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6 Bathroom Plants That Absorb Moisture and Thrive in the Most Humid Environments

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Published Dec. 23 2023, 8:00 a.m. ET

Seven potted plants on display on a wooden table
Source: Annie Spratt/Unsplash

Growing plants inside your home fills your living space with gorgeous greenery. You could use your green thumb to plant delicious herbs or cover the walls with vines. Whatever purpose you want for your garden, your plants should be able to thrive. It’s an essential reason why you should choose bathroom plants that absorb moisture.

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Plants can grow in unique places if they have the right environmental conditions. Check out how to grow flowers and other plants in your bathroom to extend your indoor garden’s reach throughout your home.

Four potted plants sitting on a bathtub next to a candle with another floor plant pictured to the left of the tub
Source: Beazy/Unsplash

These are the best plants for your bathroom, as they absorb moisture.

Your shower and bathroom sink release steam into the air, making your bathroom more moisture-dense than other rooms. These plants will appreciate the humidity no matter how often you use your hot water heater.

1. Philodendron

A Philodendron is growing along a trail in front of a rock
Source: Getty Images

Researchers with the Plant, Cell & Environment journal found that the philodendron plant grew more in humidity because the moisture helped the aerial roots gain more mass. Get a cute pot for your own and place it anywhere in your bathroom. As long as the shower head doesn’t soak it, your philodendron will add luscious greenery to your living space.

2. Baby’s tears

People first found the Soleirolia soleirolii plant — otherwise known as the baby’s tears plant — in moist sites around the U.K. in 1917, according to researchers with Field Mycology. It’s one of the best bathroom plants that absorb moisture because it always needs more water content. Place it where there’s low to medium light and the dainty leaves will soon sprout small white flowers.

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3. Aloe vera

An Aloe Vera plant up close in a cluster of brown, dry leaves
Source: Getty Images

When aloe vera has direct sunlight and moisture keeping its soil slightly damp, it’ll thrive. You won’t need to water it very often because it absorbs airborne moisture so efficiently. Use it to soothe skin irritation or add antioxidants to your smoothies.

You might also wonder if edible plants would require changing how you hang them in your bathroom. The good news is micronutrients comprise only one percent of a plant’s weight, as noted by experts with Harris Seeds. It should easily use any other hanging plant kit.

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4. Boston fern

Close-up of a Boston fern in a pot on a white background
Source: Getty Images

The Boston fern is another one of the prettiest bathroom plants that absorb moisture. Its small, dark green leaves are gorgeous and only need water monthly. As long as it gets indirect light, it will absorb your bathroom’s humidity.

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5. Cast-iron plant

The robust cast-iron plant has long, elegant leaves that love the endless moisture available in a bathroom. Keep it away from a window and water it every 10 days to help it reach its 2-inch to 3-inch height.

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6. English ivy

Small bathrooms are perfect for the English ivy plant. It reaches the confines of its pot and doesn’t need additional room. While it absorbs your bathroom’s moisture, it will also filter air pollutants that cause delirium in children and pregnant people according to the International Journal of Green Pharmacy.

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Here are a few tips for maintaining bathroom gardens.

Once you find a few bathroom plants that absorb moisture, use these tips to keep them alive long after you bring them home.

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Ensure there’s enough light.

Check where the sun directs the light in your bathroom throughout the day. As it arcs through the sky, it will change where the sunbeams land in the room. You may need to move your plants every so often to ensure they don’t get too much or too little light.

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Iranian female painter, Mahta Moini-55, adjusting her plants and flowers in a lighted art studio
Source: Getty Images
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Monitor your bathroom’s temperature.

Your bathroom may get colder than other rooms in your home depending on your ventilation system. It may also be far from your HVAC machine. A standalone temperature sensor will let you know if the bathroom is getting too cold for your individual plant’s needs.

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Create enough space for each plant’s growth.

A shelf might work for your English ivy plant now, but what about in a few weeks or months? You might need to move your plants around as they grow to give them additional space. Use hanging kits, sitting pots and potentially new shelving to avoid restricting their growth.

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A lighted living room adorned with many plants, both potted and hanging
Source: Kate Darmody/Unsplash
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Enjoy your home more by filling your bathroom with plants.

It’s not challenging to grow bathroom plants that absorb moisture. All you need is a list like this for inspiration. Use these tips to create a gorgeous garden that thrives in even the most humid environments.

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