Bathroom plants are on trend. (Happily, that means I’m on trend for once, since I have a couple of plants decorating my bathroom!) And unlike other trends (like that crazy Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino), this one actually makes sense. It’s booming on Pinterest (there’s a 300 percent increase in the number of searches for shower plants!) and being talked about on popular sites like Popsugar and Mashable. 

Growing plants in your bathroom (or shower) can make plant care a lot easier. Most houseplants come from tropical regions where it’s warm and humid -- so they’ll appreciate extra moisture in the air from the sink and shower. And because it’s a room you’re usually in every day, keeping plants in your bathroom can help you remember to water them. 

Even better, houseplants are well known for their ability to clean indoor air. NASA documented how they remove harmful VOCs like benzene and formaldehyde. And while we tend to focus on the potentially dangerous VOCs, just about any scent in the air is the result of VOCs. So having plants in the bathroom can potentially help these rooms smell fresher. 

It turns out that having a plant in the bathroom may help you keep it clean, as well. A scientific study reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Asthma, & Immunology showed that plants such as English ivy (Hedera helix) effectively removed more than 75 percent of airborne mold spores. Another scientific study from Washington State University showed that plants may also pull dust and other particulate matter from the air -- another way plants can potentially make your bathroom a tidier place. 

There’s also compelling scientific research that shows having plants around can make us feel more calm, happy, and relaxed. Bathroom (or shower) plants just might help your space feel more spa-like. I don’t know about you, but I can remember plenty of times where a long, hot shower was the perfect way to end a stressful day. 

So what plants should you grow in your bathroom or shower? Here are some of my recommendations.

Small Plants for Low-Light Bathrooms

Because these plants don’t take up much space, they’re perfect to display on a shelf, on the corner of your bathroom counter, or hanging from a hook. 

• Dragon’s tongue (Hemigraphis) is wildly textural and looks almost like a little ornamental grass. It features deep green leaves that are purple on the back. It loves warm, humid air, making it perfect for terrariums, bathrooms, and showers. 
•     Lucky bamboo (Dracaena) is so easy, you don’t even need to grow it in soil! Just keep this beauty in a vase of water, keep it out of direct sun, and watch it thrive. You can get lucky bamboo grown traditionally with straight stems, or in artistic arrangements where we’ve trained the canes to grow in spirals, circles, and other shapes.  
•  Nerve plant (Fittonia) is colorful and doesn’t need bright light to thrive. It doesn’t even need natural light from the sun; the glow of a light bulb all day long will keep it going. Nerve plants offer colorful foliage and are great décor if you want a splash of living texture in your bathroom. 
• Waffle plant (Hemigraphis) shows off deep purple-green foliage and looks good just about anywhere. Because it’s a small, mounding plant, it’s a great choice to grow vertically, if you want to try a living wall in your bathroom. 

Big Plants for Low-Light Bathrooms

If you’re lucky enough to have room for a floor plant in your bathroom, consider any of these choices to fill an empty corner. 

• Jungle Queen (Anthurium) is an incredibly bold, and easy-care plant. It immediately gives you a designer look with its huge, often variegated leaves. Wonderfully low maintenance, Jungle Queen can get by if you forget to water it for weeks. 
• Monstera, also called split-leaf philodendron, is super-chic right now, so by growing it in your bathroom, you can hit on two trends! (Not familiar with it? Check out the hashtag #MonsteraMonday on Instagram.) It offers big leaves that are dramatically cut to give it eye-catching texture. Imagine what it’ll do for your shower! 
• Peace lily (Spathiphyllum) is available in a wide range of sizes, but the most dramatic are huge varieties like ‘Sensation’, which can grow 5 feet tall, or more. They have huge dark green leaves and are well known for being some of the best air-purifying plants around.
• Snake plant (Sansevieria) comes in many different varieties; all are exceptionally easy to grow. Tall types are fabulous because they grow straight up and don’t take up much horizontal space in your bathroom. Like Jungle Queen, it’s a low-water plant, so you don’t need to stress out about keeping it watered. 

Small Plants for Bright Bathrooms

I don’t have a bathroom with natural light, so if you have one, I envy you! And happily, you have a lot of fun choices to use on countertops, window sills, and hanging from hooks or rods. 

• Anthuriums love warm, humid air, making them ideal bathroom plants. They offer rich green foliage and colorful heart-shaped flowers throughout the year. One fun fact about most blooming anthurium varieties is that the flowers last longer -- more than a month -- when there’s abundant moisture in the air.
• Bromeliads, such as Guzmania varieties, are excellent air purifiers (says 2016 research from the State University of New York). They offer grassy leaves accented by boldly colored, wildly tropical flowers. They’re , elegant, and look perfect on a shower shelf.
• English ivy (Hedera helix) tolerates low but grows better in bright spots. You can get variegated varieties and types with a wide variety of leaf sizes and shapes. 
• Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis), like English ivy, doesn’t mind low light, but grows faster (and blooms a little better) in brighter spots. Enjoy its elegant flowers for months, as well as its powerful ability to purify the air.

Big Plants for Bright Bathrooms

Show off your love of plants in your bathroom with elegant floor plants. Here are some great picks to get you started.

• Corn plant (Dracaena) is an adorable tree that offers woody trunks topped by strappy variegated leaves. Easy to grow anywhere, you’ll find it’s particularly perfect for helping your bathroom feel like a spa. 
• Fiddle leaf fig (Ficus ) is one of the hottest plants around. Its huge leaves give any room a lush, tropical look. Add one to your bathroom to instantly make your space Instagram ready.
• Majesty palm ( ) adds texture with its feathery fronds. Native to streamsides in Madagascar, it thrives in moist, steamy conditions like your bathroom or shower.
• Ti plant (Cordyline) infuses any room with bright color! Most varieties offer purple-green leaves variegated with shades of hot pink, magenta, or red. You’ll love the look of its leaves, and the way they filter the air.

Written by Justin Hancock