Brightening the Bathroom with Plants!
It's time to freshen up with bathroom! It can be hard to find plants that thrive in the kind of environment we commonly find in bathrooms. The sunlight isn't always the best, it's humid most of the time, and the air flow is pretty restricted. Most plants require much more than what a bathroom can offer, but, with a little extra love and care, there are some houseplants that would LOVE to call your bathroom their home. Most of these plants will want a sun bath every so often, so make sure you put them in a spot where you can easily grab them.
Bromeliads
Bromeliads are incredibly easy to care for and provide a bold pop of color! These slow growers need medium to bright indirect sunlight or dappled shade. Being that they're from a tropical climates, these plants absolutely thrive in a humid environment with warm temperatures. They only produce flowers once in their lifespan under the right conditions, so once the bloom fades, cut the flower stalk at its base. After flowering, the you'll most likely see offshoots of new plants in the soil.
Ferns
Being that ferns are native to the damp, shaded forests of tropical and temperate environments, they prefer low to indirect light, warm temperatures, high humidity, and consistently moist soil - which is exactly what's provided in a bathroom. If your bathroom doesn't get a lot of lgiht, we recommend bringing it to a bright space every once in a while for a sun bath. Bring the fern out to a sunny window or the fire escape, let the plant soak up some sun, and then put it back in the bathroom when you're done. You can let them sit for up to 6 hours in the morning, or 4 hours in the afternoon.
Calatheas
Calatheas are native to the tropical regions of Colombia and Venezuela, so they love the diffused, dappled light found on the forest floor. Their unique leaves come in a variety of colors, but most have a striped, variegated green leaf with a darker, maroon underside. They will fold up their leaves at night, and then "bloom" open to greet the morning sunshine, giving it the nickname “prayer plant.” These are another plant that will appreciate the occasional sun bath if your bathroom is on the lower side of the light spectrum!
Snake Plants
If you're looking for a "set it and forget it" kind of plant - this is the one. Snake plants are incredible low maintenance: they thrive in almost any lighting environment and they barely need consistent watering because they're a succulent plant! We like to recommend keeping bathroom plants in hanging pots, to keep the air flowing to the roots and avoid stagnant water, but Snakes don't really do well in those kinds of pots. The good news is, these plants are hardy enough to handle busy areas like a countertop or near the towel rack, so putting them in a pot isn't out of the realm of possibilities.
Pothos
Pothos plants are the ULTIMATE unkillable plant. They're hardy explorers that don't get too dramatic if you forget to water them and, if something does happen to it, they'll usually bounce back pretty quickly. Pothos are legacy plants; they love to live and will just continue to grow for as long as they want. With the habit of pushing out as many leaves as possible plus the tendancy to spread out, pothos plants are fantastic air purifiers!
Ask the Experts!
Even with restricted light and some extra humidty, the bathroom can be a great place for your plants. If your bathroom doesn't have any windows, it could be worth investing in some small grow lights – as long as you're not planning on putting the plants in the shower! If you're still having trouble deciding on which plant to choose, reach out! Text us to 609-968-7063 or send us an email at info@dahingplants.com