A home’s bathroom tends to be an aesthetically (and hopefully physically as well) sterile environment. With features like colorless countertops, porcelain baths and toilets, stainless sink hardware and tiled floors, there may not seem to be much room for accessories that “warm-up” the otherwise utilitarian atmosphere.
The last thing you might be thinking of is adding plants (which tend to be fond of sunlight) to a room that isn’t particularly window-friendly. And while artificial bouquets and still-life from Hobby Lobby could do the trick without much fuss, it turns out you can add the real thing as well without much additional trouble.
To live in a bathroom, a plant needs to thrive with indirect or artificial light and do well with the varying temperatures and humidity fluctuations that go with being in proximity to a shower. It might seem that you could scarcely be excused for failing to water a plant that is only inches away from a sink, but bathroom plants should be hearty enough to go a couple of weeks or more without watering. After all, you can’t plan to be there every day with a pale in hand while the house is sitting on the market.
But with luxuriously accessorized bathrooms, it won’t be on the market for long. Read on to find the best easy-to-maintain plants to match with your next staged house:
For this article, we’ll look at pairing plants with two bathroom styles on opposite ends of the spectrum: the modern, minimalist style and the traditional, inviting style.
Plants for Modern Style Bathrooms
Aloe
There is just something so fresh about a lick of green in a sea of white. A modern, minimalist bathroom is the perfect opportunity to employ this aesthetic.
Aloe is an excellent choice for this type of styling as it presents a very clean geometric profile with lots of smooth surfaces and consistent coloring.
Everyone knows that the juice inside of Aloe’s leaves is good for minor burns, bug bites and scratches. So why not include it in your bathroom for practical reasons as well? For this reason, Aloe is hard to beat as a plant fit for all kinds of bathrooms.
Lucky Bamboo
Lucky Bamboo is almost too good to be true. Not only does it have a sophisticated and zen-like appearance, but it is one of the easiest plants to maintain that you could ever come across. In fact, Lucky Bamboo is so hearty it doesn’t even need soil! Yes, you heard that right. Place the plant in a container of pebbles, add an inch or two of water and watch this beautiful plant grace your bathroom with it’s green and healthy presence indefinitely.
Snake Plant
With a nickname like “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue,” you’d think a plant like this would be high-maintenance. But contrary to the name, this is just about the most easy-going and forgiving plant you can come across.
Snake Plant’s leaves tend to grow straight up, creating a unique vertical profile that can be played against other components of the room’s geometry. This also has the added benefit of not taking up too much space. The plant is all about the interplay of form and function.
Plants for Traditional Style Bathrooms
Ivy
For many, the first thing “Ivy” will bring to mind is the leaf-strewn sides of an old brick house or English abbey. A hearty and aggressive plant, it’s no wonder that Ivy is one of the best choices for maintaining indoors.
Although there are multiple species to choose from, English Ivy (Hedera helix) in particular has come under the radar in recent years due to studies that have demonstrated its ability to substantially reduce the amount of airborne mold in a home. This makes it an outstanding candidate for mildew-prone bathrooms along with any other part of the house that is at risk for water damage.
When it comes to plants that are great for bathrooms, it doesn’t get much more literal than that. A tenacious air-purifier with a sturdy composition, Ivy is one of the best plants you could choose for any home’s bathrooms. A word of warning: English Ivy is considered a poisonous plant if ingested. For households that have pets or children with an insatiable sense of gustatory curiosity, it may be best to steer clear.
Pothos
Pothos is an easy-going plant that does well in harsh indoor conditions. It is described as one of the best choices for people who are beginners to plants. For that reason, it also makes a great choice for decorating bathrooms.
Color choices for Pothos range from bright chartreuse to gray-green with silver splotches. The latter (dubbed “Silver Satin”) is among the most flexible when it comes to low light and watering conditions.
Pothos benefits from indirect light but can get by on little or even with fluorescent lighting. For this reason, it can even live in offices and commercial buildings.
While Pothos is very friendly when it comes to maintenance, make sure that children and pets don’t try to munch on it. It contains toxic calcium oxalate crystals that will irritate the mouth.
Ferns
If Aloe is smooth, modern and minimalist, ferns represent the polar opposite end of the stylistic spectrum with their multiple unfurling fronds. Ferns were common in the Victorian era, both as an indoor plant and even as a decorative motif that could be found everywhere from the patterns in textiles to pottery and stationery. In fact, the plant was so popular that the term “pteridomania” was coined in 1855 to describe the plant’s seeming omnipresence in every form of art and media.
With an exultant personality, ferns make an excellent addition to bathrooms with more space and elaborate decor. They can be suspended from baskets or stand in pots and love the high humidity conditions that showers create. Ferns will need a little more care in terms of watering and sunlight than the other plants listed in this article. But doesn’t that just suit their luxurious nature?
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