ferns, the Bird’s Nest Fern prefers full to partial shade, making it an ideal plant for low light areas of your home, (or bathroom).Â
Even though this plant does well in low to moderate light conditions, it thrives in bright indirect light, as long as it is not exposed to any direct sunlight.
Water it when the top 1″ of soil feels dry to the touch. I water mine quite consistently once a week, and since I keep it on a pebble tray filled with water to maintain high humidity levels, I use the water line on the pebble tray as a reference on how much water I need to give to my fern.
When I water my fern I observe the water draining from the pot until it reaches the top of the pebbles on the pebble tray. At that point I stop. I don’t want the pot to be sitting in stagnant water.
Fertilize your Bird’s Nest Fern once a month with a liquid plant food in Spring and Summer only.
Bird’s Nest Ferns don’t grow fast initially, so you won’t need to repot it for a year or two. However, once your Fern starts growing, it will continue to grow at a much faster rate, requiring more frequent repotting.Â
Repot your Fern when you notice its fronds are out of proportion with the pot.
Use tropical plants soil mixed with perlite to add drainage, with a ratio of 4 parts soil to 1 part perlite.
My Bird’s Nest Fern does really well with the pebble tray trick.Â
It really helps maintaining the high humidity levels this plant thrives in.
The typical crinkled Bird’s Nest Fern leaves.
2. snake plant, (Dracaena Trifasciata)
The Snake Plant is not only one of the best high humidity plants, it’s one of the most adaptable and low maintenance plants to have in the house!
It’s no surprise it made My Top 5 Impossible To Kill Houseplants list!
It’s a great plant to have in the bathroom, but really, it’s a great plant for pretty much any area of your home!
In one variety, or another, I have Snake Plants throughout our home, including one in the bathroom.
Native to tropical West Africa, the Snake Plant comes in many different varieties and sizes to suit your needs, taste and home.
They are all extremely easy to care for!
They can tolerate low light conditions but thrive in medium to bright, indirect light.
Do not expose them to direct sunlight.
The require little watering, making them ideal plants for busy people or people that are away from their homes for longer periods of time.
I water mine every two to three weeks.
Having said that, it is important to regulate the amount of water based on the amount of light they are exposed to. The more light they get, the more water they should receive.
I fertilize all my Snake Plants once a month from Spring to Fall with a liquid plant food.
Snake plants are quite slow in their growth so they do not need to be repotted very often for the purpose of upsizing their container.Â
It is always a good idea to replace any plant’s potting mix once a year though. After a year the soil becomes nutrients depleted.
Click here to read my article on the 7 Benefits of Snake Plants for more on Snake Plants.
This small Snake Plant is known as Bird’s Nest Snake Plant, (Dracaena Hahnii). This is the one we have in the Bathroom.
This small Snake Plant is knows as Snake Plant Fernwood, (Dracaena Fernwood).
3. spider plant, (Chlorophytum comosum)
The Spider Plant is another extremely adaptable and easy to care plant that also happens to be one of the best high humidity plants!
It is native to tropical and Southern Africa, and it’s currently naturalized in other parts of the world.
This plant also comes in different varieties and sizes; from solid green to variegated, from long and narrow leaves to curly ones.
The Spider Plant prefers bright, indirect light, even though it can adapt to moderate light conditions.Â
The brighter the light, the brighter the stripes are in the variegated types.Â
Do not expose it to direct sunlight, or it will scorch its leaves.
Don’t over-water your Spider Plant. The best way to determine if your plant needs water is to stick your finger in the soil; once the top 50% of the soil feels dry to the touch, it’s time to water.
Fertilize once a month from Spring to Fall with a liquid plant food.
Repot your Spider Plant when you notice its roots are creeping out of the drainage holes at the bottom of its pot.
For more details on the Spider Plant, read my article on the 5 Reasons Why It’s a Must Have Plant!
Curly variety of the traditional Spider Plant.
Hey Plant Loving Woman!
Are you a middle age mom?
Do you constantly feel overwhelmed and anxious?
Do you believe in the healing power of nature?
To reveal your #1 Personal Houseplant that best
helps you reduce your anxiety.
4. devil's ivy, (epipremnum aureum)
The Devil’s Ivy, also known as Golden Pothos, is one of my favorite plants.
It is extremely easy to care for and to propagate.Â
It’s also a beautiful plant that can create stunning trailing effects. It grows fast with little effort.
Native to the Society Islands of French Polynesia, the Devil’s Ivy thrives in bright, indirect light. The brighter the light, the more vibrant is the variegation. It can do well in low and moderate light conditions as well, but its leaves coloration will tend to be more monochromatic.
On the other hand, direct sunlight can actually be damaging to its leaves.
It is best to under-water this plant rather than over-watering it. It’s best practice to let the soil dry out between waterings.Â
However, the frequency of watering depends on light exposure. Â The more light it gets, the more water it will need.
