Don’t have a window in your toilet, but you want to grow plants there? Worry not! This list of Plants for a Windowless Bathroom is your answer!
A bathroom is a place to revive and refresh for the day, and plants can double that experience! But what if it doesn’t have a window and you want to add live plants there? How will these plants survive without sunlight? Don’t fret! These Plants for Windowless Bathroom and our tips will come in handy!
Check out the best houseplants for sunny windows here
What is a Windowless Bathroom?
Urban places often have windowless bathrooms that are gloomy and dark, with not much ventilation or light. Though you can make the unpleasantness go away with artificial lights, using positive colors like white, and having some greenery. But this is not easy when it comes to plants.
While you can always go with faux plants, living ones are irreplaceable and have their charm. But, you may infer that no plant can survive without daylight, and it’s impossible to grow them there. Well, good news for you–it’s possible if you’re ready to read this article till the end.
Can Plants Survive in a Windowless Bathroom?
The simple answer to this question is–complicated. Plants, to survive, must conduct photosynthesis, and for this, they need daylight.
However, many plants do not need as much direct light as other plants do, and we have cautiously selected the best of them that do well in low light. These are the plants for windowless bathrooms!
A Little Trick
Imagine a sentry guarding a place. Can he complete his duty without sleep and food? Someone else must come to replace him when the shift is over. You’ll need to do the same–changing the position of houseplants in your bathroom. Locate them every two-three weeks or so to a new place, on your balcony, patio, or near a bright window in your home, where they can refresh.
Replace them with other indoor plants that were growing at a brighter spot. This way, your plants are going to get a proper dose of light without feeling weak. One more thing you should do is water occasionally, only when the soil is dry.
Check out our article on vining houseplants for bathrooms
Best Plants for a Windowless Bathroom
1. Lucky Bamboo
Botanical Name: Dracaena sanderiana
Lucky bamboo is a common, good-luck houseplant that can grow without soil, making it perfect for bathrooms! Just make sure that you are changing the water regularly, and the plant is going to thrive. It is one of the Best Plants for a Windowless Bathroom!
Check out how to grow lucky bamboo in this post
2. Aloe Vera
Botanical Name: Aloe Vera
Botanical Name: Aloe VeraReap the excellent benefits of aloe vera by having it at a hand’s distance in your bathroom! Ensure you do not overwater and keep it in sunlight once in 7-10 days to maintain it properly. Learn how to grow it here.
To know about some fantastic benefits of Aloe Vera, click here
3. Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum
With attractive, variegated foliage in shades of yellow and green, the pothos is a rugged vine that can easily survive in low light and humidity. You can also grow pothos in water–it’s easy. Learn about more indoor plants you can grow without soil.
Check out our article on the best types of pothos to grow here
4. Arrowhead Plant
Botanical Name: Syngonium podophyllum
Arrowhead is a perfect plant for a low-light bathroom if you’re ready to grow it in the water! Cut a stem with a few leaves attached and transfer it into a vase filled with fresh water. Keep replacing the water every few days like lucky bamboo, and it’ll thrive.
5. Spider Plant
Botanical Name: Chlorophytum comosum
The Spider Plant can survive in many conditions, including high humidity and lack of sunlight. It is also a potent plant to remove formaldehyde, making it one of the most suitable houseplants for a windowless bathroom!
Check out our article on Spider Plant benefits
6. Snake Plant
Botanical Name: Sansevieria trifasciata
The snake plant is included in the list of plants that purify the surrounding air in a study conducted by NASA. It also does well in low and fluorescent lights and prefers a humid environment, both found in bathrooms!
To know about air-purifying plants in detail, click here
7. Boston Fern
Botanical Name: Nephrolepis exaltata
Conditions in the windowless bathroom, such as artificial light, high humidity, and cool surroundings, are favorable for Boston fern’s growth. However, keep it near a sunlight source regularly.
8. Chinese Evergreen
Botanical Name: Aglaonema
Chinese evergreen is a tropical plant and can tolerate adverse conditions, including poor light. It’s a slow grower and is going to keep your bathroom looking green with its leathery foliage!
Check out our list of plants that can grow without sunlight in this post
9. Philodendron
Botanical Name: Philodendron
Philodendron does well in moderate and artificial lighting, plus the heart leaf variety looks fine, cascading down from a pot. Also, philodendrons do pretty well in warm temperatures and humidity; your bathroom is going to serve them just right!
10. ZZ Plant
Botanical Name:Zamioculcas zamiifolia
ZZ plant is going to do well in indirect or grow light. As it’s drought-tolerant and the slow-growing habit makes it adaptable to smaller pots, it becomes one of the best plants for windowless bathrooms!
To know about some astonishing benefits of ZZ Plants, click here
11. Dumb Cane
Botanical Name: Dieffenbachia
This is a plant to have if you want a tropical setting in your bathroom. It does well in a humid environment with artificial light, but like every plant on this list, you’ll need to replace it with another plant once you start to see symptoms like pale leaves, thin stems, and no growth.
For interesting bathroom plant ideas, click here
12. Baby Rubber Plant
Botanical Name: Peperomia obtusifolia
Baby Rubber Plant wants three things–humidity, indirect light, and no overwatering. Take care of these, and you have a plant perfect for the bathroom that comes with a compact size.
13. Cast Iron Plant
Botanical Name: Aspidistra elatior
Just keep juggling its position from the windowless bathroom to a spot that receives indirect sunlight every 10-14 days, and it’s going to do just fine. Replace it with other cast iron plant for a similar amount of time. Also, water only when the soil goes completely dry.
To know about plants that need water once a month, click here!
14. Peace Lily
Botanical Name: Spathiphyllum
With attractive foliage, the Peace lily can be a welcome addition to your bathroom, thanks to its ability to thrive in low light conditions. The washroom’s high humidity is also going to save you from watering it too often.
Check out some astonishing benefits of Peace Lily Click here
15. Plant Cuttings
You also have an option to keep plant cuttings in a vase or any other bowl of your choice in the bathroom. When they start to root, you can then transplant them into the garden. You can also keep two vases of different cuttings and keep interchanging their position every few days.
16. Succulents
The biggest reason why you can easily grow succulents in a windowless bathroom is their slow-growing nature. This means that you can keep them for a few days in the restroom and then change their location to a sunny one for a few days before putting them again in the bathroom.
Theses are great for rooms with some natural light coming in. My bathroom doesn’t have that. The ONLY light it gets is from a nightlight. Even during the day 😔
Sounds like you will have to opt for fake plants in the bathroom like I’ve got right now.
My bathroom is very dark like yours. One plant I have success with is golden pothos slips rooting in water. I just change the water occasionally. Still looks healthy after 4 months. If they start to fade I will just cut more slips from the mother plant and start over.
Note the article does mention that their suggestions require you to switch the plants out every 2-3 weeks into a room with natural light for them to do well. They tolerate unnatural light for extended period but they need refresh. It does well to have several of these plants and rotate them through the windowless rooms. That’s certainly what I do, no need for fakes.
Low or no light rooms can still have plants – use grow lights. Amazon has some very cool options and I can attest that they work.
What’s the deal with grow lights? Is it possible to add some grow strips to the bathroom ceiling, to be a light source for these plants as well? If they can tolerate low light conditions, would a couple hours under grow lights be enough to keep them thriving?
I have a spider plant in my bathroom with absolutely no natural light and it has been just fine.
I’m looking for ways to reduce bathroom odors and plants seem to be a perfect way to do it. The snake plant would be my first choice based on your description.