10 Air Purifying Bathroom Plants

Freshening up your bathroom by placing plants in it. Choose plants that are bright happy colours and shade-tolerant. 

In this article, you'll find out about the 10 air-purifying bathroom plants and their benefits - what makes the ideal plants for your bathroom.

What makes the best bathroom plants?

There’s no reason why your bathroom can’t be decorated like the other rooms of your home. Consider plants that have these 5 features:

• High shade-tolerant
• Are bright happy colours.
• Love a warm and humid environment.
• Can stand up to the cramped spaces of the bathroom.

Buy shade-loving plants from Thompson & Morgan

Bathroom plants polled the best

Create a Tropical Oasis in your bathroom to boost your well-being. So what plants are proven to be best for bathrooms? A comparison of over 100 online opinion polls and social media posts was reassuring. 

Many participants were houseplants fans and hobbyists. Over 95% recommended these 10 bathroom plants. 

1. Orchid
2. Bamboo
3. Calathea
4. Aloe Vera
5. Spider Plant
6. Snake Plant
7. Golden Pathos (Devil’s Ivy)
8. Monstera Swiss Cheese plant
9. Tacca chantrieri ('Bat Flower')
10. Tradescantia Nanouk ('Fantasy Venice')

Golden Pathos (Devil’s Ivy)

Air purifying plants

Bathroom plants have several health benefits too. These plants are great air purifiers. 

The spider plants will remove impurities like formaldehyde/carbon monoxide from the air. 

Bamboo grows in almost any light level without soil. 

Peace Lilly leaves filter air, producing better air quality.

Bathroom challenge

Have you ever been to a spa or a beachside resort with bathrooms inspired by the tropics? Lush greenery and the subtle scent of coconut fill the room. 

The sound of water can be heard ever so slightly and the iridescent colours remind you of shimmering shells beneath the waves. Sound familiar? 

If this is your ultimate ambience, there’s no reason you can’t bring this theme home. With the right bathroom plants, you can turn your bathroom into a dreamy tropical oasis in no time.

Calathea Plants Grow Well in Shade [Calathea crocata, rifibarba, orbifolai, markoyana, triostar]

There are over 60 species with variegated leaves in shades of pink, orange, red, white and purple. They produce yellow, purple or white blooms in summer. 

Calatheas come from the deep rainforests of the Amazon where there is heavy shade and high humidity and temperature. They thrive in very little light and are one of the best indoor plants. 

Calathea White Star

• Common name: Calathea
• Other names: Prayer Plants, Zebra Plants, Rattlesnake Plants, The Living Plant
• Native to: South America, Pacific Islands

Buy Calathea plants from top UK suppliers

Calatheas are shade-loving plants that thrive in low low-light areas, the easiest houseplants to care for.

Common Calathea varieties

Calathea crocata (Tassmania Orange' or Eternal Flame) 

Eternal Flame has beautiful dark green coloured leaves and bright yellow flowers

Calathea rifibarba (Fuzzy Feathers Plant or Velvet Calathea)

Commonly known as the Fuzzy Feathers Plant, it has long, dark-green, feather-like, fuzzy leaves that have maroon undersides.

Calathea orbifolai (The Prayer Plant)

The prayer plant is a large Calathea plant, it has large, round leaves and air-purifying qualities. The top and bottom sides of the leave are striped with pale silver-green variegated markings.

Calathea markoyana (Peacock plant) 

Peacock plants have oval pale green leaves with dark green patterns. The top and bottom sides of the leave have dark purple to red stripes.

Calathea triostar (Stromanthe Triostar) 

Cathalea triostar is known for its incredible colourful leaves with pink undersides. It is a rare cultivar that is now trending.

How do you propagate a Calathea?

The best way to propagate a Calathea is by base separation also called dividing.

Propagate the new plants early in spring. Separate the rhizomes taking care not to destroy any new roots - the segments will detach easily.

Plant the segmented parts in well-drained, moist soil.

Calathea leaves turning brown

This is the main problem Calathea plants face. If the leaves turn brown, it means that they are getting too much direct light, it's too cold.

Do these quick checks:

• Light: Is your plant in direct light?
• Soil: Is the soil moist and well-drained, not waterlogged?
• Pot: Is the pot or container suitable for the plant?

If the answer to questions is no, take action immediately to revive your plant.

Revive Calathea plants

To revive a dying Calathea plant, make sure light is not the main cause of the problem, If the plant is in direct light, move it to a location where there is sufficient natural light and is also warm.

Also, check the soil and ensure it is moist but not waterlogged roots exposure to stagnant water can upset the plant. 

The pot and container you use can also affect the health of the plant. Ensure that the holding pot has a drainage hole at the bottom for water to shive freely. Bigger plants will require repotting.

#Calathea is native to South America and parts of the island of New Guinea. Also known as the Living Plant, a fantastic #houseplant.

Got to find a place for it now ;)x pic.twitter.com/hJECpuiBuM

— G.B.P (@BambooPlantsUK) September 30, 2022

Swiss Cheese Plant Likes Indoor Shade [Monstera deliciosa, Monstera adansonii, Monstera borsigiana, Monstera obliqua]

There are several cultivars of the Monstera species called Swiss Cheese Plants. These plants are common house plants because they thrive in shade.

They are fantastic indoor plants because of their high shade tolerance, low maintenance and undemanding.

The Swiss Cheese Plants (Monstera spp) have holes in the leaves that resemble Swiss Cheese, hence the name.

Here are some shade-loving plants that grow well in the UK. 

Monstera deliciosa Swiss Cheese Plant

Common name/s: Sweet Cheese Plant, Sweet Cheese Vine,  Five-Holes Plant, Monkey Mask Plant

Swiss Cheese Plants family: Monstera deliciosa, Monstera adansoni, Monstera borsigiana, Monstera obliqua

Native to: South-east Asia, South America and New Guinea

4 Types of Swiss Cheese Plant

There are several species of Swiss Cheese Plant. 

The four commonly plants are:

• Monstera deliciosa: This species has the largest leaves compared to the other Monstera plants, has broad perforated leaves. It produces white flowers that look like an arrowhead as seen in the image above.
• Monstera adansonii: This is a marginally large Monstera with ovate leaves and slightly bigger oval holes in them than Monstera deliciosa.
• Monstera borsigiana: This is a smaller form of Monstera deliciosa.
• Monstera obliqua: This Monstera resembles Monstera adansonii, but has thinner leaves with lots of holes in them.

Soil for growing Swiss Cheese Plant

Swiss cheese plants grow best in peat-based potting soil, which will help trap moisture in the soil without allowing it to become waterlogged.

How to propagate Swiss Cheese Plant

The Swiss Cheese Plant grows well by vine cuttings. Cut at least two or three nodes from the tip of the vine.

Propagate the cutting in water until rooting before potting. Ensure that the water does not go stale as this may kill the new plant. 

You may see signs of root and leaf growth after a few days. Transplant the cutting into a pot or hanging container. 

You can also plant the new cutting straight into a holding pot of moist, well-drained soil.

How to Care for Swiss Cheese Plant

The Swiss Cheese Plant is a tropical plant, native to Southeast Asia, New Guinea and South America, where temperature and humidity are high, yet the forest undergrowth receives little indirect light from the sun. And that is where Monstera species thrive.

They are great bathroom and windowsill plants. They are also fantastic hanging plants because warm air tends to circulate to the top making it conducive for them to thrive there.

The Swiss Cheese Plant is not winterhardy and does not really like cold.

They generally require very little care. The most crucial thing is to make sure they are warm and there is some light, but not direct light.

They love to climb, so get some bamboo-stick stakes for the plants to climb onto.