I water mine once a week since it sits right by a North facing window. (This plant is extremely forgiving when I skip a week though).
I recommend fertilizing it once a month from Spring to Fall with a liquid plant food.
The Devil’s Ivy is definitely a fast growing plant that will need yearly repotting.
Its stems grow quite long as well, so pruning is recommended for the health of the plant.
Pruning Devil’s Ivy can lead to propagating its cuttings into new plants.
You can read more about pruning and propagating Pothos here.
These are cuttings of Pothos rooting is water. They are the result of pruning long stems from the mother plant.
5. Pinstripe Calathea, (Calathea Ornata)
The Pinstripe Calathea is one stunning plant!
It looks hand painted with a brush!
Looking at this plant’s foliage is realizing how amazing nature can be.
It is native to Colombia and Venezuela and it belongs to the Maranta family.
It shares the Prayer Plant needs for light, humidity and water.
The Pinstripe Calathea does best in bright, indirect light. Any direct light exposure can seriously damage and scorch its leaves.
Watering this plant is an act of balance, more of an art to master with practice over time, if you will.Â
The soil needs to be evenly moist at all times; not too soggy to avoid root rot, not too dry to avoid drying its leaves.
This plant really needs high levels of humidity, so if your bathroom is not humid enough for it, this is where a plant humidifier, or a pebble tray filled with water will come in handy.
I also learnt quickly that this type of Calathea needs to be watered with distilled water. The quality of water is important for this plant.
Our tap water is quite hard so we use softener salts to condition it. Water softeners are actually toxic for plants like Calatheas and they can damage their leaves. I noticed a big difference when I changed its water to distilled water. I even use distilled water to mist all these plants.
I fertilize my Calathea twice between Spring and Fall with liquid plant food.
Use a tropical plant potting mix when repotting your Calathea.
The pink stripes on the Pinstripe Calathea look like hand painted lines.
6. african mask, (Alocasia Amazonica)
The African Mask, also known as Kris Plant, or Elephant’s Ear, is native to South East Asia, where the climate is temperate and the humidity is high.
Similar to the Pinstripe Calathea, this plant loves high humidity levels, and it would also benefit from misting and a pebble tray filled with water underneath its pot.
If your bathroom has access to a good amount of light, this plant will enjoy the steam from your hot shower, Â otherwise I recommend finding a spot with a lot of bright, indirect light. No direct sunlight though!
The African Mask prefers to have a moist soil, but not too soggy.
Again, balance is key.
It’s ok to let the top soil dry out before watering during the winter months. (Do not allow to dry out completely or the plant will go dormant).
It’s important to maintain the soil evenly moist throughout the growing season. Ideally water your plant from the bottom so that it absorbs the water from the roots at its on pace. Discard excess water after a few hours.
Fertilize your African Mask once a month from Spring to Fall with a liquid plant food.
This plant enjoys to be root bound. Having its roots slightly tight into its pot allows the  development of its foliage.
Do not rush into repotting it until its roots are really crammed inside its pot.
The foliage details on this plant are amazing.
7. orchids
I find Orchids to be another miracle of nature.
They are so incredibly stunning to me that for so many years I shied-away from buying one for fear of killing it!
It took me a long time and a lot of research and convincing before I bought one.Â
I actually opted for a Miniature Orchid, a Mini Phalaenopsis Orchid.
I revered this plant so much and I have to admit that its care is actually very simple and basic.
That’s because I didn’t know that even when they loose all their beautiful flowers, the plant itself is still alive!
So, I am happy to say that after almost three years I have seen my Mini Orchid creating new branches and blooming multiple times.
All I do is providing a good amount of natural light, misting it once a week and placing one ice cube between its leaves a week.
There are thousands of Orchid species in the world.
The most common Orchids on the market are the Phalaenopsis or Moth Orchids.
These Orchids thrive in bright, indirect light. Make sure they are not exposed to direct sunlight that can damage its blooms.
If you have a full size Orchid, place 3 ice cubes at the base of its stems. If you have a Mini Orchid like mine, simply use 1 ice cube.Â
According to justaddiceorchids.com using ice cubes is a smart way to ensure you are giving your Orchids the right amount of water and that your plant absorbs water slowly and evenly.
Orchids don’t grow fast so you don’t need to rush into repotting them right away.
It is actually a common mistake to repot Orchids in soil as soon as they are purchased.
First of all, Orchids are epiphytes, which means that in their natural habitat they grown on other plants, so they don’t thrive on soil like other plants do, but rather on a specific media made out of bark chips.
Second, repotting an Orchid in bloom will make all of its bloom decay and die.
Just let your Orchid be and limit your care to the right location and watering!
This is a miniature orchid, (Mini Phalaenopsis Orchid).Â
I placed my mini orchid inside a glass container to help it maintain high levels of humidity. I avoid using a lid though, as it increases the humidity levels too much for this plant, causing the flower to go mouldy.
