Avoid These Bathroom Houseplants: What Not to Keep (2023)

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Discover the three houseplants you should avoid keeping in your bathroom to maintain a thriving indoor garden.

Succulents and cacti, although popular choices for many indoor gardens, are not suitable for bathroom environments due to their low tolerance for high humidity. Examples of these plants include jade plants, aloe vera, hens and chicks, snake plants, bunny ears cacti, and prickly pear cacti.

While succulents and cacti may be low-maintenance and easy to care for in other areas of your home, they won’t thrive in the humid conditions typically found in bathrooms.

Creating an ideal environment is crucial when it comes to plant care. Although all houseplants love humidity, it doesn’t mean they can handle steamy showers or damp conditions that exist within bathrooms throughout the year.

Knowing which types of plants tolerate shade or low-to-medium light levels as well as higher humidity will ensure their successful growth elsewhere in your home.

Never assume that every plant will happily survive spending colder months as bathroom companions. It’s important to consider factors such as temperature fluctuations, humidity levels, and overall conditions specific to your bathroom before introducing any plant species into this space.

Avoid disappointment by selecting other locations like living rooms, bedrooms, and home offices for these particular houseplants while being mindful of their sunlight requirements.

Succulents and Cacti

Choose other plants that thrive in dry environments instead of succulents and cacti, as they may not handle the high humidity of your bathroom. Succulent care is all about finding the right balance between water and dryness, but bathrooms can be too damp for these desert dwellers.

The constant steam from showers can damage their delicate leaves, while the slow evaporation in a humid environment leads to root rot.

Instead, opt for bathroom plant alternatives that enjoy low humidity and infrequent watering. Consider plants like snake plants or ZZ plants, which are known for their ability to tolerate low light conditions and occasional neglect.

These resilient options will bring life to your bathroom without succumbing to its moist atmosphere.

So skip the succulents and cacti when choosing houseplants for your bathroom oasis.

Ponytail Palm

Place the ponytail palm in a dry and well-lit area where it can thrive. This unique plant, also known as Beaucarnea recurvata, is not suitable for bathrooms due to their high humidity levels. Ponytail palms prefer dry environments and can suffer from rot if overwatered or exposed to excessive moisture.

The bathroom’s warm conditions during winter may also be too much for this desert native plant. Instead of risking its health in such an environment, consider placing the ponytail palm in living rooms, bedrooms, or home offices where humidity levels are lower and temperatures are more stable.

Remember to water this plant sparingly by allowing its soil to fully dry out between waterings—usually every one to two weeks—to prevent root rot and maintain optimal growth conditions.

African Violets

Ditch the dampness and delight in different decorative options for your moisture-free oasis, like African Violets. These stunning plants not only add a touch of elegance to your bathroom but also thrive in its unique environment.

With these care tips in mind, you can create an enchanting indoor garden that brings life into even the smallest bathroom space while maintaining a tropical feel all year round.

Where to Put These Houseplants Instead

When choosing the best spot at home for your plants, first consider the living room, bedroom, or home office. These spaces allow ample indirect sunlight and lower humidity levels, perfect for succulents, cacti, ponytail palms, and African violets.

You’ll want to avoid the kitchen, though, as the heat and humidity from cooking can damage them. Make sure to place plants like succulents and cacti near sunny windowsills and give ponytail palms and African violets bright indirect light.

Just be sure to water them only when their soil has fully dried out, usually every one to two weeks.

Living Rooms, Bedrooms, Home Offices

You’ll love keeping these plants in your living room, bedroom, or home office where they’ll thrive in lower humidity. With ample window views, floor space, versatile office setups, tailored bedroom designs, and flexible lighting options, you can ensure jade, hibiscus, gardenia, and more get the right amount of shade and humidity.

Avoid the Kitchen

You’d also avoid putting them in the kitchen since the heat and humidity there can damage them. The aloe vera and cactus need cool zones with low to medium light to avoid root rot. Choose areas with appropriate soil pH, rainfall, and frost dates for these plants to thrive without becoming invasive.

