House Plants That Reduce Humidity in the Bathroom

When it comes to bathroom decor, adding plants may not be your first instinct – but plants that absorb humidity can do double duty as decor pieces and natural dehumidifiers. Whether your bathroom has lots of light to work with or very little, these are 15 of the best plants that absorb humidity in the bathroom.

Published October 17, 2020, Updated November 28, 2021

Tall, leafy fiddle leaf fig bush in a basket beside a wooden end table.

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Fiddle-Leaf Figs Love Humidity

Native

to West Africa, the Instagram-famous fiddle-leaf fig (or ficus lyrata) makes for great decor, as Property Brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott know well. This plant is a bit of a diva. Fiddles like to dry out a little between thorough waterings, and thrive when given the occasional humidity boost. If your bathroom has a large window or skylight with bright, indirect light, fiddle-leaf figs will really enjoy the humidity of a bathroom.

Big, leafy Boston fern on a light wooden shelf in a light coloured pot.

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Boston Ferns Are Great Shower Plants

Ferns, like this big Boston fern, get a reputation for being hard to care for – with good reason. Without a healthy dose of humidity, ferns are likely to crisp right up. However, it’s for this reason that ferns make for great shower plants, as they absorb the warm humidity through their leaves like a natural dehumidifier.

A tiled shower with a clear glass door. On a shelf in the shower sit four pothos plants with vines trailing down.

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Pothos Make the Best House Plants

Pothos of all varieties are classic house plants for a reason: they’re incredibly hardy and tolerate a variety of growing conditions – including the humidity of a shower. This makes them a great choice to help absorb some of the humidity in a bathroom.

Sunny bathroom with a minimalist tub, towel ladder, and tropical palm.

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Palm Plants Love a Sunny, Humid Bathroom

The light and humidity of a sunny bathroom are perfect for a palm plant. Palms bring tropical vibes, but – like ferns – they’re quick to get crispy without a healthy dose of humidity. Turn your bathroom into a spa-like oasis with a palm plant to help decrease the humidity of the space.

Dining room table with gold chairs around it. Two orchids sit in vases on top of the table.

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Orchids Thrive in High Humidity

A bright and showy orchid makes for beautiful decor, as this luxe Property Brothers dining room shows. Although orchids can thrive in many conditions, they love 50 to 70 per cent humidity – which makes them ideal for absorbing some of the humidity of a bathroom.

Closeup of peace lily, with dark green leaves and elegant white flowers.

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Peace Lilies Love Moisture and Humidity

With their big, glossy leaves, peace lilies don’t just love humidity – they also love to be kept in moist soil. If given the option, opt for a peace lily that’s already in bloom to enjoy its gorgeous flowers right away.

Air plant in a glass jar on a wooden table. Beside the air plant is a cactus in a gold pot.

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Air Plants Absorb Moisture Through Their Leaves

Air plants, or tillandsias, are unique plants because they don’t grow in soil. Instead, air plants absorb moisture and nutrients through their leaves. These strange and wonderful plants come in many shapes and sizes, with thin wispy leaves, flat curly leaves and everything in between. In addition to the natural humidity of a bathroom, give air plants a soak in a sink filled with water once a week to help keep them happy.

Bromeliad plant with bright red flowers on a white ledge near a window.

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Bromeliads for Brightness

The bright and colourful bromeliad is a great way to add a splash of colour to your bathroom. These easygoing plants are in the same family as air plants, but grow in soil. They prefer a moist and humid environment, making them great bathroom plants.

Bright bathroom with a white bath tub, large palm plant, and English Ivy plant.

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Beginner-Friendly English Ivy

If you’re new to the plant world, English ivy is easy to care for and thrives in humid environments like bathrooms. This classic plant trails and vines as it grows, which makes it great on a high shelf or climbing up a trellis.

Snake plant in a white pot with a wooden stand in front of a window.

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Snake Plants to Tolerate Many Conditions

The snake plant, also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, has a reputation as an indestructible plant. This gorgeous plant thrives with regular watering and bright, indirect light, but it can also tolerate low light and a little neglect. It’s also reputed to have air-filtering properties, which makes it a good choice to help reduce humidity in a bathroom.

Spider plant in a red patterned pot on a wooden table.

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Spider Plants Like Humidity

Spider plants are another classic houseplant because of how easygoing they are. Not only do they do well in humid environments, happy spider plants will produce little babies that can easily be separated from the mother plant and shared with your friends.

A person’s hands holding a black plant pot with a calathea inside.

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Calatheas for Beautiful Foliage

The stunning calathea is popular among plant lovers for its stunning and ornate foliage. However, it’s notoriously difficult to care for in dry environments – without adequate humidity, calatheas crisp up and die. But don’t shy away from this plant! In a bathroom, a calathea plant adds a gorgeous splash of colour, and would also be happy to soak up the humidity from baths and showers!

Closeup of the large leaves of a bird of paradise. In the background is a couch with a pillow.

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Birds of Paradise for Tropical Vibes

Birds of paradise are another ultra-popular decor plant. Often confused for banana plants, these gorgeous tropical plants love to absorb humidity with their big, stunning leaves.

Four elephant ear plants in a terracotta planter on a concrete floor.

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The Elephant Ear Plant is Stunning and Unique

The elephant ear plant, or alocasia polly, is yet another plant that thrives in humid conditions. This stunning plant needs bright, indirect light as well as humidity – so it’ll thrive in a bathroom with a skylight or window.

Closeup of fenestrated monstera leaf, a monstera leaf with holes in it.

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Monstera Deliciosas Love Humidity

Monstera deliciosas are another very popular decor plant for their huge, fenestrated leaves. These easygoing plants thrive in a variety of conditions, but they’re jungle plants naturally, so they’ll do well in a humid bathroom environment.