8. aloe vera
Among the high humidity plants listed in this article, the Aloe Vera is the only one that can actually tolerate a few hours of morning direct sun!
This succulent has become really popular as a houseplant due to its health benefits, with skin care being its most renowned.
Aloe Veras thrive in bright, indirect light. They do need a lot of bright light to grow.
I used to keep my Aloe Vera in a bright spot and I was probably watering it too often. I noticed my plant was struggling and some of its fleshy leaves were rotting.Â
I moved it closer to the window in an even brighter spot where it could be exposed to a few hours of direct sunlight to dry out its damp soil. I reduced the amount of water I was giving to my Aloe Vera as well. Within a few weeks the plant improved significantly.Â
These plants require little watering as they are drought tolerant.
Make sure the soil dries out between waterings.Â
Only fertilize your Aloe Vera once a year in Spring using a liquid plant food.
Repot when the plant becomes too heavy for its container and it starts to tip over.
Use a Cacti/Succulent mix with some perlite to add drainage, with a 4 part soil to 1 part perlite ratio.
My Aloe Vera posing for a picture. This plant generally sits in the sun. Too much water and not enough light can be lethal for Aloe Veras.
9. heartleaf philodendron, (philodendrum hederaceum)
The Heartleaf Philodendron is another favourite of mine.
(I am a sucker for trailing plants!).
Anyway, this is another easy plant to care for that is also lush and beautiful!
Native to Central America and the Caribbean, this fast growing plant can adapt to different levels of light; from moderate to bright, indirect. Avoid direct light exposure.
Water your Philodendron once 50% of the soil feels dry to the touch.
Depending on how much light it receives, its watering needs may change. This plant is quite forgiving if you forget to water it once or twice…
Fertilize it monthly between Spring and Fall.
The interesting aspect of this plant is that it will grow its stems much faster than its roots, so you don’t need to repot it yearly.Â
When you do that, I recommend using a tropical plants mix with some perlite to add drainage, using 4 parts soil to 1 part perlite ratio.
When its stems grow too long and leggy, you need to prune them. It will benefit the plant and it will allow you to root those cuttings into new plants! Click here to learn more about the benefits of pruning indoor plants!
Prune long stems in between the nodes, which are those tiny protrusions along the stems. Those protrusions will grow into full roots once placed in water for a period of time.
My Heartleaf Philodendron is actually in my bedroom, not in my bathroom. I do however keep a variegated variety of Philodendron called Philodendron Brasil in our bathroom.
10. peace lily, (Spathiphyllum)
The Peace Lily loves lots and lots of humidity!
It’s a very common houseplant that many struggle with; not because it’s hard to keep alive, but because it’s hard to keep healthy and beautiful looking.
That’s because this plant has needs that go beyond the typical and basic needs described in the majority of literature out there.
Aside from the fact that this plant needs lots of humidity, (hence its presence in this article), the Peace Lily needs less water than you think, and the quality of that water better be good!Â
The biggest issue with the Peace Lily is its tendency to yellow and eventually crisp the tips of its leaves.Â
Unfortunately this can be caused by several factors; over-water, under-water, wrong water, lack of humidity and lack of drainage.
Let’s start with the simplest solution; all plants need to have proper drainage. The best way for plants to have good drainage is to have good draining soil and to be planted in pots with draining holes. Click here to read more about the importance of plant’s drainage.
The lack of humidity can be solved by adopting one or combining some of the strategies listed at the beginning of this article, but for sure you need to mist your Peace Lily with distilled water at least twice a week.
Over-watering is a common problem and to remedy to that, let your Peace Lily lead you. In-fact, the Peace Lily is one of the few plants that can actually tell you when it needs water; its leaves start to droop! Do not water your Peace Lily until its leaves start drooping. It will not damage your plant!
This strategy will solve both your over and under-watering problem.
Because of the Peace Lily tendency to crisp its leaves, it is important to avoid any over chlorinated, or extra hard water. Simply water your Peace Lily with distilled water.
You’ll notice the difference.
Peace Lilies like to be root bound so don’t repot them until their roots are really crammed in that pot! Maintaining them root bound encourages blooming too!
Fertilize once a month from Spring to Fall with a liquid plant food.
For more details on the Peace Lily, ready this article on The Truth About The Peace Lily.Â
My Peace Lily has thrived into two different areas of our home. It started into this shaded corner, and moved into the Living Room once it grew too big for this table.
The Peace Lily starts to loose its pollen when its specialized leaf, (the white Spathe), is approximately one month old and starts to decay.
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Hey Plant Loving Woman!
Are you a middle age mom?
Do you constantly feel overwhelmed and anxious?
Do you believe in the healing power of nature?
To reveal your #1 Personal Houseplant that best
helps you reduce your anxiety.
Great articles! I learned alot and why I couldn’t keep a peace lily alive or a orchid
Thank you,
Susan