Consider Sunlight Requirements

Put them near sunlit windows where their light needs are met. African violets and ponytail palms prefer indirect light. Jade plants and certain succulents thrive in dry environments with ample sunlight.

Take into account each plant’s natural habitat and sunlight requirements. Expert gardeners recommend specific windowsill placements and proper pruning techniques to ensure plants receive their ideal amounts of natural light and maintain healthy growth.

Don’t Go There!

When choosing houseplants for your bathroom, steer clear of succulents, cacti, ponytail palms, and African violets. These plants prefer dry conditions and can suffer from root rot, leaf damage, and other issues in the warm, humid bathroom environment.

Factors to Consider: Humidity, Temperature, and Bathroom Conditions

Dear friend, look before you leap since too high humidity can harm sensitive blooms even when secluded in a bathroom.

• Check the plant’s humidity tolerance before placing it in a steamy bathroom environment.
• Ensure adequate air circulation and natural light reach plants.
• Trim excess foliage to prevent mold.
• Allow the soil to dry between waterings.
• Select plants that tolerate warm temperatures and higher humidity.

Some plants thrive with natural indirect sunlight and can handle the humidity of a bathroom. But take care, as too much moisture invites mold and foliage diseases. When in doubt, choose a hardier houseplant or a spot with better airflow.

Plants That Don’t Thrive in the Bathroom Environment

My friend, passion flowers choke in exhausting humidity. Hydration is crucial for houseplants, but too much water rots roots. Fruiting plants need sunlight to yield sweet bounty. Reduce humidity near jade plants and snake plants, allowing soil to dry between thirsty gulps.

Don’t drown bunny ears or prickly pear cacti. Natural pest solutions utilize dish soap, neem oil, or insecticidal soaps. Let houseplants flourish with proper light, moderate water, and well-draining soil.

Keep Cacti Out

You’ll rot your cactus if you leave it in the steamy bathroom.

Cacti thrive in dry, arid environments. They need porous soil that drains quickly. Cacti want lots of sunlight but not direct light. Water cacti infrequently and let the soil dry out completely between waterings.

With the humidity and lack of light, bathrooms are terrible for cacti. The moisture gets trapped in the soil leading to rot.

For healthy cactus growth, keep them out of the bathroom. Place them near a sunny window where their soil can dry completely before soaking again.

Proper light, temperature, soil, and watering are crucial for indoor cactus gardening success.

Get in the Zone

Moving from keeping cacti out of bathrooms, it’s time to get into the zone when designing your personal spa sanctuary. Choose plants that thrive in the warm, humid environment. Go for an immersive experience with a bamboo soaking tub, luxurious rainfall showerhead, and funky shower curtains.

Display an asparagus fern arrangement on the vanity to complement the tropical vibe. Stock up on bubbly bath essentials like bath bombs and Epsom salts. Avoid placing plants like euphorbia candelabrum, monkey mask monstera, or gardenias that need periods of afternoon shade and precise soil moisture.

Instead, opt for shade-loving ferns, orchids, peace lilies, and pothos that flourish in the humidity.

Your bathroom can be a rejuvenating escape from the stresses of everyday life.

Plant Practicalities

Adding depth to hook the audience while discussing Plant Practicalities in the context of bathroom plant suitability, consider your plant’s native environment before bringing it indoors. Understanding where a plant originates from can provide valuable insight into its needs and preferences.

For example, if you’re considering transplanting seedlings or ordering bulbs online for your bathroom, be aware that certain plants like jade plants and hens and chicks may not thrive in high humidity environments.

On the other hand, propagating succulents can be a great way to add greenery to your bathroom as long as they are placed away from areas with excess moisture.

Additionally, staking tall plants such as haworthia truncata is essential for their proper growth and support. When ordering heirloom seeds or selecting new additions for your bathroom garden, always take into account each plant’s specific requirements to ensure their success in this unique space without compromising on style or functionality.

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